Destructive field tests, including hammering and applying dilute hydrochloric acid, are important techniques for a geologist in the field trying to work out what rocks they are dealing with. The reason that we do not want you to do these tests yourself in the Rock Garden is because the tests are destructive.
We want the Rock Garden to be used by multiple generations of students. The volume of rock in the Rock Garden is small compared to the volumes of rock you would normally find in the field. If every student using the Rock Garden hammered a chip off each rock they found to create a fresh surface, then the whole thing would be gone in just a few years.
From this page you can navigate to the results of field tests performed across the Rock Garden. You should record your observations from these resources as if you had done the field test yourself.
Field test results can be directly accessed from QR code links around the Rock Garden. You can also follow the links below to access test for specific sites: