Science Fair Projects World

Investigating the Rock Cycle

Investigating the Rock Cycle

Objective

Model the rock cycle to understand how rocks transform from one type to another.

Materials

  • Different types of candies (e.g., chocolate, hard candy, gummy candy)
  • Plastic bags
  • Paper cups
  • Hot water
  • Notebook for observations

Instructions

  1. Break the candies into small pieces, simulating the weathering of rocks.
  2. Place the broken candy pieces in a plastic bag and press them together to form sedimentary rock.
  3. Put the plastic bag into a cup of hot water to simulate heat and pressure for metamorphic rock formation.
  4. Observe the changes in texture and form of the candy.
  5. Melt the candy completely in hot water to represent magma formation.
  6. Cool the melted candy to form igneous rock.
  7. Document each step in your notebook, noting the transformations the candies undergo.
  8. Analyze your findings to understand the processes involved in the rock cycle.
  9. Present your observations in a report, explaining each stage of the rock cycle.