Lab Practical Information

Regents Earth Science

When?

• Wednesday 5/31/2011 –Everyone

Where?

• All classes report to room (here) as normal.

Some Simple Rules

• Be

ON TIME

• Do not be absent!

• Pen AND Pencil!

• READ DIRECTIONS • There is to be absolutely

NO TALKING

– If you choose to talk, your exam booklet will be taken from you – You will receive a

0

for the Regents grade – You will have to re-take the Regents Exam in August & possibly have to go to Summer School 

What is the Lab Practical?

• First part of the Regents Exam • Test divided into

3

stations • Students are given

9

minutes per station

Station 1: Mineral and Rock Identification

• Using a mineral identification kit, the student will determine the properties of

a

mineral and will use those properties to identify that mineral from a flowchart. Using rock identification charts from the

Earth Science Reference Tables

and the characteristics observed in

two

rock samples, the student will classify each rock as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic.

Mineral Properties

• • • •

Luster

– metallic or nonmetallic—glassy, dull, pearly

Cleavage or Fracture

– are the broken sides of the mineral semi-smooth surfaces, or non-smooth broken surfaces?

Streak

– using white streak plate to see color of powdered mineral

Hardness

– using glass scratch plate

• Luster?

• Cleavage?

• Streak?

• Hardness?

• Mineral Name?

• Luster? • Cleavage?

• Streak?

• Hardness?

• Mineral Name?

Metallic Luster

Rock Properties and Classification

• Classify

2

different rock samples – Sedimentary, Igneous, Metamorphic • State a reason for your classification

Granite

Igneous Rocks

Basalt Obsidian Pumice

Igneous Rocks:

– Multiple-mineral composition – Crystalline texture – Interconnected mineral crystals with NO layering – Glassy texture – Rounded gas pores or spaces

Limestone

Sedimentary Rocks

Layered sediments Fossil

Sedimentary Rocks:

– Bedding or layering of sediments – Rounded grains, clasts, fragments or sediments – Fossils – Cemented sediments with visible pores or openings – Contain fragments of other rocks

Gneiss

Metamorphic Rocks

Quartzite Slate Schist

Metamorphic Rocks:

– Multiple-mineral composition – Interconnected mineral crystals WITH layering (foliation) – Slaty, schistose or gneissic foliation – Distorted or wavy rock structure – Stretched pebbles – A high percent of mica minerals

Station 2: Locating an Epicenter

• Using seismic data, the Earthquake P wave and S-wave Travel Time graph from the

Earth Science Reference Tables

, a safe drawing compass, and a map, the student will determine the location of an earthquake epicenter

2:33:00 2:35:30 2:35:30 – 2:33:00 = 00:02:30

Station 3: Constructing and Analyzing an Asteriod’s Elliptical Orbit

•Using two pins, a looped string, a metric ruler, and a calculator, the student will construct an ellipse, determine its eccentricity, and apply this information to our solar system.

Eccentricity

A number indicating the roundness of an ellipse.

Eccentricity = Distance Between Foci Length of Major Axis e=d/L Page 1 in your BEST FRIEND

Please Remember Measure to the nearest tenth! 0.1

Calculate e to the nearest thousandth! 0.001

Perfect circle Please Remember Straight line

e = 0 e = 1

Please Remember

Planets change orbital speed as they revolve around the Sun.

Please Remember

• As distance from the Sun increases, a planet’s period of revolution increases.

• Be sure to Read & Measure ACCURATELY • Remember: NO TALKING • Be on time!

• Do not be absent!