* Chemical Resistance: Quartz (SiO2) is a very hard and chemically inert mineral. It resists chemical weathering processes like oxidation and dissolution that affect other minerals.

* Physical Durability: Quartz is also very resistant to physical weathering, such as abrasion and impact. It has a high hardness on the Mohs scale (7 out of 10).

Other minerals in granite:

* Feldspar: While durable, feldspars are more susceptible to chemical weathering than quartz, especially in acidic environments.

* Mica: Micas are relatively soft and can be weathered by both chemical and physical processes.

As a result of its high resistance to weathering, quartz often survives the breakdown of granite and ends up as sand grains in rivers, beaches, and deserts.