[REQUIRED] All of the following are causes of physical weathering except...

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To tackle the question, I’ll evaluate each option in terms of whether it represents a physical (mechanical) weathering process rather than a chemical one.
Option 1: 'salt crystallizing in cracks' This is a classic physical weathering mechanism known as salt wedging or crystallization pressure. When saltwater evaporates, salt crystals form and grow within rock cracks, exerting mechanical pressure that can pry the rock apart without changing its mineral composition.
Option 2: 'plant roots growing into joints' This is another well-documented physical weathering process called root wedging. As roots expand, they wedge apart rock along natural joints and fractures, repeatedly stressing the rock and causing it to break, again without chemical alteration of minerals.
Option 3: 'ice forming expanding in cracks' This describes freeze-thaw action (frost wedging). Water in cracks freezes, expands by about 9%, and exerts considerable force on the surrounding rock, gradually breaking it apart through repeated cycles – a textbook mechanical weathering process.
Option 4: 'acid/acidic rain dissolving rock' This statement involves chemical weathering. Acidic reactions dissolve minerals in rock or transform them chemically, which changes the rock’s composition rather than simply forcing physical fragmentation. While acids can contribute to physical breakage, the primary effect described here is chemical alteration, not a purely mechanical breakup.
In summary, Options 1, 2, and 3 illustrate mechanical/physical weathering processes, whereas Option 4 describes a chemical weathering process. Therefore, option 4 is the exception to the set of physical weathering causes.

[REQUIRED] All of the following are causes of physical weathering except...Single choice

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