Question

A team of scientists placed five rocks in five separate, artificial environments. All the rocks came from the same formation and had the same chemical composition. The table describes the environment for each rock: Rock A Rock B Rock C Rock D Rock E intermittent rain showers temperatures alternating between -2°C and 20°C frequent acidic showers that contain carbonic acid covered with algae and lichen placed in an oxygen-rich environment hot and dry environment low temperature of 35°C After the experiment, the scientists observed that one particular rock had large fractures and had split into two pieces. They also observed that, compared to the other rocks, the chemical composition of this particular rock had remained largely unchanged. Which rock most likely fits this description?

Answer 1

The answer is; rock A

The thermal difference and intermittent showers are the reason the rock fractures and peels. The below freezing temperatures cause the rainwater in the cracks of the rock to freeze. When water freezes, it expands causing stress in the rock. The large temperature range causes thawing and freezing of the water and this alternation causes the rock to crack in the end.

Since rocks are not good conductors of heat, the outside of the rock heats up and cools faster than the inside of the rock. This causes stress that causes the rock to peel.