Is Basalt Or Granite Denser

The key difference between basalt and granite is that basalt is mostly occurring on ocean floors while granite is in the crust of the earth in all continents.

Is basalt or granite denser.

Its principle minerals include pyroxene feldspar and olivine. As you can see rocks of the same type can have a range of densities. Basalt is denser than granite because basalt is a an oceanic type of rock so it has had more pressure from the ocean making it denser than granite because granite is a continental type of rock. It is common both on earth and other planetary bodies.

Gabbro s density ranges from 2 7 3 3 g cm 3. Granite is an igneous plutonic rock which is. Compared to the familiar granite of the continents basalt ba salt is darker denser and finer grained. And if you know your igneouspetrology you will see that the more mafic rich in magnesium and iron a rock is the greater its density.

Basalt is an igneous volcanic rock that forms commonly in oceanic crust and parts of continental crust. Of the continents are granite. When we have to compare granite vs basalt the texture color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Granite is available in black grey orange pink white colors whereas basalt is available in black brown light to dark grey.

Sedimentary rocks and granite which are rich in quartz and feldspar tend to be less dense than volcanic rocks. It forms from lava flows which extrude onto the surface and cool. Since gabbro and basalt are made of the same minerals their densities are similar. It s dark and dense because it s richer in the dark heavy minerals bearing magnesium and iron that is more mafic and poorer in silicon and aluminum bearing minerals.

The day after the lab is a good time to question the students about the significance of rock densities. Basalt is denser than granite because basalt is a an oceanic type of rock so it has had more pressure from the ocean making it denser than granite because granite is a continental type of rock.