Teagan takes a break from studying and makes herself a cup of tea. As she places her mug on the counter, she considers the processes that
created the granite, a type of igneous rock, that now makes up her
counter. Explain how the granite formed. *

Granite forms as an extrusive igneous rock on or near the surface of Earth.

Explanation:

Granite is a type of rock that belongs to a broad group of igneous rocks. This group is divided into two subgroups, intrusive and extrusive. The first ones form deep into the crust, while the second ones form on or very near the surface. The granite is part of the extrusive rocks.

When there is a volcanic eruption where lava flows come down from the volcano, the lava fills in or covers the surrounding area or part of it. Because it is on the surface, the lava is exposed to much lower temperature and pressure, meaning that it is cooling off much faster. By cooling off very quickly, as the lava solidifies, there isn't much time for large crystals to form, but instead, there is only enough time for the very small, almost unnoticeable crystals to form. This is basically how the granite forms.