Professional Documents
Culture Documents
-Ice cube
-Local rock samples (2)
-Marble chips (25g)
-Pyrite pieces (2)
-Sand (6 spoonfuls)
-Paper towels
-Pipets
-Small plastic cups (3)
-Sample container
-Sheet of white paper
-Spoon
-Styrofoam tray
-Timer
-Water, tap
-Weighing dish
Procedure:
Part 1. Mechanical Weathering
1. Approximately 15 g of marble chips were obtained.
2. The marble chips were placed in a sample container.
3. Water was added to the sample container until the marble chips were completely
covered.
4. The lid was screwed on and the sample container was shaken for three minutes.
5. After the three minutes, the lid was unscrewed and the water was carefully
poured out. The chips were dried with a paper towel.
6. Using a balance and a weighing dish, the marble chips were massed.
7. The condition of the marble chips were observed using a magnifying glass,
paying close attention to the edges and surface of the chips.
8. Steps 2 through 8 were repeated three more times for a total of 12 minutes of
shaking.
9. Steps 1 through 8 were repeated for halite and granite chips.
10. All tools were thoroughly cleaned after completing this part.
Part 2. Geological Changes
1. Two local rock samples were obtained, as well as a white sheet of paper.
2. The two rocks were rubbed together over the sheet of paper to simulate geologic
changes on a miniature scale.
Part 3. Glacial Changes
1. An ice cube, sand, a paper towel, and a styrofoam tray were obtained.
2. A small amount of sand was sprinkled onto the styrofoam tray.
3. The ice cube was held, using a paper towel. It was slowly moved over the sand
while pushing it down on the styrofoam tray.
Part 4. Ice Expansion
1. The teacher poured water into an unsealed glass jar.
2. She put it in the freezer overnight.
3. The jar was taken out of the freezer and put on display for observation.
Part 5. Expansion and Contraction Effects
1. The teacher heated a glass vial over a flame for approximately three minutes.
2. After approximately three minutes passes, the glass vial was removed from the
flame and immediately dunked into a beaker filled with ice cold water.
Part 6. Chemical Weathering
1. Three pieces of marble were placed in a small plastic cup.
2. Three pieces of granite were placed into another small plastic cup.
Data Table
Original
Mass
21.69 g
Mass after 3
Minutes
21.18 g
Mass after 6
Minutes
20.15 g
Mass after 9
Minutes
14.37 g
Mass after 12
Minutes
14.30 g
Rocks
appear to
have marble
gray color
Water looks
as white as
milk
White paste
came off
rocks and is
stuck on
inside of the
container
Feels very
cold
Water is still
as white as
milk
Water fogged
up
Rocks
remained the
same
Rocks are a
dirty gray
color
The insides
of the rocks
have turned
black
Water is still
foggy
Lost
shimmery
effect
Some rocks
have black
spots on
them
Rocks are
dull and gray
in color
Still no
shimmer
Shimmery
effect
Chipped
Halite Chips
Original
Mass
21.45 g
Mass After 3
Minutes
10.03 g
Mass after 6
Minutes
18.75 g
Mass after 9
Minutes
________ g
Mass after 12
Minutes
_________ g
Water is
foggy/dirty
looking
Water is still
clear
Water is still
clear
Rocks
dissolved
Rocks
poured out
with water
Little bubbles
have formed
around the
sides of the
container
The rocks
have
disappeared
and the
remains are
little particles
Rocks are
small and
have a
transparent
appearance
Chips are
transparent,
and have the
same
similarities of
appearance
as salt
The mass of
the rocks
have gone up
because of
the fact the
rocks
disappeared
Granite Chips
Original
Mass
21.45 g
Mass After 3
Minutes
21.57 g
Mass after 6
Minutes
21.83 g
Mass after 9
Minutes
23.20 g
Mass after 12
Minutes
23.44 g
Water is
clear.
Water turned
brown
The rocks
are damp
colored
Water is a bit
foggy with a
hint of brown
color
Rocks have a
black spot on
it
Rocks are
brown in
color and
have a
distinguished
red color
Water is a bit
foggy with a
hint of brown
color
Rocks have
the same
appearance
as before
Rocks have
the same
appearance
as before
Water is
foggy, and
has a tint of
brown
Part 2.
Geological Changes Observations
Smells like burnt hair which infers that there could be slate present in
the rocks.
Nothing is coming off the given rocks, they have a powder like
substance forming where the two rocks were being rubbed together.
Part 3.
Glacial Changes
Observations
Sand imprints were left in the tray.
It feels cold, hard and dusty.
Ice Cube: The sand clumps up and turns grey. The sand is stuck to the
ice cube.
Part 3.
Ice Expansions
Observations
The glass jar cracked and the lid was popped off
The ice maintained its shape throughout the freezing
process
The jar cracked due to the change in density
Part 5.
Expansion and
Contraction Effects
Observations
Heating glass vial next to beaker of ice cold water
Glass expanding and turning black
Black part of glass cracked and broken off in ice cold water
Part 6.
Chemical Weathering
Marble
1-Day Observations
Granite
1-Day Observations
Part 7.
Oxidation
Initial Observations
Observations After 2-3 Days
There are silver bits; it looks very fragile. It looks like
lead. It disintegrated. Bits and pieces are missing. It
smells like hard metal.
Part 8.
Organic Process
Observations:
week 1: The hydrochloric paste hardened and cracked as if it
appears to be plaster like substance. The beans look the same
in appearance and are popping out through the white paste.
Discussion:
Part 1. Mechanical Weathering
The longer the weather chips were weathered, the more they decayed. Each time we
poured the water out, dried the chips, poured new water in, and shook the cup, the water got
foggier. The fogginess indicated the marble, halite, and granite sediments that result from
weathering. With the amount of time, the mass of the marble chips decreased due to the
deterioration of each rock. If the marble chips were shaken for a day or longer, one can assume
that they completely disintegrate eventually. The mass of the halite and granite chips also
decreased with the amount of time; however, an error in the experiment does not permit that
data to be shown. The granite is most resistant to this type of mechanical weathering.
Part 2. Geological Changes
As the two rocks were rubbed together, nothing happened as far as the eye could see.
However, the rocks did become warm in the spots where the rubbing occurred. They also began
to smell like burnt hair.
Part 3. Glacial Changes
The surface of the ice cube became sandy; most of the sand from the styrofoam tray
was stuck to it. The tray surface was pressed flat and almost stripped from the sand that was
sprinkled onto it. If a glacier moved across the surface of land, it will most likely pick up
sediments and take them with it wherever it moves to.
Part 4. Ice Expansion
The glass vial cracked because of the expansion of the ice in the jar. An everyday
example of ice expansion is seen with potholes. Rainwater and snow seeps into the cracks in
the road and as the temperatures drop, the water freezes, exerting pressure which form larger
cracks as well as the potholes.
Part 5. Expansion and Contraction Effects
Judging from the heating and rapid cooling of the glass vial in this procedure, rocks
crack as they are heated and cooled as well. For example, many igneous rocks are formed this
way. Magma becomes trapped in deep pockets within the Earth, and it cools. It then cracks into
smaller pieces of igneous rock.
Part 6. Chemical Weathering
The marble remained unchanged for the most part. The granite pieces remained the
same as well, however, the hydrochloric acid solution turned yellow. Based on the observations,
movement and pressure affect the rate of chemical weathering of rock. Without being shaken,
the rocks showed little to no weathering. Marble evidently is the most resistant to chemical
weathering.
Part 7. Oxidation
The type of weathering that occurred in this activity was chemical. It was chemical
because the oxygen that the rock was exposed to oxidized the pyrite. This was stated in the
Background section of the lab. After three days in the acidic solution there were silver, lead-like,
bits in the cup; the pyrite looked very fragile. It disintegrated. Bits and pieces were missing, and
it smelled like metal. Oxygen caused these changes to the pyrite chips.
the halite chips in Part 1. The weathering that was observed, however, displayed the way rocks
are formed within the rock cycle. They are affected by glaciers, rain, snow, air, plants, animals,
and humans in mechanical, chemical, and organic processes. This is how rocks form and
circulate through the Earth.