Start with water
A dry crack does not widen in this model. Add water before trying to freeze it.
Weathering Rock Lab
Observe how freezing water can widen a rock crack through repeated freeze and thaw cycles.
Grades 3–5 · Earth Science
Your goal
Fill the rock crack with water and complete 1 freeze and thaw cycles. Finish with liquid water.
Reduced motion is on. The controls still update the scene.
0 freezing steps. A dry crack does not expand in this model.
Water expands when it freezes. In a confined crack that expansion can stress rock and contribute to physical weathering. Crack width is exaggerated, and every freezing event adds one illustrative step. Real rock strength, drainage, temperature and crack geometry change the outcome. This model keeps the same water in the crack and does not model chemical weathering.
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Common mistakes to avoid
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Learn with Weathering Rock Lab
Weathering Rock Lab lets elementary students investigate a small part of physical weathering. Add water to a dry rock crack, freeze the water, and thaw the ice before starting another cycle. The illustrated crack widens as freezing events accumulate. Goals ask children to complete different numbers of cycles and finish with liquid water. The activity separates physical breakdown from chemical change and encourages students to explain why a dry crack behaves differently from one containing water in this simplified model.
What to look for
Alternate the conditions
Thaw the ice before freezing it again. Pressing freeze twice does not create two cycles.
Count complete cycles
Finish the requested number of freezing steps with liquid water in the crack.
For teachers and curious learners
Connect freezing expansion with physical weathering through a sequence of wetting, freezing and thawing. Ask students to predict what will happen, change one setting, and explain what they observe. Learn gives a starting point. Practice and Challenge offer new goals with the same scene.
Crack width and the effect of every freezing event are exaggerated. A fixed water sample stays in the crack. Rock strength, drainage, detailed temperature and chemical weathering are omitted.