Name:______________
Title: Breaking it Down
Purpose / Question:
We are observing the differences between Mechanical Weathering and Chemical
Weathering, in an effort to distinguish between these two weathering types.
Research / Observations:
Mechanical Weathering:______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Chemical Weathering:______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Observations from Demonstration:______________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Hypothesis:
We think that the following examples will show mechanical weathering:
_________________________________________________________________
We think this because _________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
We think that the following examples will show chemical weathering:
_________________________________________________________________
We think this because _________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Test / Experiment:
Example #1: Marble Mash
Materials:
Crushed marble
Plastic Beakers
Water
Balances
Sieve
Stopwatch
Procedure:
1. Fill beakers with water
2. Place crushed marble in beakers
3. Weigh the beakers
4. Record the mass of each beaker in the data analysis section
5. With the cap on, shake the beakers with the marble in them for
3 minutes.
6. After shaking, pour the water and rock mixture through the sieve into
larger container.
7. Put the pieces of marble big enough to not go through the sieve back
into the beaker and weigh the new mixture.
Marble mass before shaking:________________grams
Marble mass after shaking:_________________grams
Example #2: Limestone Leach
Materials:
Limestone
Glass Beaker
Balances
Acid
Stopwatch
Procedure:
1. Weigh the limestone
2. Record the mass of the limestone
3. Fill the glass beaker with acid
4. Place the limestone in the acid
5. Tomorrow you will record the mass of the limestone again
6. Both masses should go in the data analysis section
Limestone before acid:________________grams
Limestone after acid:_________________grams
Example #3: Sandstorm
Materials:
Sand
Container
Water
Hair Dryer
Balance
Procedure:
1. Take the container filled with sand, and add 100 mL of water
2. Mix it up and make a sand ball
3. Take the mass of the sand ball
4. Place the sand ball back in the container, and turn on the hair dryer in
the container, and run it for 3 minutes
5. Take the mass of the sand ball again.
Mass of Sand Ball before hair dryer:_______________________
Mass of Sand Ball after hair dryer:________________________
Analysis of Data:
1. Please write what you saw in each example.
2. Example #1:
Example #2:
Example #3:
3. Mechanical weathering is when water, wind, and rocks break each other
down.
Which examples do you think showed this?
4. Chemical weathering is when chemicals break down rock.
Which examples do you think showed this?
Conclusion:
Our hypothesis, which was:___________________________________________________,
was __________________ based on our _________________________.