Question

a farmer notices that after a cold night, some of the rocks in his field have small cracks. he learns that these cracks are caused by water freezing inside the rocks. why does water cause the rocks to crack? water absorbs heat, making the rocks expand and break. water dissolves minerals, weakening the rocks over time. water expands when it freezes, pushing the rocks apart. water has high surface tension, allowing it to break rocks.

Explanation:

Water expands when it freezes. When water inside rocks freezes, the expansion exerts pressure on the rocks, causing them to crack.

• The first option is incorrect because water freezing is an exothermic process (releases heat, not absorbs).
• The second option about dissolving minerals is a different weathering process (chemical weathering) and not related to freezing water causing cracks.
• The fourth option about surface tension is not relevant to the cracking due to freezing water.

Answer:

Water expands when it freezes, pushing the rocks apart.