Science
Period _________
Name __________________________________
Date ___________________________________
Weathering and Erosion Lab
Question: How does water weather and erode rock?
Background Information: The process of mountain building thrusts rock up to the surface of the Earth, exposing the Earth to weathering. Weathering is the process that breaks down rock and other substances of the Earth’s surface. Erosion is the transportation of sediment by wind, water, ice or gravity. Deposition occurs where the agents of erosion deposit sediment. These processes work together continuously to wear down and carry aw ay the rocks of Earth’s surface.
Materials : pan, eyedropper, 12-inch ruler, sugar cube, 25 ml of water, safety glasses
Hypothesis: I think water weathers and erodes rock by _______________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Testing the hypothesis and making observations:
1.
Place the “rock” in the center of the pan.
2. Fill the eyedropper with water
3. Using the ruler as a guide, begin dropping water from 12 inches above the
“rock”.
4. Draw a sequence of pictures of your “rock” weathering in the first 5 boxes in the
Observation Section. Label each drawing with what is occurring.
5. When your “rock” has been weathered, tilt the pan to demonstrate erosion.
Draw a picture of what you observed.
Beginning “Rock”
Erosion

Name _______________________________
Weathering and Erosion Conclusion
In the Weathering and Erosion Lab, we were testing to show how water weathers and erodes rock. My hypothesis was that water weathers and erodes rock by ______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
This proved to be ______________________. To test my hypothesis we placed a sugar cube, which represents a _________________, on a pan and slowly dropped water from an eyedropper. We were careful to keep the distance of the water drops at _____________________ using a ruler.
We recorded our observations 5 times as the “rock” weathered. Next we tilted the pan to demonstrate erosion and recorded our observation. I learned that __________________________ is the process that breaks down rock and other substances of the Earth’s surface. ______________ is the transportation of _________________________________ by wind, water, glaciers and gravity. ____________________________________ occurs where the agents of erosion deposit sediment. These processes work together continuously to __________________ down and build up
_____________________________ surface.