Understanding of Landforms - Activities

NC Standard:  2.04


Activity:  Materials Settle in Water

Question: In what order do materials settle in water?

Vocabulary: sediment, settling

Materials:
1-quart glass jar with lid
gravel
soil
sand
water


Procedure:

  • 1.  Add equal amounts of the soil, gravel, and sand until the jar is about one third full.
  • 2.  Add enough water so that the jar is almost full.
  • 3.  Place the lid on the jar and shake it carefully to thoroughly stir the mixture. Predict what materials you think will settle first.
  • 4.  Stop shaking the jar and let it stand until all materials are settled and the water is somewhat clear.
  • 5.  Record the order in which the materials settled in the jar.
  • 6.  Shake the mixture again and find out if the materials settle in the same order as the first time.

Observations:

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Conclusions:
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Further Questions:  How accurate were your predictions? Why did the materials settle in the order they did? Do you think the materials will settle in the same order at the bottom of the sea?


Line of Learning:  This line is drawn to provide students with a space to share their experimental learning in words or pictures.
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