Mechanical Weathering
Mechanical weathering is when rocks are broken not due to the chemical nature of rocks. The rocks are torn apart with physical force, not by a chemical break down. The most common type of mechanical weathering is the constant freezing, and thawing of water. Water penetrates the holes inside the rocks, and when that water freezes, the solid form of the water becomes larger which breaks the rocks apart. Temperature changes also effect mechanical weathering. When temperature heats up, the rock expands. As the temperatures cool down, the rock contracts just a little bit. This may weaken the rock. Finally another type of mechanical weathering is salt wedging. When water goes through the cracks of a rock, it may contain salt, when the water evaporates the salt is left behind causing the rock to break apart over time.