Rocks are natural solid substances that are used for several, reasons. Rocks are found everywhere, from the building of the highways to the houses we live in. different rocks were formed under different conditions and this has led to the emergence of different minerals. There are three classes of rocks, which are classified according to their origin. They include sedimentary rocks, igneous rocks, and metamorphic rocks. The availability of rocks plays an important role in our lives.
1. Foundations
When building a house, you have to put up a foundation first before anything else. This is because the foundation of the building is what holds all the other parts together. Blocks of rocks are used in foundations, building bridge pier, in lighthouses, and in retaining walls.
2. Making concrete
The concrete that makes up most of the urban landscape is the construction of a naturally occurring rock. Concrete is made using rocks. Rock is crushed to finer particles and used as concrete in the construction industry. Limestone is the most common type of rock that is used in the manufacture of Portland cement, manufacture of paper, lime production, and insecticides.
3. Making electricity
Some types of rocks are used in the manufacture of electricity. Coal is manufactured from a sedimentary rock, which is formed from decayed plants. It is the remains of woody plants, which are of no use in the swampy areas, and has been cooked to form a solid mass.
4. Making ceramics
Ceramic is made from clay mudstone and can be in the form of simple plant pots to extravagant porcelains. Clay mudstone is a type of rock that forms the compaction of mud, and if it is buried deep in the ground, it becomes slate.
5. Countertops
There are some kitchen countertops, which are made of granite and marble. When magma cools within the earth and does not erupt to a volcano, granite is formed. As the magma cools, larger mineral grains are formed. Besides, marble is formed from cooking limestone by pressure and heat.
6. Making glasses
Quartz is the main mineral that is found in sand. Furthermore, sand is the remains that are found after granite has been grounded by rivers, streams, and ocean waves. Silica, as the mineral of quartz, is very hard and it stays intact in the sand after all the other minerals have been destroyed. When silica is melted to glass, it loses its strength and becomes clearer. That is why glasses are clear.
7. Used in writing
Chalk is a sedimentary rock that is white and is useful in writing. Chalk is used mostly by teachers in primary schools to write down notes or assignments for the children.
8. Making bath scrub stone
Another type of igneous rock that is used in our bathrooms is the pumice stone. Pumice is a soft stone that is used in the bathroom to scrub our body especially the foot area.
