Science Assessment ~ Topics ~ Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition ~ Misconception WEM065

Water that freezes in cracks in rock cannot break the rock (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).

Items that test for misconception WEM065 in this project (Original Project) and key idea (The surface of the earth is changed…)
Item ID Number	Item Description	How Often the Misconception was Chosen
WE016004	Both the growth of plant roots and the freezing of water can break off pieces of rock from earth’s solid rock layer.	25%
WE011002	Ice that freezes in the cracks of the solid rock layer, and glaciers that move against the solid rock layer, can change the surface of the earth by breaking the solid rock layer.	22%
WE060001	The shape of a valley floor changes when ice breaks rocks as it moves (as in a glacier) and also when water freezes in cracks in the rock of the valley floor.	11%