Breakin It Down Research Answers to worksheet

#1 and #2 Ice, wind, water, gravity, plants, and even animals Water seeps into crack; when temps drop and water freezes in the cracks, it expands; ice pushes against the sides of the cracks and it expands/widens.

#3 •WIND: wind blows sand and silt against exposed rock; the sand eventually wears away the rock’s surface •WATER: when rocks and pebbles roll along the bottom of swiftly flowing rivers, they bump into and scrape against each other. The weathering causes the rocks to be rounded and smooth. •GRAVITY: when rocks fall on one another; anytime one rock hits another…abrasion occurs

#4 •PLANTS: Roots do not grow fast but are very powerful; roots grow into existing cracks and become so strong that the crack widens; the rock eventually splits apart •ANIMALS: animals that live in the soil burrow in the ground and break up soil and loosen rocks to be exposed to further weathering

#5 Burning fossils fuels such as coal and oil. These gases combine with water in the atmosphere and form weak acids, and they fall to the ground as rain or snow. If the acidity is too high, can cause harm to plants and animals

#6 Precipitation Naturally acidic Natural Causes Volcanic eruptions

#7 What are Lichens? Lichens consist of fungi and algae living together. How do they cause chemical weathering? Lichens produce acids that can slowly break down rock. How do they cause biological weather? Since Lichens are living things that produce an acid then they add to the rate at which weathering occurs.

#8 How does oxidation occurs? It is a chemical reaction in which an element, such as iron, combines with oxygen to form an oxide. The causes rust.

#9 Differential weathering: The process by which softer, less weather resistant rocks wear away and leave harder, more weather resistant rocks behind

#10 How does the shape and size of a rock determine how fast it weathers? When the surface area to volume increases, the rate of weathering increases.

#11 How does climate of an area affect the amount of time it takes for a rock to weather? Warm humid climates will cause rocks to weather faster than cold, dry climates will.

#12 What impact does elevation have on weathering? The higher the elevation the more quickly weathering will occur because it is more exposed to the elements of weathering.