What Happens When a Rock is Crushed into Fragments?

Understanding the Process

What occurs when a rock is crushed into a pile of fragments? The answer to the question is the total surface area increases and chemical composition changes. Consider the breakdown of rock into smaller pieces, these fragments vary from huge rocks to smaller sizes. As they are so crushed and broken they tend to occupy much of the surface area than when it's just a huge rock.

Final answer:

When a rock is crushed into fragments, it undergoes physical weathering, leading to the formation of sediments that may undergo compaction and cementation to become sedimentary rock.

Explanation:

When a rock is crushed into a pile of fragments, the process is known as physical weathering, specifically mechanical weathering. This occurs naturally over time as rocks are exposed to elements such as water, wind, temperature changes, and biological factors. The fragments differ in size and are pretty much disintegrated rock materials like gravel, sand, and clay.

These sediments can eventually turn into sedimentary rock through the processes of compaction and cementation. Compaction occurs as layers of sediment build up over time, consolidating the material beneath due to the weight of new sediment layers. This is similar to compressing the contents of a garbage can to create more space. Subsequently, cementation happens, which involves water being squeezed out and precipitation of minerals within the pore spaces to 'glue' the sediments together, forming rock. Minerals such as calcite, quartz, and pyrite are often the 'cements' in such processes.