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Chemical rocks
A microscope
The rock cycle
Plate tectonics
2007-03-13 22:13:39 · 6 answers · asked by Scorpion VS Subzero 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
microscope
2007-03-13 22:16:10 · answer #1 · answered by BrianG 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Geologists use X-ray diffraction to determine minerals in a rock. Since that isn't one of the choices I would have to go along with a microscope, although that is becoming a less frequent method.
2007-03-14 04:07:56 · answer #2 · answered by Amphibolite 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A polarising microscope. This has two pieces of polarised glass, one above the slide of rock thin section and on below.
A thin slice of rock is mounted on a glass slide and put under the microscope.
One piece of polarised glass is then rotated to it is at 90 degrees to the other. This is called cross polarised light. Without the rock slide everything will be black. However, many minerals show up in colors and have different optical properties in cross polarised light which aids their identification.
For an initial step, however, you can't beat an old fashioned hand lens.
2007-03-13 22:30:15 · answer #3 · answered by Spite.Fu 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chemical rocks
2007-03-13 22:17:49 · answer #4 · answered by Curiosity 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i'm a geologisy and all i'm provided with is a hand lens that magnifies x10. and it works.
the answer to your question however - microscope
2007-03-14 05:44:16 · answer #5 · answered by Hzl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they look at the minerals color and texture
2016-03-28 22:40:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋