The manganese cycle: Finding the minerals that coat the rocks in a creek is a very old profession.
The prospectors of years ago used to scrape off the coatings from the rocks in a creek and send them
to a laboratory for analysis. These prospectors were usually looking for gold and silver, but many times
they found a wide variety of minerals and metals. The coatings and colors on the rocks can usually tell
you about the most abundant minerals in a creek. Many times, the darkest mineral in a creek will cause the color.
Manganese is almost always the darkest color mineral in the creek.
Tools and things you will need
- Glass slides; gloves
- Jars with lids
- Litmus paper
- Magic markers
- Magnifying lenses
- Microscope (if possible)
- Rubber boots
- String or small rope
- Other items, which can be such things as cans, bottle, tile, Styrofoam, paper, plastic etc.
What to do?
- This experiment requires that your creek have black-coated cobble stones.
- Tie a string or small rope across your creek. Attach some of the materials listed above along the string, making sure they are dangling in the water. (You can also attach them to tree roots or wooden stakes.)
- Fill a large jar with creek water; Drop a microscope slide into the jar. Examine the slide at least once a week (should examine it more often). Write down what you see and any changes that occur over time.
- Write down what day you started the experiment.
- Examine the items dangling in the creek at least once a week. Write down what you see and any changes that occur.
- After about six weeks end the experiment; write down the ending date, along with any final observations.
What do you conclude?
- Which materials do you think bacteria like best?
- What are your conclusions? "Write down what you think."
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