Is lava rock magnetic?

Question

Does it have a shiny black outside? Is it ever glass and metal? Can it make a compass spin?

Answer 1

sometimes

Answer 2

Igneous (volcanic) rock by itself is not 'magnetic' - under certain conditions, though, with the presence of iron,  the naturally occurring rock, called 'lodestone' or 'magnetite' WILL exhibit magnetic properties.  Magnetite is one of the most common  (iron) oxide minerals and also one of the most common iron minerals. It is an important ore of iron and is found in igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. It can also be abundant in sediments.

    * Magnetite, a magnetic mineral form of iron(II), iron(III) oxide Fe3O4, one of several iron oxides.

    * A piece of intensely magnetic magnetite that was used as an early form of magnetic compass.

Iron, steel and ordinary magnetite are attracted to a magnetic field, including the Earth's magnetic field. Only magnetite with a particular crystalline structure, lodestone, can act as a natural magnet and attract and magnetize iron. The name "magnet" comes from lodestones found in a place called Magnesia.

In China, the earliest literary reference to magnetism lies in a 4th century BC book called Book of the Devil Valley Master (鬼谷子): "The lodestone makes iron come or it attracts it."[1] The earliest mention of the attraction of a needle appears in a work composed between 20 and 100 AD (Louen-heng): "A lodestone attracts a needle."[1] By the 12th century the Chinese were known to use the lodestone compass for navigation.

We still are not certain as to their origin, but most scientists believe that lodestone is magnetite that has been hit by lightning.   Tiny crystals of magnetite are present in many rocks. In the crystallization of an igneous rock, tiny crystals of magnetite form in the melt, and because they are magnetic, they orient themselves with the direction and polarity of Earth's magnetic field. This preserves in the rock the orientation of Earth's magnetic field at the time of crystallization.

Today geologists can study the magnetic properties of rocks of various age and reconstruct the history of change in Earth's magnetic field. This information is available for multiple locations on multiple continents. It can also be used to learn about the movement of continents over time.

A similar orientation of tiny magnetite grains occurs in the settling of sediment particles, locking clues to Earth's magnetic history into some sedimentary rocks.

Answer 3

no its just rock

Answer 4

All the obove questions are no .I think what have is a peace of space rock.HA HA HA !!!!!!

Answer 5

No, I do not think so, I may be wrong.

Answer 6

no, it's very light in weight and has small holes all in it. It can is used for firewalking because it doesn't hold heat. Light grey colored.

Answer 7

it's just lava. a rock. depends where it comes from, what kind of rock is that. so it's not magnetic, unless that rck has some magnetic features...

Answer 8

It would depend upon how much iron is in the rock and if it was magnetized during its formation.  

Look here for more interesting information on rock formed by lava flows.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igneous_roc...

and volcanoes:

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/About/What/Mon...

Answer 9

i dont think so.

Answer 10

Extrusive igneous rock (crystallized lava) often does have a shiny exterior and commonly is very dark, even black. Some of these rocks are made up of glass (obsidian) and metallic minerals are found in them as well. In fact a very attractive form of pahoehoe has a metallic, iridescent blue sheen (like gun metal blue) caused by the metal titanium. Iron content within these rocks will influence a compass.

Answer 11

Sometimes.  It has many forms, depending on how quickly it cooled.  It can also make diamonds, such as the ones at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.