23.1 Fresh Water
23.2 Weathering and Mass Movement
23.3 Water Shapes the Land
23.4 Glaciers and Wind
23.5 The Restless Oceans
23.6 Earth's History
How Do Freezing and Thawing Affect Rocks?
Procedure
Your group will receive 5 similar rocks to examine for signs of damage. First, look closely at rock A, which was not treated. It is the control. Record your observations.
Examine rocks B through E. (Rock B was soaked, frozen, and thawed once; rock C was soaked, frozen, and thawed twice; rock D was soaked, frozen, and thawed three times; and rock E was soaked, frozen, and thawed four times.) Record your observations.
Think About It
Observing What effect did one freezing and thawing cycle have on rock B? How did repeated freezing and thawing cycles affect rocks C through E?
Inferring What property of water do you think causes the changes you observed?
Predicting How would frequent freezing and thawing be likely to affect rocks exposed on the tops of mountains?