Lab# _____ Deposition Lab
Introduction: In the stream table lab, you were able to observe the
constantly changing patterns of stream flow. The processes of erosion and
deposition caused these changing patterns.
Problem: Which factors will affect the rate of deposition?
Hypothesis: Explain your hypothesis, explaining the relationship between
settling time and time and shape of sediments.
Procedure:
1. You will be given three different
sized beads. Drop each bead one at
a time into the column of water and
record the time it takes to settle.
Begin timing when the particle
reaches the top line and stop when it
reaches the bottom line. You will
repeat this for a second trial and
calculate the average settling times
in Figure 1.
2. You will also be given three equal
pieces of clay. Mold the three
pieces of clay into a sphere,
cylinder, and flatten piece of clay.
3. Drop each piece of clay into the
column of water and record the time
it takes to settle in Figure 2. Begin
timing when the particle reaches the
top line and stop when it reaches the
bottom line.
4. Create 2 graphs; one graph will be a
line graph of the average settling
times of the beads, the second graph
will be a bar graph of the settling
times of the clay shapes.
Start
Stop
Figure 1
SIZE OF
BEADS
____________MM ____________MM ____________MM
Trial #1
Sec.
Sec.
Sec.
Trial #2
Sec.
Sec.
Sec.
Trial #3
Sec.
Sec.
Sec.
Average
Settling
Times
Sec.
Sec.
Sec.
Figure 2
SHAPE
Sphere
SETTING TIME
Sec.
Cylinder
Sec.
Flat
Sec.
Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Create a line graph for average settling time and particle size.
Create a bar graph for settling time and particle shape.
Explain the relationship between particle size and settling time.
Explain the relationship between particle shape and settling time.
Explain the relationship between particle density and settling time, if
the particles had the same size and shape. Explain.
6. According to the Earth Science Reference Table, page 6 which sized
sediment would settle first? Why?
7. According to your line graph, if particle “z” has a diameter of 5 mm,
what would the settling time be?