Rocks and Minerals (#21)

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Quartz:

 




  • Quartz one of the most common minerals on Earth, you can find it in sand and most types of rock. It is made from a chemical compound called silicon dioxide.
  • Quartz is piezoelectric, which means if you squeeze a quartz crystal, it generates a tiny electric voltage. The opposite is also true, if you apply a voltage to a piece of quartz, it vibrates at a precise frequency.
  • Quartz watches work in a very different way to pendulum clocks and ordinary watches. The gears are regulated by a tiny crystal of quartz instead of a swinging pendulum or a moving balance wheel.
  • Inside a quartz clock or watch, the battery sends electricity to the quartz crystal through an electronic circuit. The quartz crystal oscillates (vibrates back and forth) at a precise frequency: exactly 32768 times each second. The circuit counts the number of vibrations and uses them to generate regular electric pulses, one per second. These pulses can either power an LCD display (showing the time numerically) or they can drive a small electric motor turning gear wheels that spin the clock's second, minute, and hour hands.




(Diagram of quartz watch mechanics)        (Quartz oscillator)



Crinoidal Limestone:




• A limestone that contains a significant amount of crinoid fossils.
• Crinoids are sea animals that had long stems, cup like bodies and long filter arms, that look so much like flowers that they are call sea lilies.
• Most commonly forms in clear, warm, shallow marine waters.
• Crinoidal Limestone is a strong, dense rocks with few pore spaces.
• Limestone is a sedimentary rock, which means it was formed from small particles of rock or stone that have been compacted by pressure. Sedimentary rock is important because it often contains fossils and gives clues about what type of rock was on the Earth long ago.
• Uses: Construction and architecture, shingles and roofing, cement, soil treatment, and animal dietary supplements to replenish calcium.

   (Crinoid) (Also known as Sea Lily)


Children's Activities Related to Rocks and Minerals:


  • Demonstrate the effects of heat and pressure on crayon shavings to explain the different types of rocks to students.

  • Science experiment to explore sediments and water filtration.
  • explore and identify rocks and minerals right outside the door.
  • Weather and erosion of rocks and creating land forms.
Children's Books Related to Rocks and Minerals:




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