Cubical Earth Science Project

8/7/2019 Cubical Earth Science Project

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What Would Happenif the Earth Were

Cubical?What Would Happen to Climate, Weather Patterns, and Life Forms?

Purpose To theorize what e ects a cube - shaped earth would have on climate, weatherpa erns, and ora/fauna life.

Materials Needed 2 empty half - gallon milk cartons knife or scissors baking soda water white paper tape or glue world map pencil ruler Sharpie marker Page protectors

ashlight globe hollow plas c ball *approx. 5 - inch (12 - cm) diameter+ sharp knife empty half - gallon milk carton 2 unsharpened pencils with erasers 2 thumbtacks modeling clay small squeeze bo le water food coloring

a helper


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Experiment 1 First you need to make a grid line. I used apiece of page protector, a sharpie, and a grid

line of 1/2 inch squares. A grid will be drawn on a sheet of page pro-tector and projected onto an upright parallelglobe to simulate the sun and to measure theconcentra ons of sunlight on various pointsof a spherical earth. The same will be donewith a cubical earth, and the results of eachwill be compared.

Procedure 1 1. Construct a cubical model of theearth by cu ng o the bo oms of two empty half - gallon milk contain-ers and ng them together. (Themilk odor can be removed by soak-

ing the cartons in a solu on of bak-ing soda and water for about 15minutes.) Then, tape or glue thewhite paper to the cube. Refer to theworld map and draw the con nentsand oceans onto the cube as youthink they might appear.


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2. A er I was done making my cubicalEarth, I had my mom help me cover it witha pageprotector.

3. I labeled the equator by tracing over itwith a sharpie on the regular globe.Repeat the previous step, this me withthe page protectedspherical globe, measuring half way downon the sun exposed side.

4. Next I hung the grid line one footfrom the globe. Then shining a

ashlight through it at the bo om, Itraced the lines onto the pageprotected globe.


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5. Repeat the previous step, this me withthe page protectedspherical globe.

Results: Compare the results from the sphericalearth to that of the cubical earth. Whatdo you no ce? The spherical earth has more sunlightcoverage than thecubical earth.

1/2 of the spherical earth has sunlight, butthe cubical earth hasonly 1/4 coverage.

Were there anydi erences in theway the simulatedsunlight was

concentrated oneach earth?

The cubical earthhad smaller squaresand less coverage.The spherical hadbigger squares andmore sunlight.


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Illustrate your answer: 1/2 of the spherical earth has sunlight, but the cubical earth has

only 1/4 coverage.


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Illustrate your answer: 1/2 of the spherical earth has sunlight, but the cubical earth has

only 1/4 coverage.

Cubical Earth Spherical Earth


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What do you think the climate would be like if you lived onthe cubical earth?

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__________________________________________________________________________________Would we have four seasons on a cubical earth? Illustrate

your answer. ________________________________________________________________________________________________


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What Would Happen if theEarth Were Cubical?

What Would Happen to Climate, Weather Patterns, and Life Forms?

Experiment 2 Cut a half - sphere out of a hollow plas c ball and a half - cube outof the bo om of a half - gallon milk container. Each will be tackedloosely to the eraser tops of two pencils so that they may spinfreely. Then, each pencil unit will stand straight up in a lump of

modeling clay. As the half - sphere and half - cube are spun, asteady stream of liquid will be squeezed over their surface. Thisprocedure will theore cally compare and contrast weathersystems between a spherical earth and a cubical earth.

Procedure 2 Cut the ball in half. Then cut out a cube from the bo om of theempty milk container. Tack the centers of each loosely to theeraser tops of two pencils. Stand each pencil unit straight up in itsown lump of clay with the eraser end up. Test the half - sphere andcube to be sure that they spin freely without sliding down. Fill the squeeze bo le half full with the mixture of water and foodcoloring. Then, spin the half - sphere while your helper squirts asteady stream of the colored dye on the half - sphere. Note thepa ern made by the dye as it travels o the half - sphere. Repeat step 2 with the half - cube.


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In what way, if any, would weather patterns change if the earth were cubical?

Print out this page and tape it around your cubical earth. T

hen document

your hypothesis based on what you see.


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In what way, if any, would weather patterns change if theearth were cubical? Water vapor is constantly cycling through the atmosphere,evaporating from the surface, condensing to form cloudsblown by the winds, and subsequently returning to the Earthas precipitation. Heat from the sun is used to evaporate water,and this heat is put into the air when the water condenses in-

to clouds and precipitates. This evaporation-

condensation cy-cle is an important mechanism for transferring heat energyfrom the Earth's surface to its atmosphere and in moving heat around the Earth.

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The bulk of the thermalenergy at the Earthsurface is stored in theoceans.

The oceans store moreheat from the sun, thanthe land does.

How would thischange if the earthwere cubical?


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A general pa ern of ocean current is shown in the map below .

Do you think this would change if the earth were cubical? Giveyour answer why or why not below.


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There is a large scale oceanic circula on system. Atmosphericand oceanic circula on are closely coupled. Do you think thiswould change if the earth were cubical? Give your answer why orwhy not below.


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Earth system's overall "condi on", is a state of dynamic

equilibrium.

The global climate is a major expression of this "condi on".

What does this mean to you?

Illustrate :

Cubical Earth Science Project

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