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Physical Geology

Course Description

Physical Geology is a one year laboratory course that will provide students with a comprehensive view of geologic science concepts and principles, offer students opportunities to develop science process skills, and use the themes of Energy, and Systems and Interaction to interrelate ideas from Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science. This course meets UC/CSU (Laboratory Science-d) requirements.

Use and subscribe to this page to stay updated on class activities in Mr. Kirschman's Physical Geology Class.  

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12/13/19: Half Life Simulation

1.  Complete half life simulation
M&M Directions: 
-DO NOT EAT!!! M&Minum is extremely old and UNSTABLE!!! Ask the teacher for some stable atoms.  
- Place 100 M&Ms "face up" in your container
-"Shake" the container to try to get the M&Ms to flip over (M side down)
- Record the number of M's and No M's and the number of times you have to do this until all of the M&Ms are face down. 
 
Popcorn Directions: 
- Use tray to count...butter might make things messy.  You can eat when done. 
- Heat up popcorn for assigned amount of time
- Count the number of kernels that popped and didn't pop
- Calculate the % of kernels that popped Popped / Total X 100
 
2.  Upload your data into the form
 
 
3.  Be sure to complete and turn in PLATO tutorial for Atoms and Elements (Slide 1-15)

12/3/19: Geologic Time

Objective: Create a scaled model to construct an account of Earth's History (NGSS ESS 1-6)
 
Claim:  Earth is 4,600,000,000 years old
 
Scale model =  Years of Earth/Total length of white board (cm).  Label the right side of your timeline TODAY.  Label the left side of your timeline EARTH FORMS. 
 
Research the events below and put on time scale.  Be sure to indicate how many years ago.  Divide this number by your scale length to find how many cm.  Count backwards from today.  
 
 
Formation of the Earth 
 

Oldest rock ever found

First fossils (algae and bacteria)

First oxygen in atmosphere

Grand Canyon begins to form

Pangaea breaks apart into continents

First fish

First land plants

First land animals

First dinosaurs

First mammals

First flowering plants

Dinosaurs and other animals go extinct

Oldest Mountain range

First Homo sapiens (humans)

Discovery of “The New World”/America
 
Conclusions:  
 
1.  What is the difference between a timeline and a timescale?  (Hint: Why did we do the math in the beginning?)
2.  Compare and contrast the GEOLOGICAL (Non-living) events to the BIOLOGICAL (living) events on the time scale.  
3.  Describe the amount of time that humans have been on Earth compared to its entire history.  
4.  How do you think Scientists know the time of these events when no human was on Earth to record them?
 
 

11/21/19: Mass, Kinetic Energy, and Collisions

Conduct 2 more experiments about collisions and Newton's 2nd Law
 
Force = Mass X Acceleration
 
1.  Change the Mass of the object and record data on the force (crater depth and "ejecta")  
 
2.  Change the drop height and record data on the force created (crater depth and "ejecta")  
 
Calculations: 
1.  Force
How much Force can the "smaller" N.E.O. create on impact?  (F= M X 9.8)
How much Force can the "larger" N.E.O. create on impact? 
 
2.  Crater Comparison
How much "times larger" was the crater from the large N.E.O. vs. the small one.  (Divide the larger crater data by the smaller = Times bigger)
How much "times larger" was the crater from the higher N.E.O. vs. the lower one.  
How much "percent" more damage does the large N.E.O. do compared to the smaller one?  (Large data - Small data / Large data = % More )
How much "percent" more damage does the higher N.E.O. do compared to the lower one?  (Large data - small data / Large data = % more) 

11/20/19: Scientific Inquiry: Acceleration and Collisions

Plan and conduct an investigation that shows the ACCELERATION of objects as they fall to Earth.  
 
Newton's Second Law - 
 
Force = Mass X Acceleration 
 
Review Questions: 
 
1.  What data did you collect to determine the acceleration of the free falling objects? 
 
2.  Which object accelerated faster? 
 
3.  What is the difference between SPEED (Velocity) and ACCELERATION?
 
4.  Why is the acceleration of all free-falling objects the same?  (What force is accelerating them?)  
 
5.  Do you think the ACCELERATION of an object falling to Earth is important to how much force it will create?  Why/Why not? 
 
6.  Do you think ACCELERATION of two cars in a collision is important to how much force it will create?  Why/Why Not?

11/19/19: PLATO Collisions

Read PLATO Collisions Tutorial Slides 1-28
 
Define all bold terms in notes
 
Answer all review questions in notes

11/14/19- N.E.O. Planetary Defense

1.  Read the web resources
 
N.E.O. Did You Know
 
 
Planetary Defense
 
 
 
2.  Reading Questions:
N.E.O. Did you Know:
 
What is an N.E.O. ?  
What is the most dangerous N.E.O. Asteroid currently known? 
What are some ways we could we "Defend" Earth from a dangerous N.E.O.?
 
Planetary Defense:
What are the objectives of Planetary defense?
What characteristics of an Asteroid help determine a plan to mitigate an impact?
Can an Asteroid be "shot down? Why/Why not?