This document provides instructions for an activity called "Stick N' Shake" where two plastic rulers are attached with clay to simulate how rocks bend along a fault. When the rulers are bent too far, they will break apart due to being brittle materials that cannot withstand pressure. The activity demonstrates how tectonic plates build up stress at a fault until the bending limit is reached, causing an earthquake. An earthquake occurs when the bent rocks suddenly snap back, sending vibrations outward from the focus where it began below ground, with the epicenter being the point directly above the focus point on the surface.

1. ACTIVITY 3:
STICK N’ SHAKE

2. MATERIALS:
 Two plastic rulers
 A bit of clay

3. PROCEDURE
 Using the clay attach the rulers ends
together (how long is the overlap between
the rulers?)
 Hold the rulers as shown in the picture
below. Then slowly move your hands in the
direction of the arrows

5. QUESTION
What happens when bending
becomes too much?
Note: If nothing happens, he rulers
and separate the rulers and re
attach them only slightly.

6. ANSWER
 When the ruler bend too much it will break apart
because it is brittle. The composition of the ruler
does not have the ability with stand pressure when
being enforced thus, it breaks apart.
 Brittleness, is the physical property of matter. A
material is property of matter. A material is
considered as brittle is when force is exerted or
when it is under stress, it breaks or shattered rather
than bent, warped or deformed.

7. The activity we performed
simulates how rocks bend
along a fault. Think of the
rulers as if they we part of the
ground. Figure 11 can help you
visualize this.

9. FOCUS AND EPICENTER
Drawing A, shows the ground before bending. Then the
energy from inside the Earth makes the rocks bend.
Drawing B, shows the ground is bending storing energy .
But as mentioned earlier, the rocks along the fault do not
move immediately. Friction keeps them in place.
Drawing C, the bending limit is reached and the ground
has snapped. The bent of the rocks out and vibrate. The
vibrations travel in all directions and people in different
places will feel them as a quake. An earthquake is a
vibration of the Earth due to rapid release of energy.

10. FOCUS AND EPICENTER
Focus – The location where the earthquake
begins. The ground ruptures at this spot, then
seismic waves radiate outward in all directions
Epicenter – The point on the Erath’s surface
located directly above the focus of an earthquake

13. Thank you For
Watching!
