E A R T H M A T E R I A L S

Welcome to

Your host: Dr. Jonathan PriceOffice: 1W19* Phone:276-2372E-mail: pricej@rpi.eduOffice hours: Mon 9-10 or by appt.

Class Website: http://ees2.geo.rpi.edu/Earth_Mat/

*Two floors directly below this room

Before we begin,

the rules…

Required Text: Wenk and Bulakh, Minerals, Their Constitution and Origin

Optional Text: Simon and Shuster’s Guide to Rocks and Minerals (or equivalent)

Exams: There will be three (3) 1-hour exams. The third of these will be administered during finals week.

Projects: There will be one (1) term paper

Field Trip: One (1) day-long trip to the Adirondacks, one or two lab-period trips, and one additional field opportunity.

Required learning aids

Scientific calculator

Periodic table of the elements (with numbers, weights, atomic diameters, and electronegativity) - preferably one you are able to annotate.

Colored pencils (4 or more different colors)

Ruler (with metric scale)

Access to a computer outside of class

Optional: magnifier or hand lens

Attendance: Required. You may miss up to 3 of the lecture periods and 2 of the lab periods without penalty. For every period missed beyond the limit, I will subtract two percentage points from your final numerical score.

Note: you are still responsible for missed assignments (most labs will include an assignment).

Expected Background: Knowledge of basic chemistry is assumed; review will be provided where appropriate. Although the course is not mathematically intensive, an appreciation of the fundamentals of geometry, algebra, and calculus is important.

Grading: Best Exam 25% of final gradeMiddle Exam 25% Worst Exam 10%Term paper 10%Homework/Lab 30 %

Grades may be appealed in person or in writing. Dr. Price has the final say on specific unresolvable issues related to grading.

Statement on Academic Integrity: As a student, you must have confidence that the instructors made appropriatedecisions about the structure and content of this course, and that we will make a strong effort to accommodate thevarying needs of a diverse group of students. We, in turn, must have confidence that the report, assignments, andexams that you complete are your own work.

The Rensselaer Handbook defines various forms of academic dishonesty and procedures of responding to these. All forms are violations of student-teacher trust. Students should familiarize themselves with the appropriate portion of the Rensselaer Handbook and note that the penalties for plagiarism and other forms of cheating are quite harsh.

Group participation is encouraged on the following (unless specified otherwise):

1. Homework assignments

2. Lab exercises

3. Preparation for exams

4. Term projects

Note: In most cases you are required to submit work in that reflects your own individual understanding!

Examinations will be an individual effort. Any attempt to compromise the integrity of a test or quiz will result in a zero grade for that examination.

Thinking is mandatory!

A word about vocabulary

Even science majors will be exposed to a large number of new terms during the course of this class. Bare in mind that these new terms are necessary to facilitate communication. Ask questions anytime you do not understand a word or a concept. Familiarize yourself with the material on a daily basis.

What is Science?• ObservationIndependent of the individual observer• ExplanationConsistent with other explanations• PredictionIdeas are transferable in time and space• Validation / ObservationFurther observations validate or reject

explanation

Science is driven by critical thought

Observation

24.5

25.0

25.5

26.0

26.5

-50 0 50 100 150

Temperature (F)

Mileage (miles per gallon)

The above graph shows a relationship between automobile mileage and temperature.

Generally: MPG T Specifically: MPG = (T - 25)2

Scientific Law

• Describes a phenomena• Relative to measurable parameters• Is repeatable

Always empirical and consistent – but not necessarily unbreakable.

A "scientific principle" is usually more specific than a law, but the distinction is not always clear.

ObservationObservation

Note:

•It is incorrect to say that something occurred because of a particular law.

•It would be correct to say that an observation is consistent with a particular law.

ObservationObservation

Atoms in NaCl (Table Salt)

Bohr model of an atom

Cooling a sphere over time

Models – conveying an ideaModels – conveying an ideaExplanationExplanation

theory: An explanation consistent with observations but not necessarily tested (not very different from an hypothesis or idea)

 

Theory: A unifying explanationusually of a complex natural system or phenomenonthat is widely accepted on the basis of extensive testing. Probably as close to "truth" as you can get in science. Examples: Relativity; Evolution; Plate Tectonics.

Theory and theory

ExplanationExplanation

Reproducibility

Neither

Both

Accurate

Precise

ExplanationExplanation

Observations

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

0 5 10 15 20 25

blebs

bleebs

Prediction

Interpolation

Extrapolation

Bleebs = 2 blebs

Observations

0

5

10

15

20

25

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35

40

45

50

0 5 10 15 20 25

blebs

bleebs

Prediction

Observations

0

20

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0 20 40 60 80 100

blebs

bleebs

Bleebs = 2 x blebs

Prediction

Bleebs = blebs 5/4

Observations

0

20

40

60

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0 20 40 60 80 100

blebs

bleebs

Prediction

Cyclic behavior

Cyclic behavior allows for precise predictions (extrapolations)

Ideas (even sound ones) are ideally always open to scrutiny and evaluation.

Modern procedure:

•Develop idea

•Get someone to pay for it

•Test idea thoroughly

•Present idea to others

•Submit idea and results of test in written form

•Receive critical review from a small group of peers

•Respond to criticism

•Idea and results are evaluated by scientific community

ResearchResearch

PresentPresent

WriteWrite

ReviewReview

PublishPublish Popular PressPopular Press

Non scienceNon scienceThat which is untestable, and varies between individuals

•Aesthetics

•Values

•Beliefs

•Extranatural

Examples: Art, spirituality and religion, philosophy, love, taste, and fashion.

Non science is not inferior to science – they are different facets of the human experience (i.e. it is not science vs. religion)

Jacob Jordaens Pablo Picasso

Three Musicians

Non scienceNon scienceNon scienceNon science

You are an insignificant mass in the universe bent on your own survival and the replication and survival of your genome.

Without nonscience…

© M. Crawford Samuelson

1026 m

1055 g

101m

104 g

The known universe

PsuedosciencePsuedoscience

Claims to be validated by the scientific method, but is not.

•Good – makes scientist examine weaknesses

•Not so good – never overcomes its criticisms

Pseudoscience is inferior to science – (i.e. it is science vs. psuedoscience)

Examples: Advertising, astrology, “creation science,” intelligent design, perpetual motion machines, etc…

For some things, a scientific understanding is beneficial to an consistent understanding that may be more universally applied.

Earthquakes, Weather, MedicineNonscience• Attribute to the supernatural

Psuedoscience1. Establish theory2. Combine anecdotal evidence to make your point3. Disregard contradictory data

Science• Take measurements of current conditions• Link observations with Theory• Build predictions• Overcome or acquiesce to criticisms

Galileo GalileiPope Urban VIIIMaffeo Barberini

Science vs. PsuedoscienceHeresy vs. Religion

Tactlessness vs. Spite

Galileo’s observations confirm the Copernican hypothesis - the Earth and the

other planets orbit around the sunDialogue Concerning the Two Chief Systems of

the World (1632)

Copernican hypothesis contradicted an interpretation and tradition that planetary bodies revolve around Earth.

Ptolemeic hypothesis of planet motions

•Copernican hypothesis dismissed because of predisposition of the church (psuedoscience)

•Galileo was determined to be a heretic by the inquisition (religion)

•Galileo’s presentation of the hypothesis was personally insulting to the Pope (spite)

m = mass

V = volume

t = time

w = weight

= density

= "the change in"

Density is an example of a property that is a ratio of fundamental properties

= m/V

To be specific, this is called the mass density; occasionally we'll use weight density

D = w/V

What other properties can you think of that are ratios of fundamental properties?

Symbols(scientific shorthand)

MagnitudeSignificant digits – how good is your ruler?

Actual: 2.522347 units

Measured: 2.5 units or

2.52 ± 0.02 units

Acknowledging the limitations of our observations

Significant digits – the degree of precision (0.01 not 0.001)

Error – the range of observational accuracy (between 2.50 and 2.54)

Scientific notation – a shorthand for numbers that emphasizes significant digits.

106 means 1,000,000

1.6 x 106 means 1.6 times 1,000,000 (=1,600,000)

(you might see this written 1.6E6)

• 3124 3.124 x 103 3.124 E 3

• 0.0015 1.5 x 10-3 1.5 E –3

examples:

solar system mass: ~1.995 x 1030 kg

proton mass: ~1.67 x 10-27 kg

What’s an Earth Material?

Natural matter occurring at energy conditions relevant to the Earth.

There are many, but time is short, so this class will focus on common and important* earth materials.

And…this is a geology class, so we’ll largely stick to the surface of the Earth and realms below.

*As non-scientifically deemed by Dr. Price

Matter: has mass and volume

Energy: can be traded for work

Work being a force times distance

Force being that which acts on an object (matter) to change its velocity

Matter at energy conditions relevant to the Earth

Five states of matter (contigent on energy)

1. Bose-Einstein Condensates - near 0 K (-273oC)2. Solid3. Liquid4. Gas5. Plasma - high temperature

Familiar H2O

0 10020

Temperature oC

200

300

What’s so important about earth materials?

How about survival:

1. Food and water

2. Clothing

3. Shelter

If you can’t grow it, you have to mine it.

Water

Food - largely plants and animals, which consume water and soils.

Clothing - natural fabrics from plants or animals or synthetic fabrics from petroleum.

Shelter - stones, bricks of fired clay, trees, and metals.

Earth materials are the rawest of materials - everything mankind has ever made has initially involved earth materials.

Grand plan for this semester

Lecture

1. Construction of minerals from atoms

2. Systematic mineralogy with deference to rocks and ores

3. Applied earth materials

Lab

1. Diagnostic properties of minerals

2. Physical and chemical investigation of earth materials

3. Mineral aggregates