LEGAZPI CITY SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL

BITANO, LEGAZPI CITY

2ND QUARTER IN EARTH SCIENCE

Performance
Task 2
BREAK ME DOWN

Group No. 3
Members:
Barrameda, Queen Athea L.
De la Peña, Ara B.
Sales, Maven Augustine A.

STEM 11 - PASCAL
I-OBJECTIVES:
1. define weathering and distinguish between the two main types of weathering
2. identify the factors that affect the rate of weathering

II-MATERIALS:
9 antacid tablets
9 plastic cups/glass containers
vinegar
water
heater
Mortar and pestle

III- PROCEDURE & ANALYSIS:

1. Label the cups according to the particle size of the antacid you will be dissolving
whole, broken, crushed.
2. Use a mortar and pestle to break and crush the two tablets while leaving one of
the tablets whole.
3. Put equal volume (100ml) of assigned liquid to the cups.
4. Drop the tablet (whole, broken, crushed) into the appropriate cups and record the
time from when the tablet is added to the liquid until when the tablet has reacted
with the liquid. Have the groups assign one student for each type of liquid setup.

Assigned student:
Room Temperature Water - Queen Athea L. Barrameda
Hot Water - Ara B. De la Peña
Room Temperature Vinegar - Maven Augustine A. Sales

5. Fill the table with dissolution times (in seconds) you have recorded.

Room Temperature Room Temperature

Hot Water
(Water) (Vinegar)

Whole tablet 66.53 secs 28.44 secs 05.73 secs

Broken tablet 30.08 secs 26.36 secs 05.64 secs

Crushed tablet 28.74 secs 09.96 secs 03.98 secs

 6. Plot the dissolution times in a bar graph where Y axis is the dissolution time (s)
and X axis is the Particle size (whole, broken, crushed). Use different colors to
represent the different liquids used in the activity.

7. Answer the following questions:

a. Which tablet size and liquid combination resulted in fastest dissolution times?

The tablet and liquid combination resulted in fastest dissolution times is the
crushed tablet dissolved in vinegar in a room temperature This is because
antacid tablets are essentially sodium bicarbonate that reacts to neutralize
acids and vinegar being an acid, gets neutralized immediately.
b. What is the relationship between particle size and time it takes for the tablet to
dissolve? How does this relationship apply to weathering in nature?

The speed at which a tablet dissolves is inversely proportional to the size of its
particle: the smaller the particle size, the quicker the tablet dissolves; the
larger the particle size, the slower the tablet dissolves. Also, the smaller
pieces have more surface area of the particle is exposed, hence, dissolves
easier. While the bigger pieces or the whole tablet have a lesser surface area
causing them to dissolve slower. In nature, smaller rocks weather faster than
large rocks because the smaller the particle size of a matter exposed to the air
or the atmosphere, the faster it will weather. While the bigger the particle size
of a matter exposed to the air or the atmosphere, the slower it will weather.

c. Using the activity as a model, explain how mechanical weathering (breaking or

crushing) contributes to chemical weathering (dissolution)?

Mechanical weathering increases the total surface area when it breaks the rock
into smaller pieces. Same to the model, the smaller particles dissolved faster,
the larger particles, on the other hand, reacted slower.

d. How can you demonstrate that chemical weathering can hasten

mechanical weathering?

When mechanical weathering breaks the rock into smaller pieces, it

increases the total surface area. The increased surface area provides
more surface for chemical weathering to attack the rock, allowing
chemical weathering to speed up.

e. Compare dissolution times in room temperature water and hot water.

Using this as a model, what can you deduce about the relationship between
temperature and weathering rate?

Hot water has faster dissolution times than at room temperature. This
means that chemical weathering occurs or proceeds more rapidly at a
higher temperature. And based on the experiment, the dissolution time is
faster in hot water in comparison to water at room temperature. This
indicates that the rate of weathering is directly proportional to the
temperature. The higher the temperature, the faster the rate of
weathering. This explains that chemical weathering occurs in warm
climates.
f. Is there a marked difference in the dissolution rate in water and vinegar
both at room temperature? What caused the difference? What does
dissolution in vinegar simulate in nature?

Yes. There is a marked difference in the dissolution rate in water and

vinegar both at room temperature. This is because the vinegar is acidic
in nature causing a vigorous dissolution rate. Based on the data table,
the dissolution rate of the whole tablet using vinegar took 5.73 secs
only, while the dissolution rate of the whole tablet using water took
66.53 secs. Dissolution in vinegar stimulates in nature by acidic rain.
Vinegar stimulates the effects of acidic rain faster than it naturally
occurs in nature, consequently, we can observe the process more
quicker.

g. In what environment would weathering rate be fastest? Slowest? Explain

your reasons based on the observations from this lab activity.

Based on the experiment that we have executed, the environment that

has a faster rate of weathering are the areas that have hot and wet
climates. Areas having a climate like this are more prone to moisture
that speeds up chemical weathering. An example of an area that has
hot and wet climates is tropical countries. In these areas, chemical
weathering is vulnerable due to different weather or climate in the
specific region. For example, sometimes rain contains acid if it contains
high levels of nitric and sulfuric acid, then it precipitates to the ground
causing the rocks to contract. Another is when there is a high
temperature that causes the rock to expand. On the other hand, the
areas that have the slowest weathering rate are the areas with dry and
cold climates. Tundra is an example of a place with a climate like this.
The lack of moisture limits several weathering processes the reason
why no factor could hasten the chemical reactions between the water
and the minerals in the rocks. Therefore, if rocks are continually
exposed to rapid changes in weather from the to time, especially in hot
and wet areas, rocks are prominent to chemical weathering.

h. Include the documentation of the activity conducted.

ROOM TEMPERATURE (WATER)
WHOLE TABLET

BROKEN TABLET

CRUSHED TABLET
HOT WATER
WHOLE TABLET

BROKEN TABLET

CRUSHED TABLET
ROOM TEMPERATURE (VINEGAR)
WHOLE TABLET

BROKEN TABLET

CRUSHED TABLET