Mineral: a substance found in nature that is not man made.  It has the same chemical make-up no matter where it is found.

Rock:  a substance made from more than one material.  It may contain several kinds of minerals as well as other materials.

Igneous Rocks:  formed by cooling and solidification (either above or below ground) of molten matter from inside the earth

Sedimentary Rocks:  made from sediments (minerals, pieces of other rocks, and sometimes organic matter) that have been deposited in layers and pressed or cemented together over time to form a solid material.

Metamorphic Rocks:  made of minerals from igneous, sedimentary and other metamorphic rocks which have been fused under extreme heat and pressure within the earth.

Petrifaction:  the process of converting once-living material to stone or fossils

Sediment:  the particles that settle to the bottom of a liquid.