Skip to content
MeerkatSkool Afrikaans
Summaries · Grade 5 Natural Sciences › Sedimentary rocks and their uses
Free summary · Grade 5 Natural Sciences

Sedimentary rocks and their uses

How sandstone, shale and limestone form, how to recognise them, and what we use them for. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

Know it already? Jump straight to the quiz

Your progress0 of 3

How it forms

Rock breaksdownRivercarriessedimentLayerssettle inwaterPressure andcementSedimentaryrock
From a mountain to a new layer of rock.
Youngest layers on topOldest layers at the bottomFossils lie trappedbetween the layers
Layers of different colours settled at different times.

Conglomerate is rounded pebbles cemented in finer sand. Coal is also a sedimentary rock: it formed from dead plants pressed in layers. Granite does not form from sediment.

Layers of sandstone in a cliff.
Layers of sandstone in a cliff.
Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

Uses

RockUse
SandstoneBuilding stone: can be cut into blocks and lasts long
Shale (clay)Bricks and pottery
LimestoneCement; agricultural lime for acid soil; old blackboard chalk
Sandstone and shale slabsPaving and garden paths
Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

Concrete

Cement mixed with sand, stone and water makes concrete. So a rock from the sea becomes part of your house!

Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary
  • Sediment is bits of rock, sand and mud that settle, mostly in water.
  • Sandstone: sand grains pressed and ‘cemented’ together; feels rough like sandpaper.
  • Shale: fine mud in thin layers; it splits easily into flat sheets.
  • Limestone forms from the shells of sea animals; it is the main ingredient of cement.
  • In a cliff the bottom layer is usually the oldest.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

Sedimentary rock is a sandwich: the bottom slice was put down first, so it is the oldest.

Flash cards · Tap to turn over

Important words

First say what the word means, then turn the card over.

Test yourself · Part 2

True or false?

Read the question and the answer. Is the answer right? Tap True or False.

    Now the real quiz!

    The quiz has many more questions on this topic. Every question shows straight away whether you are right and explains why.

    Take the quiz: Sedimentary rocks and their uses
    All Grade 5 Natural Sciences summaries
    For parents
    • Read one part together and ask your child to tell it back in their own words.
    • The ticks (“I know this”) are saved on this device only. We never ask for names or emails.

    Follows CAPS for Grade 5 Natural Sciences and Technology. Always check your teacher’s notes and textbook too.

    Free PDF