In its oxide or silicate form, silicon is used to make concrete, bricks, glass, ceramics, and soap. Silicon metal is also the base material for making silicones used in such products as synthetic oils, caulks and sealers, and anti-foaming agents.
Intrusive igneous rocks crystallize below Earth's surface, and the slow cooling that occurs there allows large crystals to form. Examples of intrusive igneous rocks are diorite, gabbro, granite, pegmatite, and peridotite. Extrusive igneous rocks erupt onto the surface, where they cool quickly to form small crystals.
Because such slow cooling allows time for large crystals to form, intrusive igneous rock has relatively large mineral crystals that are easy to see. Granite is the most common intrusive igneous rock (Figure 4.12). Figure 4.12: A close-up of a granite sample.he holes make pumice so light that it actually floats in water. The most common extrusive igneous rock is basalt, a rock that is especially common below the oceans (Figure 4.15). Figure 4.13: Extrusive igneous rocks form after lava cools above the surface.