Erosion-Control

Name: Date: Period:

Science Simulations, Technology Simulations, Engineering Simulations, Mathematics Simulations

Lesson 2: How Does the Size of Soil Particles Affect Erosion?

Soil is a mixture of various materials. Rarely are all of the particles of a soil sample an equal size; some particles are small while others are larger. Are you ready to get your hands dirty and find out how the size of soil particles impacts erosion?

Here are some definitions to help you in your investigation.

Soil - surface of the earth that supports plant life

Erosion - the movement of weathered materials from one location to another

Erosion rate - how quickly or slowly erosion happens

Erosion agent - things that increase the rate of erosion

Measurement - the size, length, or amount of something

Length - a measurement of something from one end to the other end

Centimeters (cm) - a unit for measuring length

Doing the science

Start the Erosion Control Simulation by clicking on the “Sim” tab.
Click and drag the large Magnifying Glass over the Mixed Materials container to view the soil sample’s various particle sizes up close. Click the “X” in the upper right hand corner of the magnified view to close the magnifying glass.
Click the “Mixed Materials” container to place a sample on the stream table.
Click the red “On” button on the stream table controlling station.
Note and record in Table 1 the farthest distance traveled by the various-sized soil particles.

Table 1. Particle Size and Erosion Distance

Table Angle	Distance Traveled (in meters) by Particle Size
Table Angle	Small	Medium	Large	Very Large
Flat

Do You Understand?

What was eroded in this experiment?

What was the erosion agent in this experiment?

If the stream table was gently sloped in this same experiment, which factor would affect the rate of erosion more drastically; the slope or your answer to question #2? Please explain your response.

Construct an explanation for how the size of the soil particles affected the distance traveled by the eroded soil. Use evidence from your data table to support your explanation and discuss any pattern in the data that you noticed.

Create a model that shows or describes one way that the soil surrounding a home built on a hillside could be protected from erosion. Identify how stability and change affect your model.

Plan an investigation for how you could test out your erosion model in the classroom. What materials would you use? What procedural steps would you take? What data would you collect, and how would you organize that data?

Aside from particle size and angle/steepness, make a claim about other variables you believe would affect erosion?