Earth and Life Science

Grade 11/12 • Unit 4: Minerals and Rocks

LESSON 4.3
Sedimentary Rocks
Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Learning Competency 2

Learning Objectives 2

Warm-Up 2

Learn about It 3
Formation of Sedimentary Rocks 3
Compaction 4
Cementation 4
Crystallization 4
Chemical Changes 5
Types of Sedimentary Rocks 5
Clastic Sedimentary Rocks 6
Non-clastic Sedimentary Rocks 7

Example 8

Key Points 9

Check Your Understanding 9

Bibliography 11
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Grade 11/12 • Unit 4: Minerals and Rocks

Lesson 4.3
Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary rocks

Introduction
A mango graham cake is a favorite of many people who like sweets. In a mango graham
cake, graham crackers are at the bottom, topped with cream and mangoes. After the
mango graham cake has been frozen, you will observe distinct layers after you slice it. This
cake is a good analogy to sedimentary rocks.

Sedimentary rocks are rocks that form when materials accumulate and deposit in order to
form distinct layers. The layers present in the cake are somewhat similar to the layers that
are present in sedimentary rocks. What process do sediments undergo to become
sedimentary rocks?

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Grade 11/12 • Unit 4: Minerals and Rocks

Learning Competency
At the end of this lesson, the given DepEd learning competency should be met
by the students.
Classify rocks into igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
(S11/12ES-Ib-10).

Learning Objectives
In this lesson, you should be able to do the following:
● Identify and differentiate the types of sedimentary rocks.
● Describe the origin and environment of formation of sedimentary rocks.

Warm-Up

Sedimentary Rocks in a Glass Jar

Materials
● pebbles (marble-sized)
● rocks (larger than pebbles)
● sand
● soil
● water
● glass jar

Procedure
1. Collect some rocks, pebbles, sand, and soil. Make sure that you find many rocks of

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Grade 11/12 • Unit 4: Minerals and Rocks

varying sizes.
2. Get a glass jar. Fill it with the materials you collected at about one-thirds full.
3. Add water and shake it cautiously.
4. Predict what will happen and provide reasons why.
5. Let the jar undisturbed and watch how the materials settle.

Guide Questions
1. Based on the activity, why do you think sedimentary rocks are called such?
2. What is the difference between the materials that settle on each layer?
3. If you reshake the jar, do you think you will still get the same exact number of layers
and position? Why or why not?

Learn about It
Formation of sedimentary rocks requires pre-existing rocks, reserves of sediments, and
even fossilized living organisms. These components accumulate on Earth's surface and form
sedimentary rocks that exhibit distinctive layering of components.

Formation of Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary rocks were formed from organic, mechanical, or chemical sediments. A
process called lithification is where hardened sediments become sedimentary rocks. Sand,
silt, and organic material are the components of a lithified soil. In contrast to igneous rocks,
the heat needed for lithification is less intense. In addition to heat, compaction and
cementation also play a role in this process.

Remember
Sediments are products of weathering which are transported from one
place to another by wind, running water, sea, or glaciers.

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Diagenesis is a collective process where sediments are lithified (becomes rock). It has four
main parts: compaction, cementation, recrystallization, and chemical changes (oxidation or
reduction).

Compaction
As the name implies, compaction is when
sediments are smashed together. Imagine a jar
with gumballs in it. If there are lots of spaces in
between each gumball, the number is less
compared when the gumballs are tightly packed
within the jar. As more gumballs are added, spaces
are lessened and it starts to stick with each other
and form one whole mass. Sedimentary rocks also
form this way. The accumulated sediments start to
be squeezed together. As more and more
sediments are deposited, its overlying weight
increases. During this process, water present in
the sediments is squeezed out.

Cementation
After the sediments have been compacted,
cementation occurs. Since most sediments can
be found in water, water molecules are present in
between particles. The various dissolved minerals
present in the surrounding water will eventually
fall out and attach to the sediment grains.
Therefore, cementation acts as glue that binds the
particles together.

Crystallization
Ions of chlorine, magnesium, potassium,
calcium, carbonate, sodium, and sulfate are commonly dissolved in seawater. However,

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others such as silica and phosphorus which contribute to the makeup of sedimentary rock
are only found in trace amounts in seawater. These ions will crystallize to form a rock after
the water evaporates.

Chemical Changes
Biological precipitation of the decayed shells of microorganisms form the carbonate
sediments. Through inorganic processes, other calcium-rich and bicarbonate-rich chemical
sediments are precipitated as calcium carbonate and carbonic acid. However, these
processes are less common.

Fig. 2. Common sedimentary rocks in the Philippines.

From left to right: chert, coquina, and limestone

Remains of plants and animals are also common in sedimentary rocks since the
environment of their formation is near Earth’s surface. Sedimentary rocks become more
recognizable due to the presence of layers or bedding planes which are formed as
sediments settle out and are sorted by transporting agents such as wind or water.

Essential Question
What are the types of sedimentary rocks?

Types of Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary rocks are classified into clastic or non-clastic.

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Grade 11/12 • Unit 4: Minerals and Rocks

Clastic Sedimentary Rocks

Clastic sedimentary rocks are made up of sediments from preexisting rocks. When
preexisting rocks are physically weathered and eroded, they form sediments called clasts or
detritus, which are composed of individual minerals or rock fragments. When these
sediments are transported, deposited, and lithified, they form the clastic sedimentary rocks.
The components of these rocks are called grains if they are minerals and fragments if they
are pieces of rocks. In this type of sedimentary rock, mineral composition is secondary to
grain size which means that the sizes of the clasts are essential in its naming and
identification. These rocks can be recognized based on their grain sizes that can range from
0.002 mm (e.g. clay size) to > 2 mm (coarse gravel).

When weathering creates clastic sediment, different transporting agents like wind, flowing
water, glaciers, organisms, and gravity carry these sediments. Streams carry the largest
proportion of clastic sediments, modifying them as they travel downslope. When rubble is
carried by a stream for a few kilometers, it becomes rounded due to abrasion or friction. On
the other hand, rubble tends to appear angular when they are carried at shorter distances.

The amount and type of sediments a stream can carry depends on its capacity and
competence. Stream capacity refers to the amount of sediments it can carry while
competence refers to the sizes of the sediments. The speed of a stream affects the size of
sediments it can carry. A fast-moving stream can carry large boulders to coarse sediments
while a slow-moving stream can only transport fine-grained sediments.

Table 4.3.1. Classification of sedimentary rocks based on particle size

Texture (grain size) Sediment name Rock name

gravel (rounded fragments) conglomerate

coarse
(over 2 mm)
gravel (angular fragments) breccia

medium
sand sandstone
(1/16 to 2 mm)

fine silt siltstone

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(1/16 to 1/256 mm)

very fine
clay shale
(less than 1/256 mm)

Non-clastic Sedimentary Rocks

Non-clastic sedimentary rocks can be biological, chemical, or a combination of both.

1. Biological sedimentary rocks are lithified accumulation of dead organisms.

Examples include coal (formed from carbon-rich plants) and limestone (formed from
the remains of calcareous organisms).

2. Chemical sedimentary rocks form from chemical precipitation. An example is rock

salt formed when dissolved salts precipitate from a solution. This occurs when there
is a change in temperature or level of acidity of the solution.

Table 4.3.2. Examples of non-clastic sedimentary rocks

Composition Texture (grain size) Rock Name

crystalline limestone
fine to coarse crystalline
travertine

shells and cemented shell

coquina
calcite fragments
biochemical
shells and shell fragments fossiliferous
limestone
cemented with calcite cement limestone

microscopic shells and clay chalk

chert (light color)

quartz very fine crystalline
flint (dark color)

gypsum fine to coarse crystalline rock gypsum

halite fine to coarse crystalline rock salt

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altered plant
fine-grained organic matter bituminous coal
fragments

Example
The figure below shows an example of how to identify sedimentary rocks.

Fig. 3. Key to identifying sedimentary rocks

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Key Points

● Sedimentary rocks are formed by the compaction and cementation of sediments, a

process called lithification.
● Sedimentary rocks are classified into clastic or non-clastic. Clastic sedimentary
rocks are made up of sediments from preexisting rocks while non-clastic
sedimentary rocks can be biological, chemical, or a combination of both.
● The amount and type of sediments a stream can carry depends on its capacity and
competence.

Check Your Understanding

1. Use your knowledge in sedimentary rock identification to complete the diagram below.

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Grade 11/12 • Unit 4: Minerals and Rocks

2. Complete the crossword puzzle below.

Across Down
2. Rock made from evaporation 1. A process where breaking down of
from the shallow sea rocks into smaller pieces occurs
5. Pieces of rock, sand, and silt 2. A process where sediments are
6. A sedimentary rock formed by tightly pressed together.
rocks cemented by a mineral 3. A process where crystallization of
dissolved minerals and binding
the sediments together happens.
4. A natural cement that acts as a
glue to hold together sediment.

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Bibliography

Amethyst Galleries Inc. “Mineral Gallery” Accessed April 5, 2018.

http://www.galleries.com/default.htm

Coenraads, Robert R. 2005. Rocks & Fossils: A Visual Guide. Australia: Weldon Owen Inc.

Tarbuck, Edward J. and Frederick J. Lutgens. 2012. Earth Science, 13th Edition. New Jersey:
Pearson Prentice Hall.

Thompson, Graham R. and Jonathan Turk. 1997. Introduction to Physical Geology. United
States: Brooks Cole Publishing.

Williams, Linda. 2004. Earth Science Demystified. United States: The McGraw -Hill Companies,
Inc.

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