Energy Drives Change
Energy drives change in the rock cycle, where exposure to solar energy breaks rock into sediment at the surface while exposure to Earth's interior heat melts rock into magma deep underground. In Amplify Science (California) Grade 7, Chapter 2: Sediment and Magma, students learn to identify the active energy source to explain why and how rock transforms.
Key Concepts
Rock material changes form because energy flows through it. The rock cycle is essentially a system where matter is moved and altered by energy.
Exposure to solar energy causes rock to break into sediment, while exposure to Earth's interior energy causes rock to melt into magma. Identifying the active energy source allows scientists to explain why a rock transformed.
Common Questions
What drives rock transformation in the rock cycle?
Rock transforms because energy flows through it. Solar energy at the surface drives weathering and erosion, breaking rock into sediment. Earth's internal heat drives melting and creates magma.
How does solar energy transform rock?
Solar energy powers the water cycle and weather, which creates rain, rivers, wind, and ice. These weather forces physically and chemically break down rock into smaller pieces (sediment) through weathering.
How does Earth's internal energy transform rock?
Earth's internal heat melts solid rock deep underground into magma. This heat comes from radioactive decay and residual planetary heat. Tectonic forces also use this energy to move and compress rock.
Where is energy drives change covered in Amplify Science Grade 7?
Energy drives change in rock is covered in Amplify Science (California) Grade 7, Chapter 2: Sediment and Magma.