Crazy Continuous Convection Currents

Crazy Continuous Convection Currents

Name:______________________________ Date: _________________

Purpose: Throughout today’s activities, you will learn all about convection currents. You will discover how these currents are responsible for the movement of the Earth’s plates. Notice, you will also be practicing your scientific method skills within the boxes on this sheet.

Dazzling Demo:

1. Describe what you observed from the demo your teacher performed?

2. Use your observations to make an inference about why this has happened? What experience or knowledge did you use to make this inference?

Go With the Flow Activity:

1. Read all of the reminders on the Materials & Procedures sheet found at your station. Be sure all group members understand the ground rules!

2. Begin the activity by carefully following the procedures and reminders.

Conclusion Questions:

1. Comprehension: What happened to the food coloring during the lab? Be specific. What happened to the paper dots? Be specific.

2. Application: What do the paper dots represent? What does the water in the pie pan represent?

3. Analysis: Explain what caused the movement of the food coloring and the paper dots.

4. Synthesis: Hypothsize about what would happen to the convection currents in the mantle if the Earth’s interior eventually cools down. Explain.

5. Evaluation: How well do you think this lab modeled the movement of the Earth’s plates? What factors weren’t you able to model in this lab?

Use the picture below to answer the following questions:

1. Where does the heat come from that drives this convection current in the mantle?

2. Where is the temperature of the mantle material greater, at point A or point B? Explain.

3. Where is the density of the material greater, at point B or point C? Explain.

4. What force causes the convection current to turn down at point C?

5. What direction do you think the plate (that is above the ABCD current) is moving?

Go With The Flow

Materials & Procedures

Reminders:

v Always follow ALL laboratory safety rules!

v Read ALL directions carefully….read them twice if you need to!

v Ask your teacher for help if you have any doubt about what is expected of you!

v Have fun but remember, there’s work to be done…..Get busy! J

Materials:

· Pie Tin

· 2 Styrofoam cups

· Beaker

· Hot Water

· Ice Water

· Food Coloring

· Paper Dots

Procedure:

1. Label one styrofoam cup H for hot and one C for Cold.

2. Fill the C Styrofoam cup to the top with ice water.

3. Fill the H cup half way with tap water.

4. Raise your hand and the teacher will come over to fill the H cup the rest of the way with boiling water.

5. Position the cups close to each other (touching) in order to form a foundation for your pie pan.

6. Place the pie pan on top of the cups. Make sure the pie pan is completely covering the cups.

7. Use the beaker to fill the pie pan 2/3 full with tap water.

8. Raise your hand and the teacher will come over to place one drop of food coloring over the H cup.

9. Quickly place the paper dots over the food coloring.

10. Observe the food coloring and paper dots closely until movement stops.