Question

One student did an experiment on the rock cycle. the steps of the experiment are shown below. pile wax shavings of different colors one over the other. hold the pile of colored wax shavings in the palm and squeeze it for two to three minutes. fold the pile and squeeze it in the palm again for a minute. place the pile in a metal pan and heat until all the wax melts. cool the wax overnight. what does the student's experiment most likely demonstrate about the rock cycle? heat can melt metamorphic rocks into magma, which solidifies to form igneous rocks. melting can convert igneous rocks into magma, which cools to form metamorphic rocks. pressure can solidify sediments into igneous rocks, which change into magma on being heated. lithification can change sediments into sedimentary rocks, which change into metamorphic rocks on being heated.

Answer 1

Heat can melt metamorphic rocks into magma, which solidifies to form igneous rocks.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's experiment mimics the processes of the rock cycle using wax shavings as an analogy for rocks. Piling different colored wax represents the variety of rock types. Squeezing and folding the wax simulate the effects of pressure and deformation in the Earth's crust, leading to the formation of metamorphic rocks. Heating the wax until it melts replicates the process of melting in the rock cycle.

In this experiment, the heating step represents the metamorphic-to-igneous transition, where heat can melt metamorphic rocks into magma. Upon cooling overnight, the melted wax solidifies, resembling the formation of igneous rocks from the cooling of magma.