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3.2: Investigation - Comparing Granite and Basalt

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    Granite and basalt are common igneous rocks. They represent the rock materials that make up the continents and the seafloor, respectively. A comparison between granite and basalt illustrates distinctions across many categories of property for igneous rocks. These differences in rock properties, in turn, can be explained by differences in the physical conditions in which the rocks formed. Igneous rocks are categorized by mineral texture and chemical composition. Visually observe and compare the rock sample images, then complete the identification chart in the table below.

    Granite
    Basalt
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Porphyritic granite (left) and basalt (right). (James St. John; CC BY.)
    Rock properties of granite and basalt.
    Properties Granite Basalt
    Mineral texture
    Mineral composition
    Ferromagnesian or nonferromagnesian in constituent minerals
    Intrusive or extrusive in formation
    Rate of cooling in formation
    Mass density of rock

    This page titled 3.2: Investigation - Comparing Granite and Basalt is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Likwan Cheng.

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