SX07TR_CA6_CH06.fm Page 80 Saturday, June 10, 2006 3:19 PM
Name ____________________________ Date ____________________ Class ____________
Volcanoes
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6.3 Enrich
Modeling a Lava Plateau
Materials
small, disposable aluminum pan
water
clay
3 large paper cups
knife
3 plastic spoons
meat baster
red, blue, and yellow food coloring
plaster of Paris
Procedure
Review the safety guidelines in Appendix A of your textbook. This lab
will take three to four days to complete.
1. Cover the bottom of the pan with clay about 1 cm
thick. Cut a slit in the clay and pan just wide enough
for the meat baster’s tip to fit through it.
2. In one cup, make a mixture of plaster of Paris and
water that will flow easily. Add red food coloring to
the mixture and stir.
3. Fill the baster with the red mixture. Push the baster’s
tip up through the slit. Squeeze the bulb so the mixture flows out onto the surface. Repeat until the layer
is at least 0.5 cm deep.
4. Wash out the baster. Set the pan aside until the plaster is completely dry, preferably
overnight.
5. Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4. This time, add blue food coloring to the mixture.
6. Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 again, this time with a yellow mixture.
7. When the top layer is dry, cut your model in half. Examine the layers.
Analyze and Conclude
Answer the following questions in the spaces provided.
1. What does the wet plaster mixture represent?
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2. What do the three colored layers of dry plaster represent?
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3. In what ways does this model show how a lava plateau is formed?
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