Crater Creation Impact Lab

Sarah·

Physics

Preview

At a Glance

Grade Level11th Grade

SubjectPhysics

Original Prompt

my students made craters with plaster of paris, we dropped rocks from different heights to simulate different energies. i would like to create an activity where they calculate speed using energy. then use that to relate to size of craters formed. then look at actual lunar craters to measure the scale size, and estimate the speed of the projectile

This learning resource explores the concepts of potential and kinetic energy through the study of impacts. It explains how a falling object converts potential energy into kinetic energy and provides a formula to calculate impact speed. The resource includes a collaborative task where students collect data from an experiment to analyze the relationship between drop height, impact speed, and crater diameter. Students are encouraged to plot their data, identify trends, and build predictive models. Additionally, it covers error analysis by considering factors beyond velocity that may influence crater size, alongside an application involving lunar craters to help students understand the differences in impact dynamics between Earth and the Moon.