Lab Practical
Information
Regents Earth Science
When?
• Wednesday 5/31/2011
–Everyone
Where?
• All classes report to room (here) as
normal.
Some Simple Rules
•
•
•
•
Be ON TIME
Do not be absent!
Pen AND Pencil!
READ DIRECTIONS
• There is to be absolutely NO TALKING
– If you choose to talk, your exam booklet will be taken
from you
– You will receive a 0 for the Regents grade
– You will have to re-take the Regents Exam in August
& possibly have to go to Summer School 
What is the Lab Practical?
• First part of the Regents Exam
• Test divided into 3 stations
• Students are given 9 minutes per station
Station 1: Mineral and Rock
Identification
• Using a mineral identification kit, the student
will determine the properties of a mineral
and will use those properties to identify that
mineral from a flowchart. Using rock
identification charts from the Earth Science
Reference Tables and the characteristics
observed in two rock samples, the student
will classify each rock as igneous,
sedimentary, or metamorphic.
Mineral Properties
• Luster
– metallic or nonmetallic—glassy, dull, pearly
• Cleavage or Fracture
– are the broken sides of the mineral semi-smooth
surfaces, or non-smooth broken surfaces?
• Streak
– using white streak plate to see color of powdered
mineral
• Hardness
– using glass scratch plate
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•
•
Luster?
Cleavage?
Streak?
Hardness?
Mineral Name?
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Luster?
Cleavage?
Streak?
Hardness?
Mineral Name?
Metallic Luster
Rock Properties and
Classification
• Classify 2 different rock samples
– Sedimentary, Igneous, Metamorphic
• State a reason for your classification
Igneous Rocks
Basalt
Pumice
Granite
Obsidian
Igneous Rocks:
– Multiple-mineral composition
– Crystalline texture
– Interconnected mineral crystals with NO
layering
– Glassy texture
– Rounded gas pores or spaces
Sedimentary Rocks
Layered sediments
Limestone
Fossil
Sedimentary Rocks:
– Bedding or layering of sediments
– Rounded grains, clasts, fragments or
sediments
– Fossils
– Cemented sediments with visible pores or
openings
– Contain fragments of other rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Quartzite
Gneiss
Slate
Schist
Metamorphic Rocks:
– Multiple-mineral composition
– Interconnected mineral crystals WITH layering
(foliation)
– Slaty, schistose or gneissic foliation
– Distorted or wavy rock structure
– Stretched pebbles
– A high percent of mica minerals
Station 2: Locating an
Epicenter
• Using seismic data, the Earthquake Pwave and S-wave Travel Time graph from
the Earth Science Reference Tables, a
safe drawing compass, and a map, the
student will determine the location of an
earthquake epicenter
2:33:00
2:35:30 – 2:33:00 =
2:35:30
00:02:30
Station 3: Constructing and
Analyzing an Asteriod’s
Elliptical Orbit
•Using two pins, a looped string, a
metric ruler, and a calculator, the
student will construct an ellipse,
determine its eccentricity, and apply
this information to our solar system.
Eccentricity
A number indicating the roundness of an
ellipse.
Eccentricity = Distance Between Foci
Length of Major Axis
e=d/L
Page 1 in your BEST FRIEND
Please Remember
Measure to the nearest tenth! 0.1
Calculate e to the nearest thousandth! 0.001
Please Remember
Perfect circle
Straight line
e=0
e=1
Please Remember
Planets change orbital speed as they
revolve around the Sun.
Please Remember
• As distance from the Sun increases, a
planet’s period of revolution increases.
• Be sure to Read & Measure
ACCURATELY
• Remember: NO TALKING
• Be on time!
• Do not be absent!