Which rock type is formed primarily through cementation of sediment particles?

Which rock type is formed primarily through cementation of sediment particles?

• A. Basalt
• B. Sandstone
• C. Marble
• D. Granite

Answer: (B)

Cementation is the process that turns loose sediment grains into solid rock, binding them together as minerals precipitate from groundwater to fill the spaces between grains. Sandstone forms this way: sand-sized grains are packed together and held in place by mineral cement (often silica or calcite), creating a solid, clastic rock with visible grains. The other options come from different origins—basalt and granite are igneous rocks formed by cooling magma, not by cementing sediment grains, while marble is metamorphic, created when limestone is altered by heat and pressure. So the rock formed primarily through cementation of sediment particles is sandstone.

Cementation is the process that turns loose sediment grains into solid rock, binding them together as minerals precipitate from groundwater to fill the spaces between grains. Sandstone forms this way: sand-sized grains are packed together and held in place by mineral cement (often silica or calcite), creating a solid, clastic rock with visible grains. The other options come from different origins—basalt and granite are igneous rocks formed by cooling magma, not by cementing sediment grains, while marble is metamorphic, created when limestone is altered by heat and pressure. So the rock formed primarily through cementation of sediment particles is sandstone.