Metamorphic rock is:

Metamorphic rock is:

• A. An igneous rock
• B. A sedimentary rock
• C. A rock that has been altered by heat and pressure
• D. A rock formed by precipitation

Answer: (C)

Metamorphic rock is rock that has been altered by heat and pressure, while remaining solid. This means the minerals within the rock recrystallize or rearrange into new minerals stable under higher temperature and pressure, often creating textures such as foliation or banding from directed stress. The key is that the rock changes form without melting, unlike igneous rocks which form from cooling molten material, and unlike most sedimentary rocks which form by cementing together grains or by precipitation. You can see the concept in familiar examples: shale becoming slate under directed pressure, or limestone becoming marble under heat and pressure. These changes happen deep in the crust or near intrusive bodies, where conditions are hot and pressurized enough to transform the rock but not melt it.

Metamorphic rock is rock that has been altered by heat and pressure, while remaining solid. This means the minerals within the rock recrystallize or rearrange into new minerals stable under higher temperature and pressure, often creating textures such as foliation or banding from directed stress. The key is that the rock changes form without melting, unlike igneous rocks which form from cooling molten material, and unlike most sedimentary rocks which form by cementing together grains or by precipitation. You can see the concept in familiar examples: shale becoming slate under directed pressure, or limestone becoming marble under heat and pressure. These changes happen deep in the crust or near intrusive bodies, where conditions are hot and pressurized enough to transform the rock but not melt it.