Quartzite can be confused with basalt. What do they have in common? How would you distinguish between the two?

The two rock can be confused with each other as both appear rough to touch and both are found in shades of black & brown and dark themes, also shades of grey sometimes prevail.

They differ in the mode of formation as Quartzite is Metamorphic Rock while Basalt is the Igneous rock formed from the Volcanoes

Explanation:

The two rock can be confused with each other as both appear rough to touch and both are found in shades of black & brown and dark themes, also shades of grey sometimes prevail. They do have similarities in the hardness on some scale as Quartzite is hard while basalt is intermediate in hardness.

Major difference between them are:

They differ in the mode of formation as Quartzite is Metamorphic Rock while Basalt is the Igneous rock formed from the Volcanoes. Quartzite have medium grain size and foliated, granular structure while Basalt is fine grained and glassy in texture.