[upbeat guitar music]
Exploring Craters
Today we will simulate making lunar craters and
use ultraviolet light to observe materials that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Supplies: newspapers or plastic sheet, flat pan or bin, flour or powdered sugar, sand or cat litter, baking cocoa,
marbles, ultraviolet light, safety goggles, and an optional camera
First we'll put on our safety goggles.
Next, spread newspaper or a plastic table cloth to protect the floor or table during this activity.
Place your pan or storage bin on the covered area.
Cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of sand or cat litter about 4 cm deep.
Next, cover the sand layer with white flour or powdered sugar as a gluten-free alternative, about 2 cm thick.
In isolated sections of the pan, sprinkle powdered whitening agent over the flour.
Add a layer of baking cocoa on top completely covering the layers beneath.
From a standing position, drop a marble or other small impactor into the pan.
Carefully remove the impactor and make observations of the disturbed the surface.
Now shine a handheld ultraviolet (UV) light on the surface. What new observations are revealed with the UV light?
Drop another impactor and make more observations with and without the UV light.
Try taking a digital image of the craters in regular light and another image under the UV light.
What new observations are revealed when you compare the two images?
Have fun exploring craters!
[upbeat guitar music]