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Martian Crater Activity

Purpose
Materials and Equipment
Method
  1. Fill the pan with "surface material" to a depth of 5-6 cm. Smooth the surface, then tap the pan to make the materials settle evenly.

  2. Sprinkle a fine layer of dry tempera paint evenly and completely over the surface. Use a sieve or sifter for more uniform layering.

  3. Record the appearance of the surface before testing.

  4. Measure the mass of the different impactors and record.

  5. Drop the first impactor (marble) from a height of 30 cm onto the prepared surface. Measure the diameter and depth of the resulting crater.

  6. Note the presence of ejecta (rays). Count the rays, measure and determine the average length of all the rays. Record measurements and any other observations you have about the appearance of the crater on your Data Chart. Make three trials.

  7. Smooth the surface before you start. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for impactors #2 and #3 (different materials.)

  8. Smooth the surface before you start. Repeat steps 5, 6 and 7 at heights of 60 and 90 cm. Complete your Data Chart.

Observations/Results
Questions
Conclusions
Extensions
Share Your Results