Lab Practical Information Regents Earth Science

When? Thursday All classes report to lab room either 240 or 239 Everyone All classes report to lab room either 240 or 239

Some Simple Rules Be ON TIME Do not be absent! 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 1 Mineral – luster, breakage, hardness, streak 2 Rocks will be classified as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic. Justification must also be given

Mineral Properties Luster Cleavage or Fracture Streak Hardness 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 – hard scratches glass soft does not

Minerals: Luster- Metallic HEMATITE GALENA Look for a reflective surface (similar to a mirror) Most minerals are nonmetallic PYRITE

Minerals: Luster- Non-Metallic CALCITE OLIVINE Look for earthy, dull, white, or non-reflective surfaces. Check the streak- if there is any streak at all, it will be colorless to white or yellow SULFUR MICA

Breakage Fracture Uneven breakage Cleavage Breaks along even surfaces

Hardness Soft Doesn’t scratch glass Hard Scratches glass

Luster? Cleavage? Streak? Hardness? Mineral Name?

Identifying the Letter On the practical, you will not need to give the name of the mineral. Instead, you will be giving the letter that the mineral has been assigned

Rock Properties and Classification Classify 2 different rock samples Sedimentary, Igneous, Metamorphic State a reason for your classification

EXAMPLES Rock Type: Sedimentary Reason: Contains fossils Rock Type: Metamorphic Reason: Foliation

Igneous Rocks Basalt Obsidian Pumice Granite

Igneous Rocks Interconnected crystals in random order- THESE ARE NOT FRAGS OF OTHER ROCKS- THEY ARE MINERALS!!!! Course texture Glassy Texture Gas Pockets/Vesicular -> -> -> 

Sedimentary Rocks Layered sediments Limestone Fossil

Sedimentary Rocks Clastic/Fragmental Sand Particles Pebbles Within The The diagram to the right Shows a close-up of Sandstone. You can see the individual Sand grains. You will have a magnifying Glass. USE IT! 

Fossils (fossils are destroyed in metamorphic and igneous rocks) REMEMBER TO LOOK FOR SHELL FRAGMENTS- fossils may not be whole

Sedimentary Rocks: Bedding or layering of sediments Rounded grains, clasts, fragments or sediments Fossils Contain fragments of other rocks

Metamorphic Rocks Quartzite Gneiss Slate Schist

Metamorphic Rocks Foliation

Banding (Banding = GNEISS STRIPES!) Mineral Alignment

Non foliated crystals

Metamorphic Rocks: Multiple-mineral composition Interconnected mineral crystals WITH layering (foliation) foliation - banding Stretched pebbles A high percent of mica minerals

Station 2: Locating an Epicenter Find arrival times of p wave and s wave using seismograph Find difference between p wave and s wave Find distance Draw two circles on the map and mark the epicenter

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

Earthquakes and Epicenters lag time: 6 min

Earthquakes and Epicenters Lag time: 6 minutes

Earthquakes and Epicenters Lag time: 6 minutes

Earthquakes and Epicenters Lag time: 6 minutes

Earthquakes and Epicenters Lag time: 6 minutes 4,400 km

Earthquakes and Epicenters To locate the earthquake’s epicenter, a minimum of three seismic stations are needed With one station, there are many possible epicenters Station 1

Earthquakes and Epicenters With two stations, there are only two possible epicenters Station 2 Station 1

Earthquakes and Epicenters With three stations, there is only one possible epicenters Station 3 Station 2 Station 1

Earthquakes and Epicenters With three stations, there is only one possible epicenters Station 3 Station 2 Station 1

San Francisco 2,600

San Francisco 2,600

Denver 2,000 km

Wink 1,100 km

Now place an X on the Epicenter

Now place an X on the Epicenter

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

Drawing an ellipse First you will place your thumbtacks into the letters which are assigned to you. They will be lined up F E D C B A A B C D E F

Drawing an ellipse For example if you are given C as your foci you will place your thumbtack there. They will be lined up F E D C B A A B C D E F

Drawing an ellipse For example if you are given C as your foci you will place your thumbtack there. They will be lined up F E D C B A A B C D E F

You can make an ellipse with 2 tacks and a string You can make an ellipse with 2 tacks and a string. The tacks are the “foci”, and if you put them further apart, the ellipse is more “eccentric” (one tack makes a circle).

Elliptical Orbits and Eccentricity Eccentricity = distance between foci length of major axis distance between foci length of major axis Eccentricity is: Never less than zero or greater than 1 Unitless Rounded to the nearest thousandths (0.000)

Elliptical Orbits and Eccentricity Eccentricity = distance between foci length of major axis distance between foci s length of major axis

Please Remember Measure to the nearest tenth! 0.1 Calculate e to the nearest thousandth! 0.001

Elliptical Orbits and Eccentricity Eccentricity = distance between foci length of major axis distance between foci s length of major axis distance between foci = 2.0 cm = 0.114 length of major axis 17.5 cm

Please Remember Perfect circle Straight line e = 1 e = 0

The exam will give you the name of a planet The exam will give you the name of a planet. You are to look up the eccentricity of the orbit of this planet on the reference table and write this number in your lab- be sure to keep it three numbers after the decimal! Compare your eccentricity to the eccentricity of the planet If your number is closer to 0 than the planet, it is less elliptical than the planet If your number is closer to 1 than the planet, than your ellipse is more elliptical You will need to support your answer by saying your ellipse is either closer to zero or closer to one.

REMEMBER: Eccentricity of a circle = 0 (least eccentric) Eccentricity of a line = 1 (most eccentric) Remember: 0.023 is closer to zero than 0.123 because there is a number other than zero in the tenth’s place in the second number ALSO: If the number on your calculator after you divide is 0.0235, be sure to round up to 0.024(5 or greater, round up) If the number on your calculator is 0.0234, then keep the third number the same: 0.023 (less than 5, keep the number the same)

Be sure to Read & Measure ACCURATELY Remember: NO TALKING Be on time! Do not be absent!