G4 - Exploring Weathering: Sugar Abrasion Lab!

This week, as a Science component of our Unit of Inquiry, we explored how weathering changes the Earth's surface through a hands-on experiment called the Sugar Abrasion Lab!

In this experiment, we used sugar cubes to model how rocks break down over time due to abrasion, a type of physical weathering. We placed the sugar cubes in a container and shook them, just like rocks tumbling in a river or blowing in the wind. As we shook the container, we observed how the cubes became smaller and smoother, just like real rocks do in nature!

After the experiment, we recorded our observations in a lab report, describing how the sugar cubes changed and what we learned about weathering. We also discussed real-life examples of abrasion, like how ocean waves smooth pebbles or how wind shapes sand dunes in the desert.

This experiment helped us understand that weathering takes time, but even small changes can have a big impact on the Earth's surface!

Check out our photos to see the scientists in action!