S3 Science: The Rock Cycle And Earth Resources (Paper 3 (challenge))

S3 Science: The Rock Cycle and Earth Resources (Paper 3 (challenge))

2026-11-14

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Tutor Prep Guide · the three rock types, magma cooling and crystal size, bedding and fossils, weathering against erosion, transport and deposition, metamorphism, soil formation, renewable and non-renewable resources, impacts of quarrying, the three Rs and site restoration

S3 Science: The Rock Cycle and Earth Resources (Paper 3 (challenge))

This paper deals with cooling rate and crystal size, fossils being confined to sedimentary rock and the energy sources of the rock cycle, with multi step calculations on reserve lifetime, weathering time, solar output and glass yield including unit conversion.

Direct answers　Slow cooling gives large crystals and fast cooling fine ones; fossils occur only in sedimentary rock; energy comes from Earth heat and the Sun; reserve lifetime is reserve over yearly use; erosion time needs consistent units; a conversion factor is used as a divisor; solar output is efficiency times received power; only igneous rock comes from cooling magma.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	20
Difficulty mix	Foundation 3 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 3 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: S3 Science: The Rock Cycle and Earth Resources
Level	S3

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationHow does the cooling rate of magma affect crystal size?
FoundationWhich rock type can contain fossils?
FoundationWhere does the energy driving the rock cycle come from?
IntermediateA mineral has reserves of 48 million tonnes and is used at 2.4 million tonnes a year. How long will it last at this rate?
IntermediateWeathering proceeds at 1.5 mm per year. How many years are needed to weather 45 mm?
IntermediateWhy are the crystals in basalt very fine?
ChallengeSolar panels are 18 percent efficient and receive 1000 W per square metre. What power does 20 m² deliver in kW?
ChallengeA 20 m thick rock layer erodes at 0.4 mm per year. How long until it is gone?
ChallengeEvery 1000 kg of sand yields 900 kg of glass. How much sand is needed for 1800 kg of glass?
Error redoA student says every rock forms by magma cooling directly. What is wrong?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	Slower cooling gives larger crystals and faster cooling gives finer crystals	Plutonic rock cools slowly at depth so its crystals are easy to see, while extrusive rock chilled at the surface often needs a microscope.
2	Sedimentary rock	Igneous rock forms from hot magma and metamorphic rock has been heated and squeezed, so neither preserves fossils well.
3	Heat inside the Earth, together with solar energy that drives weathering and erosion	Internal heat drives magma and plate movement, while solar energy drives erosion and transport by wind, water and ice.
4	20 years	Dividing 48 million by 2.4 million gives 20.
5	30 years	Dividing 45 by 1.5 gives 30.
6	Lava cools quickly at the surface so crystals have no time to grow	Short cooling time is the key factor, and it is not directly about the composition of the magma.
7	3.6 kW	Each square metre delivers 180 W, so 20 m² gives 3600 W, which is 3.6 kW.
8	50000 years	20 m is 20000 mm, and dividing by 0.4 gives 50000.
9	2000 kg	Glass is nine tenths of the sand mass, so dividing 1800 by 0.9 gives 2000.
10	Only igneous rock forms by cooling magma, since sedimentary and metamorphic rocks form in other ways	Sedimentary rock forms from compacted and cemented fragments, and metamorphic rock from older rock under heat and pressure.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

For any rock question first ask how it formed: cooling gives igneous, layer upon layer gives sedimentary, and heat with pressure gives metamorphic; once fragments have moved away it is erosion and transport, not weathering.Tutor Registration →

Questions and answers are written originally by the TutorZone team and are not taken from any school, publisher or examination authority paper. Every value is checked by computer.