Final answer:
Mechanical weathering increases the rate of chemical weathering by greatly increasing the surface area available for chemical reactions. As rocks break into smaller pieces, more surface is exposed to, and affected by, chemical agents, hastening their decomposition into soil and sedimentary materials.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chemical weathering is the process that breaks down Earth materials through chemical reactions, leading to the formation of new minerals and soil. It is often speeded up by mechanical weathering because mechanical weathering tends to greatly increase the surface area to be weathered. When rock is mechanically broken down into smaller fragments, such as gravel, sand, and clay, more surface area is exposed to chemical weathering processes. These processes can include the alteration of minerals by reaction with water, acids from rainwater or plant roots, or oxygen. As more surfaces are exposed, chemical reactions can take place more rapidly, thereby accelerating the overall rate of weathering.
The broken particles, like quartz and feldspar, are eventually transported and deposited, forming various types of sedimentary rocks. Quartz, resistant to both mechanical and chemical abrasion, often remains as sand-sized grains, while feldspar is more prone to chemical weathering and can alter to clay. Additionally, the type of parent material from which soil develops can affect the rapidity of soil development and nutrient availability to plants, which is influenced by the extent of weathering and the nature of the material.