Download Sandbox of Human Ingenuity

Sandbox of Human Ingenuity
Science Themes
Sandboxes are play places, which makes them laboratories for exploration, imagination, experimentation, and learning! Beakerhead
magnifies this essential childhood experience. Let’s play while we think about the sand beneath our feet.
What is sand?
• Sand is composed individual grains of mineral crystals, clastics (a rock), or fossil fragments.
• Sand is defined by the size of its grains. All sand grains are between 1/16 mm and 2 mm. Collections of smaller grains are called
clay, silt, or mud. Bigger grains are called pebbles, gravel, or boulders.
• Sand is formed when rocks break down from erosion. Natural forces like wind and water slowly wear rocks into smaller and
smaller pieces.
• Sand can also form in volcanic explosions, or it can precipitate from chemical mixtures -- that is, when liquids are mixed together,
their properties may change and some components may turn into solids.
The Goldilocks relationship between sand and water:
• When sand contains little to no water, its individual grains can move freely, without sticking together.
• When sand contains just the right amount of water, its individual grains will stick together. A form of electrostatic attraction called
“surface tension” tends to draw water molecules together. When the proportions are right, sand grains will be pulled along with
the water. This is the science of sandcastles!
• When sand contains enough water to fill all of the gaps between the grains, it is at risk of liquefaction. Liquefaction occurs when
saturated sand is subjected to vibrations - for example, from earthquakes. The sand may then behave like a liquid. Think of jello: it
may look stable, but if you shake it, it jiggles.
The Beakerhead Sand:
• The sand for the Beakerhead Sandbox was provided by PCL and Inland Aggregates.
• It weighs around 375 tons, or about as much as a Boeing 747.
• It came from the Paskapoo Formation, on the eastern slope of the Rockies. The Formation is
around 60 million years, old which means that this very sand was in rivers and streams just after
the dinosaurs went extinct and when mammals were beginning to flourish.
• If the sand is clean enough after the exhibit ends, it will be reused as bedding material for various
construction projects.
Paskapoo
Formation
Reference:
http://www.ags.g
ov.ab.ca/conferen
ces/geocanada20
10/paskapooarchitecturelyster.pdf
Sandbox of Human Ingenuity
Science Themes
•
•
•
Sand grains are basically miniature rocks and crystals. We can tell a lot about it and its origins by some basic characteristics.
• Chemical composition: Sand can be made up of different types of rocks or minerals. Rocks and minerals are made up of lots of
different atoms and those atoms come from different places in and on the Earth. If we know what kind of atoms a substance has,
then we can get an idea of where it came from, and maybe even how old it is.
• Crystal structure: The atoms that make up the sand grains are held together in a certain structure, kind of like the bars on a
jungle gym, or the frame of a house. This structure can also tell us about where and how the rock was originally formed.
• Grain size: Bigger grains are likely younger than smaller grains.
• Grain shape: Jagged grains are likely younger than smooth grains.
Most of Greater Vancouver, B.C. lies in a flood plain made of wet sands, soils, and clays. It also sits atop on a continental plate
boundary, making it a likely spot for earthquakes. If a strong earthquake hits Vancouver, the wet ground could liquefy -- that is, it
could transform from a solid to a liquid. Buildings, bridges, and roads could collapse.
Liquefaction is also the cause of quicksand. Quick movement causes more liquefaction and therefore makes it easier to sink and get
more stuck. However, you will never drown in quicksand. Humans actually float in it.
Engagement Ideas /Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Is sand a liquid or solid?
What are some of the most common uses of sand in industry?
What does the colour of sand say about the composition of the sand?
What is the largest size of sand castle possible? Is there a limit?
Sand can be melted down to create glass, what state of matter is glass? Solid, liquid, or other?
How can you get out of quicksand? (by slowly wiggling and freeing your legs)
References:
• Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/sand.aspx
• Moment of Science. Retrieved from http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/standing-on-water/
• NASA Science News. Retrieved from http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2002/11jul_mgm/
• National Geographic. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/09/0928_050928_quicksand.html