Question

student exploration: rock cycle
vocabulary: deposition, erosion, extrusive igneous rock, intrusive igneous rock, lava, lithification, magma, metamorphic rock, rock cycle, sediment, sedimentary rock, soil, weathering
prior knowledge questions (do these before using the gizmo.)

1. what happens to hot lava after it erupts from a volcano?__________________________

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1. how does rock turn into soil?__________________________

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1. the mississippi river carries tons of tiny rock fragments called sediments into the gulf of mexico. what do you think will happen to these sediments after a few million years?

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Explanation:

1. After hot lava erupts from a volcano, it cools down. As it cools, it solidifies. This solidification process turns the molten lava into extrusive igneous rock.
2. Rock turns into soil through weathering. Weathering can be physical (like temperature changes causing rocks to crack) or chemical (reactions with substances in the environment). Over time, these processes break rocks into smaller particles, which eventually become soil.
3. The sediments carried by the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico will undergo lithification. Lithification is the process where sediments are compacted (squeezed together) and cemented (glued by minerals). After millions of years, this will turn the sediments into sedimentary rock.

Answer:

1. It cools and solidifies to form extrusive igneous rock.
2. Through weathering (physical and/or chemical processes that break rocks into smaller particles).
3. They will undergo lithification (compaction and cementation) to form sedimentary rock.