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Chocolate Rock Cycle

The document describes an experiment using chocolate to model the rock cycle. Students take chocolate and manipulate it to represent the three main types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. For sedimentary rock, chocolate shavings are pressed together. For igneous rock, chocolate is melted and allowed to harden. For metamorphic rock, hardened igneous chocolate is placed in boiling water and reshaped. Questions address the geologic processes that form each rock type and how the textures change through the experiment. The student reflects on learning that rocks are continuously changing and how this model helps understand Earth's history through the rock cycle.

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Khynia Dijeno
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316 views

Chocolate Rock Cycle

The document describes an experiment using chocolate to model the rock cycle. Students take chocolate and manipulate it to represent the three main types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. For sedimentary rock, chocolate shavings are pressed together. For igneous rock, chocolate is melted and allowed to harden. For metamorphic rock, hardened igneous chocolate is placed in boiling water and reshaped. Questions address the geologic processes that form each rock type and how the textures change through the experiment. The student reflects on learning that rocks are continuously changing and how this model helps understand Earth's history through the rock cycle.

Uploaded by

Khynia Dijeno
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name: Khynia Dijeno Yr/Strand/Sec: 11-STEM-3A Date: 10/1/2023

Subject: SCIENCE 1 Instructor: Ms. Lani Manlosa

Chocolate Rock Cycle


Materials:

 1 block of chocolate per student or group


 Aluminum foil
 Knife
 Spoon
 Rolling pin or other heavy object
 Ice water
 Hot plate or microwave
 Hand lens (optional)

Procedure:

Sedimentary chocolate:

o Scrape some small shavings from your chocolate block.


o Gather these scrapings onto a piece of aluminum foil and press down on them. You might fold
the aluminum foil and then press on the chocolate shavings. You could even stand on enclosed
foil packages.
o Observe the joined-together bunch of chocolate scrapings in the foil, which is now similar to
sedimentary rock.

Questions:

1. What geologic process causes sedimentary rock to form?


Sedimentary rocks form because of the process called “sedimentation” which involves erosion, weathering, dissolution,
precipitation, and lithification. Weathering is the process of breaking down or dissolving pre-existing rocks or living
organisms into sediment. Erosion is the process of picking up the sediment by water, wind, or glaciers. Transportation is
the process of moving the sediment by water, wind, or glaciers. Deposition is the process of depositing the sediment
while lithification is the process of turning the sediment into rock through compaction and cementation.

2. What happens to the texture of the chocolate shavings after you press them together?
Pressing chocolate shavings together is like squishing sediments into rock. It gets packed tighter, just as sediment layers
do under pressure. While chocolate doesn't have real rock minerals, pressing can melt it a bit. As it cools and hardens, it
sticks the shavings together, like rocks cementing over time. The fluffy chocolate becomes a solid mass, like how loose
sediment turns into hard rock.

Igneous chocolate:

o Melt your chocolate block in a microwave or over a hot plate.


o Once the chocolate is melted, pour it into a small mold or onto a baking sheet lined with
parchment paper.
o Allow the chocolate to cool and harden.

Questions:

1. What geologic process causes igneous rock to form?


Igneous rocks form when melted rock material (magma) cools and crystallizes. This material can come from beneath the
Earth's surface (magma) or from volcanic eruptions (lava). The way it cools determines the type of igneous rock it
becomes, either slow cooling underground (intrusive) or quick cooling on the surface (extrusive).
2. What happens to the chocolate when it cools and hardens?
In the chocolate rock cycle experiment, when the melted chocolate cools and hardens, it solidifies. This is similar to how
molten rock material in the Earth's crust, such as lava, cools and solidifies to form igneous rocks. The cooling process
turns the liquid chocolate into a solid, just as magma or lava becomes solid igneous rock through cooling and
solidification.
3. How does the texture of your igneous chocolate compare to the texture of a real igneous rock?
In the chocolate rock cycle experiment, the texture of the igneous chocolate is different from the texture of a real
igneous rock. The texture of the igneous chocolate is smooth and uniform, while the texture of a real igneous rock can
have various textures, including coarse-grained, phaneritic, aphanitic, porphyritic, fine-grained, glassy, or even
vesicular.This is because the chocolate cools and solidifies quickly, resulting in small crystals, while igneous rocks cool
and solidify slowly, resulting in larger crystals

Metamorphic chocolate:

o Place your igneous chocolate in a zip-top bag and seal it tightly.


o Place the bag in a pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
o Remove the bag from the boiling water and let it cool completely.
o Open the bag and remove the chocolate.

Questions:

1. What geologic process causes metamorphic rock to form?


Metamorphic rocks form through a geologic process known as "metamorphism." Metamorphism occurs when pre-
existing rocks, either sedimentary, igneous, or other metamorphic rocks, undergo changes in mineral composition,
texture, and structure due to increased temperature, pressure, and sometimes the presence of chemically active fluids.
These factors cause minerals in the rocks to recrystallize and sometimes align, creating new minerals, textures, and
structures. The specific conditions determine the type of metamorphic rock that forms.
2. How does the texture of your metamorphic chocolate compare to the texture of a real metamorphic.
The texture of the metamorphic chocolate is smooth and uniform, while the texture of a real metamorphic rock is rough
and uneven. The texture of metamorphic rocks can be foliated or non-foliated, depending on the presence or absence
of aligned minerals.This is because the chocolate is heated and pressed quickly, resulting in small crystals, while
metamorphic rocks are formed over long periods of time and under intense heat and pressure, resulting in larger
crystals and a more complex texture
3. What happens to the chocolate when it is placed in the boiling water? In the chocolate rock cycle experiment, when
chocolate is placed in boiling water, it melts and becomes liquid.
4. What happens to the texture of the chocolate after it is cooled? The texture of the chocolate changes from a
liquid, which is flowing, to a firm, slightly smooth and uniform with a texture resembling that of solid chocolate
pieces
REFLECTION:

What was the most interesting thing you learned about the chocolate rock cycle?

How can we use our knowledge of the chocolate rock cycle to learn more about the Earth's history?

Rocks are fascinating objects that have been around since the beginning of time and have played an important
role in the formation of our planet. From providing the building blocks of life to shaping the landscapes around us,
rocks are an essential part of our lives

The most interesting thing I learned about the chocolate rock cycle is how igneus, sedimentary and metamorphic
rock are connected with each other, it is a living proof that everything in Earth is connected in some ways and
how these connectedness makes every element has its own uniquenesss but similarities aswell. I really learned a
lot especailyl during the expiremetn because it is a visual representation of how rock cycle works and forms. It
also open my eyes that everything including the tiniest thing we notice such as rocks undergp through a
continuous cycle of change. Igneous rocks are made when lava or magma from a volcano hardens into rock. When
the rock is exposed to air, it weathers and erodes into sediment. The sediment is then compacted and cemented to
form sedimentary rock. If the sedimentary rock is subjected to heat and pressure, it can become metamorphic rock.
If the metamorphic rock is subjected to further heat and pressure, it can melt and become magma, starting the
cycle again

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