If granite were melted in the laboratory, what would be the order in which its minerals would melt. The minerals inside are:
most complete large crystallized mineral is X
next complete small cryastallized mineral is Z
next to least large crystallized mineral is Y
least crystallized mineral is W
The hint we are given is that imagine a pat of butter and a lump of sugar in a sauce pan. Add heat. Which melts first? Maintain the heat until both have melted, then turn off the heat. Which solidifies (crystalizes) first?
To determine the order in which the minerals in granite would melt when subjected to heat in a laboratory, we can apply the analogy with the pat of butter and the lump of sugar in a saucepan.
Based on the hint provided, let's start with the melting process. When heat is applied to the butter and sugar in the saucepan, the sugar will melt first, followed by the butter. This is because sugar has a lower melting point than butter.
Applying this analogy to the minerals in granite, we can infer that the mineral with the lowest melting point would melt first. In this case, W, the least crystallized mineral, is the one with the lowest melting point. Therefore, W would melt first when granite is exposed to heat in the laboratory.
Next, let's consider the solidification or crystallization process. After both the butter and sugar have melted and the heat is turned off, the sugar will solidify (crystallize) first, followed by the butter. This is because sugar has a higher tendency to form crystals compared to butter, which solidifies more slowly.
Applying this concept to the minerals in granite, we can deduce that the mineral with the highest tendency to crystalize would solidify first. X, the most complete large crystallized mineral, would have the highest chance of solidifying first in this case.
Following this reasoning, the order in which the minerals in granite would melt and solidify (crystallize) based on the given information would be:
Melt order: W > Y > Z > X
Solidify (crystallize) order after heating: X > Z > Y > W
It's important to note that this is a simplified explanation based on the analogy given and the assumption that the melting and crystallization behavior of the minerals in granite align with the behavior of butter and sugar. In reality, the process of melting and crystallization in minerals can be more complex and depend on various factors such as composition and temperature.