Sorting of Earth According Sorting of Earth According to Densityto Density

How Do The Densities of Earth's How Do The Densities of Earth's Layers Compare?Layers Compare?

Knowing that some things float on Knowing that some things float on water while others sink gives us a water while others sink gives us a good idea about how density relates good idea about how density relates to things around you. Not only does to things around you. Not only does density determine when something density determine when something will sink in water, it also is will sink in water, it also is responsible for the different layers on responsible for the different layers on the Earth!the Earth!

How Do The Densities of Earth's How Do The Densities of Earth's Layers Compare?Layers Compare?

Below you will find photographs to represent the different Below you will find photographs to represent the different layers of the Earth. At the right of each photograph you will find layers of the Earth. At the right of each photograph you will find the density for that layer.the density for that layer.

Density = .0013 g/cm3

Density =

3 g/cm3

Density varies between 13.0 g/cm3 at the core to 4.5 g/cm3 at the mantle.

Density = 1 g/cm3

AB

CD

Sorting according to density in Sorting according to density in NatureNature

Can you think of any examples of Can you think of any examples of sorting according to density in sorting according to density in nature?nature?

StreamsStreams Road CutsRoad Cuts BeachesBeaches

The BeachThe Beach Have you ever walked Have you ever walked

along a beach and along a beach and wondered why parts of it wondered why parts of it were sandy and other were sandy and other parts of it were rocky? Why parts of it were rocky? Why does this happen?does this happen?

When the waves hit the When the waves hit the beach, the sand and rocks beach, the sand and rocks carried in the water fall carried in the water fall out. The denser rock out. The denser rock particles are dropped first particles are dropped first along the shore, while the along the shore, while the less dense sand particles less dense sand particles are carried up further on are carried up further on the beach.the beach.

A stream or riverA stream or river

Try and think of the Try and think of the rocks you have rocks you have observed in a river observed in a river or stream. Where or stream. Where do the big rocks do the big rocks go? Where does go? Where does the smaller stuff the smaller stuff like sand go? like sand go?

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Sorting Pre-QuizSorting Pre-Quiz

SortingSorting

Have you ever come across a smooth pond like the one below? It just Have you ever come across a smooth pond like the one below? It just seems to ask you to "skip a rock on the surface!" You know that seems to ask you to "skip a rock on the surface!" You know that when the rock stops skipping, it will sink beneath the surface. when the rock stops skipping, it will sink beneath the surface. What makes rocks sink while leaves or twigs float in water? What makes rocks sink while leaves or twigs float in water?

                                                                

Sorting in GeneralSorting in General Dense objects like large Dense objects like large

rocks stay at the bottom rocks stay at the bottom while lighter objects like while lighter objects like silt and dirt can be carried silt and dirt can be carried away by the flow.  Density away by the flow.  Density affects the sorting of affects the sorting of naturally occurring naturally occurring materials in a mixture. materials in a mixture.

QuizQuiz Pat puts items into a jar and shakes it up. Pat lets the jar Pat puts items into a jar and shakes it up. Pat lets the jar

settle for 5 minutes. What would be the expected order of settle for 5 minutes. What would be the expected order of the items going from the top of the container to the the items going from the top of the container to the bottom?bottom?

a. rock, sand, water, metala. rock, sand, water, metal

b. metal, rock, sand, waterb. metal, rock, sand, water

c. water, sand, rock, metal c. water, sand, rock, metal

d. sand, metal, water, rock d. sand, metal, water, rock

QuizQuiz Water has a density of 1.0 g/mL. You are given a Water has a density of 1.0 g/mL. You are given a

rock with a density of 2.5 g/mL. Predict what will rock with a density of 2.5 g/mL. Predict what will happen to the rock when put into a container of happen to the rock when put into a container of water.water.

a. The rock will sink to the bottom of the a. The rock will sink to the bottom of the water.water.

b. The rock will float on top of the water.b. The rock will float on top of the water.c. The rock will sink half way to the bottom c. The rock will sink half way to the bottom

of the water.of the water.d. The rock will float just below the surface d. The rock will float just below the surface

of the waterof the water..

QuizQuiz

Why is water located above the crust Why is water located above the crust but below the air?but below the air?

aa. . The density of water is higher than air and The density of water is higher than air and higher than the crusthigher than the crust

b. The density of water is lower than air and higher b. The density of water is lower than air and higher than the crust.than the crust.

c. The density of water is higher than air and lower c. The density of water is higher than air and lower than the crust.than the crust.

d. The density of water is lower than air and lower d. The density of water is lower than air and lower than the crust. than the crust.

QuizQuiz

Which of the following statements best explains Which of the following statements best explains why earth is layered in the following order:why earth is layered in the following order:

air air water water crust crust core? core?a. Things in nature like to order themselves by color, red to a. Things in nature like to order themselves by color, red to

the bottom and blue to the top.the bottom and blue to the top.b. Things in nature like to order themselves by density, most b. Things in nature like to order themselves by density, most

dense to the bottom and least dense to the top.dense to the bottom and least dense to the top.c. Things in nature like to order themselves by particle size, c. Things in nature like to order themselves by particle size,

largest particles to the bottom and smallest particles to the largest particles to the bottom and smallest particles to the top.top.

d. Things in nature like to order themselves by temperature, d. Things in nature like to order themselves by temperature, hottest to the bottom and coolest to the top.hottest to the bottom and coolest to the top.

QuizQuiz

A beach is composed of particles of A beach is composed of particles of sand of the same size. Why doesn’t sand of the same size. Why doesn’t the beach have materials of all sizes? the beach have materials of all sizes? The particles have The particles have

a. come from the same place.a. come from the same place.

b. come to the beach at the same time.b. come to the beach at the same time.

c. been found in underwater canyons.c. been found in underwater canyons.

d. been sorted by size and density.d. been sorted by size and density.

QuizQuiz

A streambed contains round rocks, all about A streambed contains round rocks, all about the same size. Why are there no smaller the same size. Why are there no smaller particles of sand and clay? Sand and clayparticles of sand and clay? Sand and clay

a. is denser.a. is denser.

b. have washed away.b. have washed away.

c. were never there.c. were never there.

d. are too small to see.d. are too small to see.

QuizQuiz

During a flash flood, large boulders can During a flash flood, large boulders can be moved downstream. Why don’t be moved downstream. Why don’t large boulders usually move?large boulders usually move?

a. They are made from very dense a. They are made from very dense materials.materials.

c. They are attached to the stream c. They are attached to the stream bottom.bottom.

d. They are weathered and eroded in d. They are weathered and eroded in place.place.

QuizQuiz

Where would the smallest particles of rock Where would the smallest particles of rock be found in a streambed?be found in a streambed?

a. In the strongest currenta. In the strongest current

b. In the weakest currentb. In the weakest current

c. Near the middlec. Near the middle

d. At the beginningd. At the beginning

  

QuizQuiz

In an experiment, students shook jars of In an experiment, students shook jars of water with soil and rock in them. What water with soil and rock in them. What does the shaking model represent in does the shaking model represent in nature?nature?

a. A lake environmenta. A lake environment

b. A stream currentb. A stream current

c. Living things in an environmentc. Living things in an environment

d. A rainstormd. A rainstorm

  

QuizQuiz

Sand with particles of the same size was Sand with particles of the same size was gently shaken in a jar to see if layers gently shaken in a jar to see if layers would form. What variable was being would form. What variable was being tested?tested?

a. particle size and densitya. particle size and density

b. particle colorb. particle color

c. particle typec. particle type

QuizQuiz

A student shakes a jar with a mixture of A student shakes a jar with a mixture of sand types. Instead of mixing, the sand sand types. Instead of mixing, the sand grains separate into layers. Why?grains separate into layers. Why?

a. The grains are different colors.a. The grains are different colors.

b. The grains have different shapes.b. The grains have different shapes.

c. The grains have different densities.c. The grains have different densities.

d. The jar has a round shape.d. The jar has a round shape.

QuizQuiz

Water is added to a jar with soil in it Water is added to a jar with soil in it and the jar is shaken. Which and the jar is shaken. Which drawing shows what will happen drawing shows what will happen after it sits for a few minutes?after it sits for a few minutes?

      

QuizQuiz

In the spring, rivers in Utah are often brown In the spring, rivers in Utah are often brown in color. A sample of the water shows it in color. A sample of the water shows it contains very small particles of silt. Why contains very small particles of silt. Why is silt suspended in the water?is silt suspended in the water?

a. Silt is in brown in color.a. Silt is in brown in color.

b. The water is moving rapidly.b. The water is moving rapidly.

c. Silt is small with low density.c. Silt is small with low density.

d. Water has a high density.d. Water has a high density.

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