Manchester Community College Earth Science Worksheet

LAB TOPIC: The Formation of Crystals (Salt Beds)Read through the entire lab before beginning.
Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to study how salt beds might have been formed over
geologic time. It also is a good example of how crystals are formed.
Materials: Glass dish (clear) about the size of a desert dish or soup bowl
Measuring cup
Tablespoon
Salt
Procedure:
1. Measure out ½ cup of very hot tap water.
2. Stir in 2 tablespoons of salt into the water and stir until all the salt is dissolved.
3. Pour the salt water into the glass dish. (It is important that this be transparent glass
so you can see the formations.)
4. Allow the bowl to sit undisturbed until all or most of the water evaporates. To be
sure that it evaporates place it in a cool dry place. High humidity will slow down
the process and you may not have your results in an acceptable amount of time.
1
The questions below are to help you form your conclusions in a well written paragraph
format. Remember to use complete sentences and correct grammar and spelling.
Scientific words should be defined and/or explained when used in your report. I have
highlighted these for this first lab but only this time. In the future you will need to do
this on your own.
15 points
You submit just your separate written report. Do not hand in this document.
LAB TOPIC: The Formation of Crystals (Salt Beds)
Observations:
Describe completely what you see in the dish. Include information such as color,
texture, and shape of the evaporites.
Conclusions:
What happened to the solution? Why did this happen? Of the three main categories of
rocks what type of rock would you consider you result to be? Explain why you came to
this conclusion. Based on your results what would you conclude about the formation of
salt beds found on Earth today? What type of geologic formation must have been there
originally to leave these sediments behind?
2
MINERAL WORKSHEET 16 points
Complete the following statements about minerals and their composition.
1. There are a total of _____ elements that occur naturally in the Earth’s crust.
2. Only ____ rock forming minerals make up most rocks of Earth’s crust.
3. A _________ is any solid element or compound whose atoms are arranged in a regular
periodically repeated three-dimensional pattern.
4. __________ is the tendency of some minerals to break along flat surfaces.
5. The resistance of a mineral to scratching is called ___________ and is one of the most
commonly used properties for identifying a mineral.
6. The scale used to identify minerals based on #5 above is called the _____________.
7. ________ is the color of the fine powder of a mineral as see by rubbing the mineral across a
piece of unglazed porcelain.
8. A mineral with a single perfect cleavage plane is _________.
9. _________ is the manner in which a mineral reflects light. This is usually described by selfexplanatory words such as ___________.
10. The group of rock forming minerals that make up 92% of the Earth’s crust is the ________.
11. ________are minerals from which metals or other elements can be profitably recovered.
12. ________ is a common alkali feldspar and is abundant in granite.
13. _____ comprises 12 percent of crustal rocks and is made of silicon and oxygen.
14. An industrial name for a group of minerals that crystallize as long, thin fibers is ______.
15. _____ is one of a series of elements formed by the radioactive decay of uranium and
concentrates in granite and shale.
SCAVENGER HUNT
20 points
Here is a series of questions that cover many aspects of Earth Science. Some of the answers are
in your book and some you may have to a little research. You don’t need to use complete
sentences but spelling is important. Remember to “save as” and then name your file as directed
in the syllabus.
What is the equivalent Fahrenheit temperature to 00 Celsius?
What volcano erupted in Washington State in 1980?
This state is the location of the Hubbard Brook Experiment.
This is the name of a weather event, which brings unusually warm water to the west
coast of South America, and causes many anomalies in weather patterns.
5. What dangerous element was first used in barometers and thermometers?
6. Astronomers have recently decided that Pluto is not a planet but rather belongs with a
collection of ice dwarfs located on the edge of our solar system. What is this collection
of iced dwarfs called?
7. This is the hardest of all the minerals.
8. What is the name of the first manned spacecraft to land on the moon?
9. What is the name of the topography formed in limestone that creates sinkholes?
10. The catastrophic failure of these structures caused most of the damage to New Orleans
in the wake of hurricane Katrina.
11. We use this term to refer to the Earth’s wobble on its axis. (Hint: not the Chandler
Wobble)
12. What weather phenomenon was the center of a film starring Helen Hunt?
13. This glacial lake existed 18,000 years ago and formed the Channeled Scablands when it
flooded.
14. What is the name of the first Mars rover?
15. What is the mineral name for salt or sodium chloride?
16. Large cities are generally warmer than the outlying areas nearby. What do
meteorologists call this phenomenon?
17. This treaty set targets for the reduction of global emissions of carbon dioxide. It was
ratified in 2005 but not signed by the president of the United States.
18. This element is highly radioactive.
19. This type of lake is formed when a loop of a stream is cut off from the stream by a build
up sediments.
20. What is the term used for large cracks found in glaciers?
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