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Stalagmites & Stalactites

Stalagmites & Stalactites . BY: Bristol Lacey. Big Question. Which will grow faster, the stalagmite or the stalactite? Stalactites grow downwards and the stalagmites grow upwards. Hypothesis. If the pull of gravity helps a stalactite grow, then a stalactite will grow faster

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Stalagmites & Stalactites

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  1. Stalagmites & Stalactites BY: Bristol Lacey

  2. Big Question Which will grow faster, the stalagmite or the stalactite? Stalactites grow downwards and the stalagmites grow upwards.

  3. Hypothesis If the pull of gravity helps a stalactite grow, then a stalactite will grow faster than a stalagmite. The stalactite will grow faster because it grows downward and the stalagmite grows upward.

  4. Interesting Facts • Stalagmites grow very slowly in caves but quite fast in basements or artificial caves • Stalagmite from the Greek language means ‘drop or drip’ • If a stalagmite and a stalactite touch it is called a column • Paleoclimatologists can use stalagmites to study the climate pattern like rainfall like 20,000 years ago by studying the rings inside of it and knowing how fast it grows. • Drips over time build up stalactites

  5. Experiment Materials • Two one-pint jars • dish towel • 8” round dish • spoon • masking tape • ruler • one cup sodium carbonate • scissors • pencil • notepad

  6. Experiment Materials…….. continued • three short pieces of string • graph paper • one piece of pressboard (15” x 20’’) • two pieces of 14”long 2X4 wood • 2 -3/8” trim • 4-1” screws • 2 L brackets • 1/4” round aluminum piece • 7/16” spacer 1¾” in diameter • digital camera • 4 cup measuring cup • and 4 cups of hot tap water.

  7. Experiment Procedures • Devise a system to place the camera on so that it takes a picture from the same place every time. • Attach a piece of graph paper to a 15” x 20” pressboard, make sure you can see graph lines with the camera. • Place a flat surface above a dish and adjust it to eye level of the camera. • Using hot tap water fill both jars almost to the top. • Add one half cup sodium carbonate to each jar, stir until no more will dissolve.

  8. Experiment Procedures…….continued • Tightly twist the dish towel, and then tie a short piece of string around each end and one in the middle of the dish towel. • Make a bridge between the two jars using the twisted dishcloth being sure the ends reach the bottom of each jar. • Place the dish between the two jars in front of the graph paper. • Observe daily watching the stalagmite and stalactite to form. • Observe daily and note changes taking digital photos.

  9. Experiment Controls VS. Variables All procedures are controlled (identical) for both the stalagmite and stalactite groups. There are no variables imposed. Gravity and evaporation are the influences of change we expect to see.

  10. Observations • The water came up about half way, soaked into the towel and dried up. • The towel was coated with a chalk white crust. • It became dry and hard like a rock. • Neither a stalactite nor a stalagmite formed. • Plus, I think that it choked itself off at the lip of the jar.

  11. Observations……continued • This time, the water moved quickly (over 2-3 days) up the towel and again only traveled to the string. • The string became dry and stiff.

  12. Observations (the first bridge)

  13. Observations (Day after day)

  14. Data (First Experiment)

  15. Data (Second experiment)

  16. ANALYSIS OF DATA My experiment didn’t test my hypothesis. Both times I did my experiment neither a stalagmite nor a stalactite formed, so I don’t know which would grow faster.

  17. Conclusion Neither of my experiments produced any stalagmites or stalactites. Therefore, I was unable to prove or disprove my hypothesis. Next time, I would use distilled water instead of tap water, to reduce minerals and chemicals that might have interfered. I would use a more absorbent string to improve the flow of the solution.

  18. Some questions I have: • How do the big rooms in caves get so big? • Do other planets have stalagmites and stalactites like earth?

  19. References • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalagmite (September, 2009) Stalagmite • http://www.enotes.com/earth-science/stalactites-stalagmites (September, 2009) World of Earth Science/Stalactites and Stalagmites • http://www.jimloy.com/geology/stalac.htm (September, 2009) Stalactites and Stalagmites • http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/jan-june09/rainfall_06-02.html (September, 2009) Stalagmites Provide Clues in Changing Rainfall Patterns • http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0007811.html (September, 2009) Stalactite and Stalagmite

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