Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Structure of Earth

I recently did an experiment on the structure of the Earth and the texture of the Earth's mantle. We had to add water to cornstarch and mix it together.The mixture created was floury and solid when pressure was applied. When not, it was liquid. The mixture was both liquid and solid depending on the pressure. When handled, the mixture becomes solid and more dense. When I pushed my finger into the mixture quickly, the mixture becomes solid beneath my finger. When I push my finger in slowly, my finger goes deep into the mixture and the mixture stays a liquid. When slowly poured into the other hand, the mixture stays a liquid and does not solidify. After a while of handling the mixture, it began to remain solid and would not become a liquid as often as before.The mixture is similar to the earth's mantle because the mantle moves slowly just like the mixture and the density is similar as well. They are also both very thick. In conclusion, the experiment was successful in proving that water mixed with cornstarch is similar to the earth's mantle and I have learned the similarities.
Bill Nye the Science Guy: What In the World?

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