Activity IV.

 There are about 2500 known minerals on earth. The most common mineral is quartz, SiO2.  Consider the second most abundant earth mineral orthoclase, a feldspar very abundant in rocks.  Its formula is KAlSi3O8.

1. Determine the proportion of Si and O in orthoclase using atomic weights. This is nearly the percent of Si and O in the earth.                    
   Si  %                _____                        
   
    O %                 _____

Why doesn’t the earth’s rock crust look like the mineral orthoclase, pink?                           

2. Prepare a table of both plant and animal essential elements by symbol, atomic weight, and name so you may become familiar with the required elements for proper nutrition.

Nemonics A & B

A.     C HOPKNS CaFe Mg B Mn CuZn NiCOMo's ís Cl    Plant essential elements.
B.      I Cram For the Silica Seminar class As Lisa Sneaks a Nap. Additional animal essential elements.

Iodine, Chromium, Fluorine, Silica, Selenium, Arsenic, Lithium, Tin, and Sodium

3. What is an essential element?

4. List four examples of the three major rock types found on Earth.

 I. Igneous                           II. Metamorphic                          III. Sedimentary
 a. a.                                                 a.

b.                                         b.                                                b.

c.                                         c.                                                c.

d.                                         d.                                                d.

6. Identify five other elements important environmentally in soil.

7. Why are all the rocks on the moon igneous in origin?

8. List an example of each of the following soil parent materials.
(see page 32-41 in the Text)

 Residual

 Transported by:

      Water

      Wind

      Ice

     Gravity

Organic

9.Describe how wind, ice, and plants interact with rocks to mechanically reduce their size. (See weathering in text pp 26-31).

wind

      ice

      plants

10. Write a chemical equation that illustrates each of the following weathering reactions (see Text pp 30-31).

      Carbonation                      _______________________________

      Hydrolysis                        _______________________________

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