An Ultimate Starters Guide to Tumbling Rocks: Tricks and Methods for Getting Started
Rock Tumbling is an excellent method to introduce physical sciences to students in high school. It helps them learn about the geology of rocks, how they form and the process of erosion. They`ll also gain an curiosity about the earth and science in general. Tumbling is also a way to help children to recognize visual traits like shape, color, texture and differentiating marks. Why the Most Progessive Schools Are Using Rock Tumbling to Teach An ideal way for high school students to learn about physical sciences is to do experiments that require students to manipulate objects. Tumbling rocks is a great activity that lets them get outside and play with basic equipment and tools. Most rock tumbling machines consist of two major components: the motor, and the barrel. Both of them work to crush the stones and smooth them. Tumbling rocks using abrasive stones is extremely popular among craft, jewelry and lapidary enthusiasts. It`s a wonderful method of bringing out the shine and color of a rock that is not polished or mineral. It`s also a popular sport for those who like looking for natural stone specimens in the wilderness. Tossing stones off the ground is a wonderful method to get closer to nature and see the beauty that is hidden in every stone. What Rocks to Tumble? If you plan to teach rocks tumbling as a part of your high school science curriculum It is best to only supply rocks that are suitable for tumbling. This will result in the best results and ensure that your students will have a fantastic experience studying the minerals and how they interact to form the rocks they tumble. A good place to start is to test the hardness of the rock. The ideal is that all the rocks in your tumbler will be roughly the same in terms of hardness, ranging between 6-8 in the Mohs Harness scale (see below for more details).). Another crucial test to take is to feel the texture on the stone. Typically you want to find rock with smooth surfaces without roughness. It`s quite simple to determine if you are able to do it yourself: simply rub a few stones together and look for any small particles of dirt or gravel which fall off of the surface. This is a good method of determining if the rock is smooth and is suitable to tumble. How to Tumble Rocks Making use of rock tumbling for an activity in a high science class at school is a great method of engaging students. However, before you start make sure you know how to properly tumble rocks. First, decide what type of stone you`ll use to tumble. This will determine the type of grade you require in addition to the size of your tumbler and how long each step in the process will take. Following that, you need to polish the rough rocks into smooth, round gems. This is done with Abrasive grit. It is made out of either silicon or carbide. After you have found the right grind, you can run your rock tumbler for at minimum a week. It is a good idea to check the barrel at least every 7 days to observe whether the rocks are progressing through the tumbling process and polishing. Tumbling Activities Tumbling in the rock is a wonderful way to introduce students to physical science. It also provides a fun activity for the entire family. The most important thing is to be sure the tumbler is used with care. It uses electricity, has moving parts, and needs constant supervision by an adult. - To make this activity a success the students should be able to comprehend erosion and weathering in the earth`s geological world. This can be accomplished by a simulation that lets them watch and be part of the process. They`ll need to determine visually based characteristics like color, texture and shape and distinct marks, length and mass. They might need the calipers to accomplish this. More hard rocks may take longer to tumble than soft rocks Therefore, be sure to offer them with the same degree of hardness relative to the Mohs scale. Limestone, shale, and marble are the best choices. They are well bonded, yet they are soft enough that they can show signs of some wear over the course of a few days of tumbling.