WeatheringSE

Explore how weathering breaks down rocks over time in the Weathering Gizmo. Observe mechanical and chemical weathering effects on different rock types like granite and limestone through interactive simulations.

Daniel Miller
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Student Exploration: WeatheringVocabulary:abrasion, chemical weathering, clay formation, climate, dissolving, frost wedging,granite, limestone, mechanical weathering, rusting, sandstone, shale, weatheringPrior Knowledge Questions(Do these BEFORE usingthe Gizmo.)Compare the two pictures at right. Both pictures show thesame kind of rock, granite.1.Which rock do you think has been exposed on Earth'ssurface longer? A2.Why do you think so? You can see that not only is wallflat, but you can also see all the layers in the rockGizmo Warm-upWhen rocks are exposed on Earth's surface, they aregradually broken down into soil b y the actions of rain, ice,wind, and living organisms. This process is calledweathering.In the Weathering Gizmo, you will explorehow weathering takes place.To begin, select the SIMULATION tab. Notice the selectedRock type is Granite,a hard, dense rock.1.ClickPlay ( *). Wait for about 5,000 simulated years and clickPause (11).What do younotice? The tops of the rocks have disappeared, forming craters in the rocks2.ClickFastplay ( ** }. Waitfor about 50,000 simulated years. What do you notice? The rockcontinually gets smaller, and forms craters but it's extremely slow.3.Based on your observations, is weathering a fast or slow process? It's a slow process.

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