Starter quiz
- Choose the correct chemical symbol for the element carbon.
- C ✓
- Cu
- Ca
- Co
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- When something undergoes expansion, this means its volume ______.
- 'increases' ✓
- Match the type of rock to its description.
- Igneous⇔contain crystals that point in many directions ✓
- Metamorphic⇔contain large crystals that are often in bands ✓
- Sedimentary⇔may contain fragments of shells, fossils or grit cemented together ✓
- Rocks often contain a mixture of minerals. What is a mineral?
- A mineral is a pure solid substance which occurs naturally. ✓
- A mineral has a crystalline structure. ✓
- A mineral is an impure solid which occurs in nature.
- A mineral does not contain crystals.
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- Which keyword describes a rock with spaces between the grains?
- porous ✓
- translucent
- magma
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- What is the main factor in determining crystal size in rocks?
- The rate of change from a liquid to a solid state. ✓
- The rate of change from a solid to a liquid state.
- The rate of change from a liquid to a gaseous state.
- The rate of change from a gaseous state to a liquid state.
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Exit quiz
- Match the keywords to the correct statement.
- Weathering⇔Does not move fragments of rock to another location. ✓
- Erosion⇔Fragments of rock are moved naturally to new locations. ✓
- Biological weathering⇔Related to living organisms. ✓
- Chemical weathering⇔Related to chemical substances. ✓
- Physical weathering⇔Related to forces acting upon materials. ✓
- What type of rock does weathering and erosion help to form?
- Sedimentary ✓
- Igneous
- Metamorphic
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- Place the statements about the freeze-thaw weathering process in order, starting with water getting into the rock.
- 1⇔Water seeps into cracks in the rock.
- 2⇔Water freezes and expands in volume.
- 3⇔This creates tension which causes the crack to widen.
- 4⇔Ice thaws allowing more water to enter the widened crack.
- 5⇔The process repeats until cracks are forced open and fragments fall away.
- Which statement explains why frozen water floats?
- Liquid water molecules have more kinetic energy than frozen water.
- Repulsive forces force the water molecules apart.
- The density of liquid water is less than frozen water.
- The density of frozen water is less than liquid water. ✓
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- Which of the following are examples of erosion occurring?
- A landslide or cliff fall. ✓
- Growth of roots into cracks in the rocks.
- Acid rain reacting with limestone in statues.
- Tidal waves moving loose material away from cliffs. ✓
- Wind blowing sand from the cliffs inland. ✓
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- Why is rainwater naturally slightly acidic?
- It has a pH of between 5 and 5.6.
- Because water in the atmosphere reacts with carbon dioxide. ✓
- Because rainwater reacts with sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere.
- Because there is a lot of nitrogen in the atmosphere and rain reacts with it.
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Weathering is the slow breakdown of rocks on Earth's surface. It happens while the rocks are ‘in place’.
- Erosion is the process that removes material from where bedrock has been broken down or weathered.
- Rock can be weathered biologically, chemically or physically.
- Rock can be eroded by the wind, rain, or by flowing streams and rivers, oceans, ice flows or gravity.
- Small changes caused by weathering and erosion can have large impacts over time.
Common misconception
Pupils equate 'weathering' as the breakdown of rock caused only by the 'weather'. They also tend to use 'weathering' and 'erosion' interchangeably.
Provide many opportunities for pupils to identify weathering from erosion or classify examples of weathering or erosion.
Keywords
Weathering - The wearing down or breaking of rocks while they are in place. Weathering can be biological, chemical or physical.
Expansion - An increase in volume which happens when most solids get hotter, but also when water freezes to form ice.
Freeze-thaw - A physical weathering process whereby water seeps into cracks, freezes and expands. This gradually wedges open cracks until the rock breaks.
Erosion - The breakdown and removal of rock material by flowing water, wind, or moving ice.
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