The Super Duper Book of 101 Extraordinary, Exciting, and (Occasionally) Explosive Science Experiments
GEOLOGY 10
Geologists study the Earth rocks and any form of terrestrial process that changes over time That can include rocks plate tectonics climate change mineral resources oil and even the geology of other planets or bodies Geology even extends to the moon as NASA is likely still studying the moon rock brought back by Harrison Schmitt the first geologist on the moon after his Apollo 17 mission several decades ago The moon actually has a lot of geological background When you go out at night look up at the full moon you’ll notice a lot of different colors and shapes Back in the 1890s a man named Grove Gilbert was looking at the moon when he wondered how the craters and colors were created in the first place He hypothesized and later found proof that supported that other rocks in space called meteoroids hit the moon creating the craters Just imagine a rock zooming toward the Moon hitting it creating an impact crater and disturbing all of the dust and surface of the moon It seems like science fiction but it’s not It’s real and its geology In this section you will discover how rocks form why compasses always point north and how to make clouds All of this is stuff that geology studies in great detail Think about the Earth and what makes it unique A magnetic field for example We can use a compass because somewhere thousands of miles beneath your feet is a huge molten iron core swirling and turning about at the center of the Earth This twirling creates a current like a current that flows through a wire which creates a magnetic field which allows us to use a compass Here you will become your own geologist you will delve into research in a way that is similar to how science is done on a larger scale Remember science is all about discovery SO GEAR UP AN GRAB SOME ROCKS 11
EDIBLE ROCKS Place all of the Oreos in the plastic bag Seal shut and smash the cookies into tiny pieces 1 2 Pour the Oreo pieces into a large bowl Mix in the chocolate chips mini marshmallows and butterscotch morsels Stir well Add the peanut butter to the bowl and stir until the mixture is consistent 3 Lay down a sheet of wax paper on a flat surface Scoop out pieces of the mixture mold however you want with your hands and place on the wax paper These are your sedimentary rocks What’s Happening Sedimentary rocks are created when existing rocks go through the processes of weathering deposition cementation and compacting In this experiment your existing rocks are the Oreos chocolate chips butterscotch morsels and mini marshmallows Smashing the Oreos into small pieces in the plastic bag represents weathering a process that occurs when a larger rock breaks apart into smaller rocks due to prolonged exposure to the rain and running YOU NEED THIS 8 Oreos Large plastic bag Large bowl 1 cup chocolate chips ¾ cup mini marshmallows 1 cup butterscotch morsels 1 cup peanut butter Wax paper GRADES 4TH AND UP EXPERIMENT YOU eat this CAN EDIBLE MUNCH MAKE 12
Form your own delicious sedimentary rocks using edible ingredients You’ll learn how they form in just minutes though the process takes a few million years in real life I'm eating rocks Mmmm Mom Science Concept Rock formation water among other things Mixing the Oreos chocolate chips mini marshmallows and butterscotch morsels together in the bowl represents deposition which happens when rock particles are transported to a new location by way of wind water or gravity where they form the basis of a new rock Adding the peanut butter to the mixture represents cementing which is when some mineral dissolves and gets deposited into the sediments bringing them all together Scooping the mixture represents compacting a process made by everything getting pressed together Finally after a few million years or a few minutes you have your sedimentary rocks 13
