Craters on planets

Materials:

  • Flour

  • Cocoa Powder/ powder different than flour

  • a bin or tray

  • small rocks or marbles

Experiment:

  1. In the tray pour some flour about 2-3 inches deep.

  2. sprinkles coca powder, or any other color powder on top

  3. Lastly, drop your rocks and marbles in from different heights, speeds and angles and look at the fun craters!

science behind craters

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.