Why can exposed rocks on slopes weather quickly?

Correct answer: Because they remain exposed to air, water and temperature change

Direct answer: A is correct. Weathering becomes faster when rock is directly exposed to the agents that act on it. Air supplies oxygen and carbon dioxide; water enters cracks and can cause chemical reactions; and repeated heating and cooling produces expansion and contraction. These effects can weaken minerals and enlarge cracks. On a slope, exposed rock may also have less protective soil or vegetation, so rain, wind and temperature changes reach it more directly. Option A correctly names air, water and temperature change. Option B is wrong because a rock does not need to detach from Earth in order to weather; detachment is more related to movement or mass wasting. Option C is wrong because rocks do contain minerals, and those minerals are what weather. Option D is wrong because exposed slope rocks are not always in the sea; marine conditions are not required. Memory cue: greater exposure gives weathering agents easier access, but the exact rate also depends on rock type, climate, joints and slope conditions.