Name: ___________________________
Block: ______________
Review of Types of Weathering
Use the words in the box to fill in the blanks of the paragraphs below.
Plants
Freezing
Climate
Sediments
Chemical
Dissolves
Tropical
Moisture
Oxidation
Desert
Frost wedging
Temperatures
Mechanical
Acids
Air
Minerals
Cracks
Carbonic acid
Weathering is the breaking of rocks into
_______________________. There are two main types of
weathering. ____________________________ weathering involves
breaking rocks without changing their chemical composition. For
example, rocks may collide with other rocks and break apart. In
_____________________, water trapped in rock cracks freezes and
expands, forcing the rocks apart. ________________________ can
also cause mechanical weathering. As their roots grow and put
pressure on rocks, _______________ widen and rock fragments may
fall off. ______________ weathering involves water, air, and other
substances reacting with the minerals in the rocks. Water
_____________ the minerals in rocks or combines with compounds
in the __________. When metal is exposed to water and oxygen,
____________ occurs and rust forms. ____________ in plant roots
and mosses can also dissolve the ____________ in rocks. Water and
carbon dioxide combine to form ________________, which dissolves
minerals such as calcite in limestone. How rapidly weathering occurs
in an area depends on the ______________. In ______________
regions, chemical weathering is more rapid. Chemical weathering
happens more slowly in _____________ areas and polar regions due
to a lack of ____________ and/or low ______________. Whenever
___________ and thawing alternate, mechanical weathering becomes
an important form of weathering.
Weathering includes mechanical weathering and chemical weathering. Mechanical
weathering is any process that breaks up a rock without changing its chemical composition.
Chemical weathering is any process in which water, air, or other substances react with the
minerals in the rock and change the chemical composition of the rock.
Decide if the following descriptions are examples of mechanical weathering or chemical
weathering. Write the word “mechanical” or “chemical” in the blank at the left. Then in the
second blank, determine what specific type of mechanical or chemical weathering it is.
_____________ 1. Mosses growing on the surface of rocks, producing pits in the rocks.
_____________
_____________ 2. The wedging of tree roots along natural joints in granite outcrops.
_____________
_____________ 3. Limestone dissolved by carbonic acid.
_____________
_____________ 4. The oxidation of minerals that contain iron.
_____________
_____________ 5. Animal burrows dug in rock that let in water and air.
_____________
_____________ 6. Repeated freezing and thawing of water that cracks rock.
_____________
_____________ 7. The action of water, salt, and air on car fenders and panels.
_____________
_____________ 8. Acids from plant roots, which break up rocks.
_____________
_____________ 9. Formation of potholes in streets during severe winters.
_____________
_____________ 10. Lifted sections of sidewalk along tree-lined streets.
_____________
_____________ 11. A large rock falling from a cliff and then breaking.
_____________
_____________ 12. Feldspar mixed with water, producing clay materials.
_____________
_____________ 13. Rocks that have been carried by streams and have become smaller and
_____________
and more rounded
_____________ 14. Decaying plants dissolving some of the minerals in rocks.
_____________
_____________ 15. Tree roots cracking the concrete foundation of a house.
_____________