Investigating crater impact

Investigating crater impact

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about investigating impact craters.

Question 1Change answer

How to do this task  
  • Collect a tray of damp sand, two different sized marbles, and a tape measure or 1 metre ruler.
  • When a marble is dropped into a tray of sand it will make a crater.
  • Complete the table below for crater size when dropping different sized marbles from different heights. Take the marbles out to measure crater size.
a)  Complete this table for your results.
 
Dropped from 50 cm
Dropped from 150 cm
Small marble Width
Depth
Large marble Width
Depth

Question 1Change answer

b)  What did you find out?

Question 1Change answer

c)  Here is a diagram of some craters on the Moon.
     From looking at this diagram what information would you be able to tell people about these craters?
     Write as much information as you can. One example is done for you.
     Crater B was made first.
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with equipment, and pencil and paper or online
 
Equipment:
Tray of damp sand; 2 different sized marbles; 1 m ruler or tape measure; pencil.
  • Set up the tray of damp sand for the students. The sand should be pressed slightly and level with the top of the tray. A tray size of 30 cm x 20 cm and 6 cm deep would be sufficient.
  • You may need to prompt students when they are measuring the craters that width = across, and depth = down.
  • You may need to show students how to drop their marbles from a standard height and how to measure crater depth. One way of measuring crater depth is to put a pencil into the crater and then measuring how far down into the sand it went.  Alternatively you could assess these aspects of fair testing.
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
Science, Investigating in science, Planet Earth
Keywords: 
astronomical systems, craters, Moon, fair testing, investigation
Description of task: 
For this practical task students investigate some features of craters, complete a table, and explain what they found out. Students then use a diagram showing some craters on the Moon to write as much information as they can about these craters.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Gather and interpret data
This resource provides opportunities to discuss what data can be collected using a model.
 
Capability: Interpret representations
This resource provides opportunities to discuss what a model shows, and how to match what you have found to a diagram.
Science capabilities: 
Gather and interpret data, Interpret representations
Answers/responses: 
a) For completing the chart accurately.
b) Any 2 of:

  • The higher the marble is dropped from the deeper the crater.
  • The larger the marble the larger the crater.
  • The larger the marble the deeper the crater.
  • The width of the crater stays the same when the marble is dropped from different heights. (This may only apply to damp sand.)  
c) For any 3 of:

  • The craters were made at different times.
  • The crater C was made by the largest object/would probably be the deepest crater.
  • Crater D was made last.
  • The craters were made in this order: B, A, C, D.
  • Craters B and/or D were made by the smallest objects/would be the shallowest.
  • Any other reasonable observation.
Next steps: 
EXTENSION
Students should investigate and report on how different angles at which a meteor hits a surface affects the shape, size, etc., of the crater made. This extension could have a planning, data collection, and reporting sections.