What are the main components of granite?

Granite is an igneous rock that is primarily composed of three main minerals: quartz, feldspar, and mica. Quartz is a hard and abundant mineral that contributes to the durability and resistance of granite. Feldspar, which includes both plagioclase and alkali feldspar varieties, is the most abundant group of minerals in the Earth's crust and plays a critical role in giving granite its structure and color. Mica, particularly biotite and muscovite, adds to the rock’s aesthetics due to its shiny appearance and is also important for the overall texture and mineral composition of granite.

The other options do not accurately reflect the composition of granite. For example, clay and slate are not components of granite; clay is a fine-grained sedimentary material, while slate is a metamorphic rock derived from shale. Similarly, silica, while a component of many minerals, especially quartz, is not listed as a primary mineral component of granite itself. Lastly, while feldspar and quartz are indeed components of granite, mica is also essential to its composition and cannot be excluded. Thus, the presence of all three — quartz, feldspar, and mica — is what characterizes granite.