My notes for Nat Sci II

1. SG5 Activity 1
SG5 Activity 1
In this experiment the water acts as an agent in the physical weathering of the rocks
(polvoron). The vigorous shaking of the containers B and C represent the mechanical aspect
of weathering. I believe container A acts as the control. Water is weathering agent that seeps
through the polvoron and weakens it. A weakened polvoron is easy to erode as shown in
container C. The same phenomena can be observed in nature. Water acts as a hydrating
agent that weakens rocks making it easier for agents of erosion to breakdown rocks.

4. SG4 Activity 2

5. Below are the plates that make up the Philippine islands. There are subduction zones where
the Eurasian plate meets the Manila plate and the Sulu plate which forms a discontinuous line
of active volcanoes from Taal to Iraya. To the East the subduction of the Philippine plate
causes the line for volcanoes from Balut to Mayon.

6. Source: http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/southeast_asia/philippines/tect
onics.html
SG3 Activity 1

7. Answers:
1. Wikipedia says gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral. It can be used as fertilizer or used a
main constituent in blackboard chalk. A variety of gypsum is called alabaster which is
used in sculptures.
2. Calcite, again from wikipedia is used in optics.
3. Quartz is the one I’m most familiar with. It’s a silicate mineral. One of it’s uses is on
timekeeping—the quartz clock.
4. Graphite is used in batteries, as lubricants and pencil lead.
5. Talc is used in talcum powder.
6. Magnetite is a source of iron. It’s the most magnetic of all naturally occurring magnetic
materials.
SG2 Activity 2

8. a.) From wikipedia:
1. Pacific plate
2. North American plate
3. Antarctic plate
4. Eurasian plate
5. African plate
6. Australian plate
7. South American plate
8. Nazca plate
9. Scotia plate
10. Arabian plate
11. Indian plate
b.) The Philippines is in the Eurasian plate. The Eurasian plate is a continental plate.
SG2 Activity 1

9. South America connects to Africa as evidenced by the contour, the desert and fossil
remains: amphibian and Rhynchosaur.
Africa connects to India as evidenced by the contour and fossil remains: amphibian
and Rhynchosaur.
Antarctica connects to Africa as evidenced by the desert.
Antarctica connects to India as evidenced by the amphibian fossil remains.
Antarctica connects to Australia as evidenced by the amphibian fossil remains.
North America connects to Africa as evidenced by the basalt and Phytosaur fossil
remains.
Europe and Asia connects to Africa and North America as evidenced by the basalt, and
Plateousaurus and Phytosaur fossils.

10. SG1 Activity 3
The activity window is too small to read. I’m glad I managed.
SG1 Activity 2

11. Bulusan is in the southern tip of Luzon.
Mount Apo borders the Davao gulf to the northwest.
Sierra Madre runs along the eastern coast of Luzon.

12. I can’t locate the Rio Grande on the map but it should right in the middle of Mindanao.
I would say the river systems flows around and radially outwards from the location of
volcanoes.
SAQ 7-1

13. Plate tectonic movements. Uplift in particular.
SAQ 5-3
It exposes the rock to weathering.
SAQ 5-2
Natural and man made activities that break up the rocks. Natural chemical processes that
occur on the earth’s surface like the formation of ice, acid rains etc.

14. SAQ 6-3
SAQ 6-2

15. The plate is moving northwest.
SAQ 6-1

16. Based off the diagram below the igneous rock will be a) gabbro and the remaining melt will
tend for form a) basalt.
Activity 4-1
There is the Manila, Negros, Sulu, Cotabato, and Philippine trench. There is also a transform
fault/boundary between the East Luzon Trough the Philippine trench.
SAQ 4-2

17. mid-oceanic ridges trenches mid-ocean ranges
rift valleys
shallow focus earth
quakes
rift valleys
intermediate focus
earthquakes
volcanic chains shallow earth quakes
magnetic stripes island arc volcanoes
shallow focus
earthquakes
subduction zones
young mountain ranges
intermediate earth
quakes
deep earth quakes
SAQ 4-1

18. The slab-pull model has something to do with gravity and the weight of the lithosphere. Two
continental plates are of equal density and thus equal weight so the slab-pull model cannot
explain why they are drifting apart.
SAQ 3-1

19. Because oceanic rocks came from mid-ocean ridges, which is formed later than the
continental rocks and are thus newer. As new rocks come from the ridges the old ones gets
pushed further away from the ocean floor and towards the continents.
Activity 3-1

20. SAQ 2-2
I think I already answered this one in the previous activity.
Activity 2-1

21. Ok this map is Metro Manila and the surrounding areas. I had to look at the comment for the
activity. Even though it asks only for a map of Metro Manila it discusses stream distributions
not found in Metro Manila. There are noticeable radial patterns in the Bataan area. Sub-
parallel patterns in Cavite and branching patterns in the NCR.
SAQ 2-1

22. I think the mountain ranges in the Philippines are volcanic. The Philippines sits in the Pacific
Ring of Fire. Even the islands itself are made by volcanoes.
Activity 1-2
The raw material for plastics are petrochemicals which are found in petroleum commonly
known as oil.
Activity 1-1

23. According to the DENR:
“Among our important metallic minerals found in abundance in various parts of the country in
clude gold, copper, iron, chromite, nickel, cobalt and platinum, while our non-
metallic resources include sand and gravel, limestone, marble, clay, and other quarry material
s.”
Gold is used for jewellery and electronics. Copper in electronics. Iron in construction.
Chromite is a source of iron. Nickel for electronics and coins. Cobalt for alloys and pigments.
And lastly, platinum for electronics and chemical industry.
Source: http://www.denr.gov.ph/index.php/component/content/article/16.html
SAQ 1-1

24. Ans:
1. False. The Law of Uniformitarianism states that “The present is the key to the past.”
2. False. The tempereture is too high for solid matter to exist right after the big bang.
3. False. In our own solar system alone there 7 other planets revolving around the sun.
There are also exoplanets or extrasolar planets. Planets that revolve around other
stars.
4. True. They are elements with the simplest nuclei that are able to survive the intensity of
the big bang.
5. True. It’s happening today and by the LoU it happened before.