Final answer:
Weathering is the process of breaking down Earth materials into soil and is divided into mechanical and chemical types, with mechanical weathering including physical processes like abrasion and ice wedging, and chemical weathering involving chemical changes like oxidation and acid rain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that breaks down existing Earth materials and leads to the creation of soil is known as weathering, which can be divided into two types: mechanical weathering and chemical weathering.
For mechanical weathering, the following phrases can be categorized:
- A. does not change rock composition
- C. abrasion
- F. ice wedging
And for chemical weathering, the phrases align as follows:
- B. oxidation
- D. changes rock composition
- E. acid rain
Mechanical weathering involves the physical breakdown of rocks without altering their chemical composition, including processes like abrasion and ice wedging. Chemical weathering, on the other hand, involves the breakdown of rocks through chemical changes, including reactions that lead to oxidation and acidification from acid rain.