So we expect that the description of the velocities of molecules in a gas will in fact be the most probable distribution, since we are dealing with particle numbers in the range of Avogadro's number. But this most probable distribution (the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution) is subject to constraints, namely that the number of particles is constant and that the total energy is constant (conservation of energy).
The oldest rocks are metamorphic gneisses which are to be found on Inishtrahull, several miles off Malin Head in Co. Donegal, and elsewhere in the north-west. They originally formed as igneous rocks 1750-1780 million years ago.
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.