A magma having a silica content of 50% is more mafic than one having a silica content of 70%.?

Question

Is this True Or False.. WHY?

Thanks

Answer 1

Mafic is used for silicate minerals, magmas, and rocks which are relatively high in the heavier elements.

Felsic, on the other hand, is used for silicate minerals, magmas, and rocks which have a lower percentage of the heavier elements, and are correspondingly enriched in the lighter elements, such as silica and oxygen, aluminum, and potassium.

It is important to note that there are many intermediate steps in the purification process, and many intermediate magmas which are produced during the conversion from mafic to felsic. We call the magmas associated with these intermediate stages "intermediate."

Rocks with more than 65 percent silica are called felsic; those with between 55 and 65 percent silica are intermediate; those with between 45 and 55 percent silica are mafic; and those with less than 45 percent are ultramafic.