Lava and Magma? Science Question?

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I am studying my science and I am very confused.

I know that Lava is hot molten rock above the Earth’s surface that comes up through fissures or cracks in the crust and erupts in a volcano. I also know that Magma is hot molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface.
I don’t see why they have 2 different names. They seem the same to me except that one is above Earth’s surface and one is below. Can anyone please explain this to me? Thanks

✅ Answers

? Best Answer

  • There is a reason to call them different things:

    Lava is out in the open, so it cools much more quickly. That prevents the molecules from forming crystals, so it forms very different kinds of rock.

    Magma (if it ever gets a chance) cools very slowly, so the molecules have time to ‘find their place’ in the crystalline structure.

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