There are over 5,000 known types of minerals. Just a few minerals make up most of the rocks we see, though: feldspars, amphiboles, quartz, olivine, garnet, micas, calcite, and pyroxenes.

There are lots of types of rock and each type has different properties and uses. For example, some are strong and hard but others are soft and sandy. Some rocks are harder than others. For example ...

causing them to change into another type of rock. They are usually resistant to weathering and erosion and are therefore very hard-wearing. Examples of metamorphic rocks include marble ...