Conceptest: Cooling and composition indicators of Igneous Rocks
This material is replicated on a number of sites
as part of the
SERC Pedagogic Service Project
Initial Publication Date: November 30, 2008
Question:
What is the most likely cooling rate and composition of a light colored, small grained igneous rock?
A. Cooled rapidly, low silica
B. Cooled rapidly, high silica
C. Cooled slowly, low silica
D. Cooled slowly, high silica
A. Cooled rapidly, low silica
B. Cooled rapidly, high silica
C. Cooled slowly, low silica
D. Cooled slowly, high silica
Student Responses:
These responses were collected from 200 non-majors (mostly freshmen) in multiple large (60+ students) introductory Earth Science classes at an open-enrollment Midwestern state university.
A. 6% of students chose this answer
B. 70% of students chose this answer (correct)
C. 8% of students chose this answer
D. 16% of students chose this answer
