Preparing a Waterfall for Science Project

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shilliday
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:03 am

Preparing a Waterfall for Science Project

Post by shilliday »

I am in grade 7 and doing a science project on geology - erosion. I want to put together a waterfall that shows how rocks erode. Do you know what materials I can use? For example for the water flow, I want to use a bucket with a spout. I am stuck on what to use for the waterfall and the platform. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Ryan
Sue Shilliday
carolinethorn
Former Expert
Posts: 393
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2005 2:40 pm

Post by carolinethorn »

Hmm this is an interesting one. You need something that will erode fast enough for you to observe but not so fast that it will all be gone in minutes. You also want a type of material where you can see the eroded surface and also where the eroded material ends up.

It would be good if you experimented to see what mixtures are effective materials for building your waterfall - that might give you some insight about how different types of rock formations might have more spectacular waterfalls whereas other types of formations might erode too quickly over time to develop them. It can also tell you things about rivers and their attibutes.

I am thinking that a mixture of sand with a proportion of salt in it might work. You would build your sand and salt platform like a sandcastle and then dry it out so its nice and hard. The salt would act like a kind of glue on the sand but be water soluble so you would be able to erode it. Then suspend your bucket and spout over the top and have the water flow over your sand castle. A well hardened mud pie might also work.

You would need to think about the shape of the sandcastle or mud pie to get the best view of how the material erodes. ALso think about the height of the bucket and thickness and angle of the spout because that would determine the speed of your waterfall. If its too fast and too heavy the erosion will be too fast.

Keep a notebook on the attempts you make with different materials and how they work. If possible take some photographs. These will make for a good display when you present your project at the end. There may be some attempts that are real disasters - like if a the mudpie collapses at the first contact with water or something like that. You should still include these as they give you information about the project.

Best of luck and have fun!
-Caroline
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