312,721 views
37 votes
37 votes
What’s the difference between mechanical and chemical weathering

What’s the difference between mechanical and chemical weathering-example-1
User Nikul
by
2.9k points

1 Answer

19 votes
19 votes

Answer:

Mechanical weathering is the physical breakdown of rock into smaller pieces. Chemical weathering is the breakdown of rock by chemical processes.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mechanical weathering (also called physical weathering) breaks rock into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces are just like the bigger rock, just smaller. That means the rock has changed physically without changing its composition. The smaller pieces have the same minerals, in just the same proportions as the original rock.

Chemical weathering is the other important type of weathering. Chemical weathering is different from mechanical weathering because the rock changes, not just in size of pieces, but in composition Chemical weathering works through chemical reactions that cause changes in the minerals.

User Eugene Chybisov
by
2.7k points