A team of scientists placed five rocks in five separate, artificial environments. All the rocks came from the same formation and had the same chemical composition. The table describes the environment for each rock:

Question

A team of scientists placed five rocks in five separate, artificial environments. All the rocks came from the same formation and had the same chemical composition. The table describes the environment for each rock:

Rock A Rock B Rock C Rock D Rock E
intermittent rain showers
temperatures alternating between -2°C and 20°C
frequent acidic showers that contain carbonic acid covered with algae and lichen placed in an oxygen-rich environment
hot and dry environment
low temperature of 35°C

After the experiment, the scientists observed that one particular rock had large fractures and had split into two pieces. They also observed that, compared to the other rocks, the chemical composition of this particular rock had remained largely unchanged. Which rock most likely fits this description?

A.
Rock A
B.
Rock B
C.
Rock C
D.
Rock D
E.
Rock E

Answer 1

The rock that most likely fits this description is Rock E. Rock E was placed in a hot and dry environment with a low temperature of 35°C. This extreme weather condition could have caused the rock to expand and contract, resulting in large fractures and splitting into two pieces. Additionally, the chemical composition of Rock E remained largely unchanged, which suggests that it was not significantly affected by the environmental conditions.