The reason that craters form on planets in similar to the experiment done above. Asteroids and meteors strike the surface of the planets, and displace the soil and create a depression on the surface of the planet. Craters formed when asteroids or meteors hit another surface are called impact craters. In the experiment above, the rocks/marbles represent the asteroids, and the cocoa powder represents the top layer of soil that is displaced by the impact. And the flour represents the land in which a depression in created. Craters can also be created by volcanoes and explosions.