Properties of Stone.... |
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| 1. hard 2. rough when in the natural state 3. dry 4. heavy 5. smooth when faced with a special tool 6. patterned when carved - some types of stone are easier to carve than others Find examples of carvings in stone. Try local churches, old buildings and displays from the ancient world in Birmingham Museums
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1. warmth - stone
is a good insulator of heat which is why old cottages
have thick walls to keep them warm in the winter 2. heat - once stone has been heated, it will stay warm for a long time so it can be used for ovens and bed warmers and storage radiators 3. cold - marble remains cool and was used for surfaces in food larders Experiment with warming in the oven the same size lumps of different types of stone. Remove them and see which keeps warm the longest |
1. fire 2. some types of stone, such as granite, resists wearing better than others 3. some stone resists water better than others and can be used as tiles for the roof 4. some stone is more brittle than others and will split, for example, slate Look in books and around your neighbourhood for stone buildings. Note the different types of stone used |
1. some types of stone can be
dissolved in acid 2. when subject to weathering - some types of soft stone like sandstone can be worn and damaged by wind, rain and grit battering it in a storm Find examples of weathered stone - sometimes the details of a carving on the outside of a building has completely disappeared because of weathering |