Here's why:
* Composition: Both granite and rhyolite are felsic, meaning they are rich in silica and have high amounts of potassium and sodium.
* Crystal Size: Granite is intrusive, meaning it cools slowly underground, allowing large crystals to form. Rhyolite is extrusive, meaning it cools rapidly on the Earth's surface, resulting in smaller crystals.
Other characteristics that distinguish rhyolite from granite:
* Texture: Rhyolite often has a glassy or porphyritic texture (large crystals embedded in a finer-grained matrix).
* Color: Rhyolite can be light-colored, ranging from white to pink to gray.
Essentially, rhyolite is the extrusive equivalent of granite.
