Activity: Hydrocarbon
Hangout
Background
Oil and natural gas are found in underground traps. A trap
consists of a source rock that produces the hydrocarbons, a reservoir
rock that stores the hydrocarbons, and a cap rock, or seal, that
prevents the hydrocarbons from escaping to the surface. In this
activity, you’ll learn about some important properties of
both reservoir rock and the hydrocarbons it contains.
Materials
- 1 clear jar
- 1 measuring cup
- tap water
- playground or beach sand
Reservoir rock is any porous, permeable rock,
like sandstone and limestone, in which hydrocarbons collect. This
activity demonstrates just how much gas and oil these seemingly
solid rocks can hold.
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Fill a small jar to the top with sand. Is the jar full? Explain
your answer.
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Predict how much water you can add to the jar without it overflowing.
Prediction: ____________________
-
Fill a measuring cup with water. Note the starting amount.
Now slowly pour as much water as you can in the jar of sand.
How much water can the jar of sand actually hold?
Actual amount of water: ____________________
- Where did the water go?
- What substance did the water replace?
- Where did that substance go?
- How are the substances in your jar like the reservoir rock,
water, oil, and natural gas in a gas trap? How are they different?
More Activities
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How
Dense Can You Be?
Gas, water, and oil are usually located together underground.
This activity will show you in what order they can be found. |
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The
Pressure’s On
In this activity you are going to investigate some of the
effects of pressure on a gas. |
Use these links to visit another section of
the site.
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