WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Earth Science Grade 11, Quarter 2, Week 1B

EARTH’S INTERIOR

Learning Competency:

Explain why the earth’s interior is hot (MELCS11ES-IIb-c-23)

Time Allotment: 2 hours

Key Concepts

How hot is the Earth’s Interior?

The table below will help you visualize and understand the composition and structure of
the Earth’s interior.
It provides you scientific knowledge that will help you describe the different layers of the
Earth as well as understand their characteristics.

Layer Thickness Density (g/cm3) Temperature (C) Composition

Inner Core 1255 km 12.6 – 13 4760 Solid Fe & Ni

Outer Core 2220 km 10 – 12 3871 Liquid Fe & Ni

Mantle 2900 km 3.3 – 5.7 1260 - 3000 Fe, Mg & Si

Crust 38.5 km (ave) 3.1 (oceanic) 870 O2, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Na, K,
Mg
2.7 (continental)

Scientist tried to explore and study the interior of the Earth. Yet, until today, there are no
mechanical probes or actual explorations done to totally discover the deepest region of the Earth.
We will explore and dig into the interiors of the Earth from the outer most layer which is
the crust, then the mantle and finally the core-outer core and inner core. Out from these layers,
you will try to discover how heat inside the planet is produced and its importance to the existence
of all living beings.

Sources of Earth’s Internal Heat

Convection is one of the reasons of the heat in the earth’s interior. The process tells us that
the heat in the earth’s internal is redistributed. The less dense material rises and more dense
material sinks. Convection occurs at the upper mantle where hot rock rises and slightly cooler
rock sinks.

The heat driving mantle convection has three main sources namely:

1. Primordial Heat
The general term for the heat imparted to a planetary body by the processes of its formation
and differentiation. It has three major components:

Author: SUNDAE CARMEL S. BASUBAS

School/Station: SIARGAO NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SIARGAO DIVISION
email address: sundae.basubas@deped.gov.ph
 A. Accretional heat: This is the heat generated by the conversion of the kinetic energy of
impacting bodies to thermal energy. It is concentrated at the surface.

Accretion generates heat by Alan Brandon/Nature from Planet Hunters

B. Gravitational release: The gravitational potential of dense materials is converted to
heat during differentiation.
As iron, for example, "falls" to the center of the differentiating body, its movement gives
rise to friction that releases heat according to the formula:
Energy E = - G M m / r

where G is the gravitational constant, M and m are

mass, and r is distance from the center.

Thus, once the heat of accretion gets differentiation

going, it causes a positive feedback with the heat of
gravitational release, releasing more heat.

C. Frictional Heating caused by denser core material sinking to the center of the planet.
The descent of dense iron-rich material from the core to the center of the Earth creates
heat.

2. Radiogenic Heat the heat given off when radioactive elements in the earth’s interior decay.
A decisive role is played by the long-lived radioactive isotopes uranium-235 (235U), uranium-
238 (238U), potassium-40 (40K), and thorium-232 (232Th) in Earth’s mantle are the primary
source of radioactivity. The amount of these elements in the earth is usually estimated
according to the content of meteorites, based on the assumed similarity of the composition
of meteorites to the composition of the earth’s mantle and core.

3. Tidal Friction one last ongoing source of planetary heat comes from tidal forces. We have
discussed the nature of tides already, but not their effect on objects that experience them.
In a nutshell:
Whenever a tidal bulge is raised, frictional heat is generated. If a large bulge is being
raised in solid material, considerable frictional heating results.

Author: SUNDAE CARMEL S. BASUBAS

School/Station: SIARGAO NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SIARGAO DIVISION
email address: sundae.basubas@deped.gov.ph
Exercises / Activities

Activity 1
Boiling

Learning Objective:

In this activity, you will understand the process of convection as one of the reasons of the
heated Earth’s interior.

What you need

Water, coffee or tea, transparent glass/transparent container

What to do

1. Put hot water into the transparent glass.

2. Pour the coffee or tea.

Guide Questions:

1. What have you observed at the bottom of the water?

2. What is the direction of the heat?

3. What happens to the cooler water?

4. What happens to the coffee or tea? What can you observe from its color?

5. Why is there a mark of color in the beaker/cup? What does it represent?

6. How can you relate the activity to sources of internal heat in the Earth’s interior?

Scoring Rubric for Question Number 5 & 6

3 points Discussions are complete with no misconceptions.
2 points Discussions are complete but with misconceptions.
1 points Discussions are incomplete with misconceptions.
0 There is no discussion shown.

Author: SUNDAE CARMEL S. BASUBAS

School/Station: SIARGAO NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SIARGAO DIVISION
email address: sundae.basubas@deped.gov.ph
Reflection
After learning the concepts about how hot the Earth’s interior is, how does the
internal heat from the interior of the Earth beneficial to us? Write your 3-5 sentences
answer in a separate sheet of paper.

Scoring Rubric for Reflections

5 points Practical application is scientifically explained and consistent to the concepts,
and has no misconceptions.
4 points Practical application is scientifically explained and consistent to the concepts,
but with minimal misconceptions.
3 points Practical application is scientifically explained and consistent to the concepts,
but with misconceptions.
2 points Practical application is scientifically explained and not consistent to the
concepts and with misconceptions.
1 point Practical application is not supported scientifically, not consistent and with
misconceptions.

Author: SUNDAE CARMEL S. BASUBAS

School/Station: SIARGAO NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SIARGAO DIVISION
email address: sundae.basubas@deped.gov.ph
References for learners:

Danielson, E. W. & Denecke, Jr., E. J. (2008). Earth Science. Macmillan Publishing Company.
New York.

Huge Ross (January 20, 2020). Earth’s Furnace is Ideal for Life.
https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/todays-new-reason-to-believe/read/todays-new-reason-to-
believe/2020/01/20/earth-s-furnace-is-ideal-for-life

Williams, Quentin. Why is the Earth’s Core is so Hot. Earth Sciences at the University of California
at Santa Cruz. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-is-the-earths-core-
so/#:~:text=There%20are%20three%20main%20sources,the%20decay%20of%20radioactive%20e
lements.

Earth’s Interior. Accessed November 2, 2020.

https://openpress.usask.ca/physicalgeology/chapter/3-3-earths-interior-
heat/#:~:text=The%20heat%20of%20Earth's%20interior%20comes%20from%20a%20variety%20
of%20sources.&text=A%20major%20source%20of%20Earth's,mantle%20are%20the%20primary
%20source.

Sources and movement of heat within planets. GEOL212: Planetary Geology Fall 2020.
Department of Geology. University of Maryland.
https://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/geol212/lectures/10.html

Sources of Heat in the Earth’s Interior. Accessed November 2, 2020.

https://earthsky.org/earth/what-is-the-source-of-the-heat-in-the-earths-interior

The Earth’s Interior. Accessed November 20, 2020.

https://www.slideshare.net/nairamode/module-2-earths-interior.

Author: SUNDAE CARMEL S. BASUBAS

School/Station: SIARGAO NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SIARGAO DIVISION
email address: sundae.basubas@deped.gov.ph
 email address: sundae.basubas@deped.gov.ph
Division: SIARGAO DIVISION
School/Station: SIARGAO NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Author: SUNDAE CARMEL S. BASUBAS
Activity 1: Boiling
1. There is heat at the bottom of the water.
Reflections: 2. The heat is rising to the top from the bottom
Answers of the students may 3. The surface water becomes hot, and it
vary. radiates its heat into the air and then cools.
Expected Answer: 4. The cooler water sinks into the space vacated
by the ascending warmer water. The cooler
If it were not for Earth’s
astoundingly powerful and water starts to warm again while the one that
enduring internal heat flow rises starts to cool.
from the furnace in its core,
there would be no 5. The process goes on forming a top to bottom
civilization. In fact, there circulation of water.
Answer Key
would be no humans on
Earth. Nor would there be 6. Answers may vary.
animals, trees, large plants, Expected answer.
oceans, or atmosphere. It is
thanks to the amazingly fine- The activity above shows the process of
tuned designs of Earth’s convection. Convection is one of the reasons
formation and of its interior
structure and heat flow that of the heat in the earth’s interior. The process
billions of humans can thrive tells us that the heat in the earths internal is
on Earth, enjoy high-
technology civilization, gain redistributed. The less dense material rises
an enormous amount of and more dense material sinks. Convection
knowledge and
understanding and use them occurs at the upper mantle where hot rock
to fulfill the purpose and rises and slightly cooler rock sinks.
gain the destiny for which
our Creator made us.
Answers Key
Author: SUNDAE CARMEL S. BASUBAS
School/Station: SIARGAO NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SIARGAO DIVISION
email address: sundae.basubas@deped.gov.ph