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LO: To Understand How Rocks Wear Away.: Starter
LO: To Understand How Rocks Wear Away.: Starter
Starter:
Explain the difference between biological, chemical and
physical weathering (Word sheets).
Careers: chemist, geologist, palaeontologist, archaeologist, miner, engineer, builder, sculptor, science technician and any other laboratory
related careers.
By the end of this lesson, you should be able
to:
Recall some examples of physical changes and of chemical
changes.
Describe the effect of physical and biological weathering
on rocks.
Explain why rainwater is slightly acidic.
Describe the effect of chemical weathering on rocks.
Describe how weathering can break up rocks.
In this lesson:
1. Weathering
2. Plenary
1. Weathering
What do you think formed the gaps in the ‘limestone
pavement’ in the picture?
Which type of
weathering is it
representing?
Formation of new
substances that can
be washed away if
soluble or crumble.
1. Weathering
What do the pictures below have in common?
Identify the possible causes for biological weathering in
each of the pictures.
Lichens, algae,
Trees’ roots bacteria:
Small animals:
Chemicals’
scrapping and acid
production to get
secretion
nutrients.
1. Weathering
Which type of physical weathering is being represented?
Freeze-thaw action Onion-skin weathering
© Pearson Education Ltd 2014. Copying permitted for purchasing institution only. This material is not copyright free.
Onion-skin weathering
© Pearson Education Ltd 2014. Copying permitted for purchasing institution only. This material is not copyright free.
Physical weathering
Freeze-thaw
weathering starts
with a tiny dip or
crack in a rock.
10
Physical weathering
11
Physical weathering
If the temperature
drops below 0 °C the
water freezes.
Water expands when
it freezes.
The expanding ice
pushes on the sides
of the crack.
12
Physical weathering
13
Physical weathering
14
Physical weathering
15
Physical weathering
16
Physical weathering
17
Physical weathering
Onion-skin weathering
happens when rocks
are heated and cooled
over and over again.
This is a cross-section
of a rock.
Most rocks are poor
conductors of heat.
18
Physical weathering
During the day the Sun
heats up the outer layers of
the rock.
The inner layers of the rock
remain cooler.
The heated outer layers of
the rock expand slightly
compared to the cooler inner
layers.
This can cause the outer
layer to crack.
19
Physical weathering
At night the
temperature drops.
The outer layers of
the rock contract
again.
This may cause
further cracks to
appear in the outer
layer.
20
Physical weathering
After many cycles of heating and cooling the
outer layers may crack so much that they fall
away.
21
How will this be weathered?
© Pearson Education Ltd 2014. Copying permitted for purchasing institution only. This material is not copyright free.
Here are four different environments from around the world.
What will be the main kind of weathering in each place?
How will this be weathered?
This photograph is of a stream in the Yorkshire Dales.
Look at the climate graph for Yorkshire on the next slide
and answer the question about weathering.
How will this be weathered?
Climate graph for Yorkshire, England
40 350
Rainfall (mm)
Rainfall (mm)
20
200
15
150
10
5 100
0
50
-5
-10 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
35
300
30
Tem perature (°C )
25 250
Maximum temperature (°C)
R ainfall (m m )
20
200
15
Minimum temperature (°C)
150
10 Rainfall (mm)
5 100
0
50
-5
-10 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
35
300
30
Tem perature (°C )
25 250
Maximum temperature (°C)
R ainfall (m m )
20
200
15
Minimum temperature (°C)
150
10 Rainfall (mm)
5 100
0
50
-5
-10 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
35
300
30
Tem perature (°C )
25 250
R ainfall (m m )
20 Maximum temperature (°C)
200
15 Minimum temperature (°C)
150
10
Rainfall (mm)
5 100
0
50
-5
-10 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
1. Which place(s) will have the most and the least chemical
weathering? Explain your answer.
2. Which place(s) will have the most and the least freeze-
thaw action? Explain your answer.
3. Which place(s) will have the most and the least onion-
skin weathering? Explain your answer.
3. Which place(s) will have the most and the least onion-skin
weathering? Explain your answer.
Arizona will have the most onion-skin weathering because the
daytimes are hot and the night times are cold. Malta will have
the least onion-skin weathering because the range of
temperatures is quite low.
4. Which place(s) will have the most and the least biological
action? Explain your answer.
Yorkshire will have a lot of biological weathering because the
temperatures and rainfall are suitable for lots of plants to live.
The Himalayas and Arizona will have the least biological
weathering because the temperatures are either too hot or too
cold for plants.
2. Plenary: choose 2 shapes to answer
Describe how
temperature changes
can make cracks form Why is
in rocks. rainwater
acidic?
What causes
chemical Compare and
weathering? contrast freeze-
thaw action to What causes
onion-skin biological
weathering. weathering?
By the end of this lesson, you should be able
to:
Recall some examples of physical changes and of chemical
changes.
Describe the effect of physical and biological weathering
on rocks.
Explain why rainwater is slightly acidic.
Describe the effect of chemical weathering on rocks.
Describe how weathering can break up rocks.