Volcanoes on Mars
Phenomenon:
The planet Mars is covered with extinct volcanoes, including the largest volcano in the solar system (Olympic Mons).
Student Task:
Construct an explanation based on evidence for what caused the volcanoes on Mars to go extinct.
Model
Students develop a mathematical model to describe the relationship between mass and the total thermal energy of a system.
Investigate
Students plan and carry out an investigation to determine how mass (amount of matter) affects the rate of heat loss.
Obtain Information
Students read to obtain information about sources of thermal energy and what causes the formation of a volcano.
Analyze Data
Students analyze and interpret data to compare and contrast the scale properties of Mars and Earth.
Explanation:
Mars had a hot liquid core at one time, but because it's a smaller planet its heat dissipated more quickly. The total thermal energy of a system depends on the amount of matter present. The mass of Mars is one tenth of the mass of Earth. This explains why the interior of Mars has cooled more quickly than Earth's interior, and why volcanoes on Mars are largely extinct.
NGSS Standard:
MS-PS3-4 Plan an investigation to determine the [proportional] relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
Utah SEEd Standard:
Standard 6.2.3 Plan and carry out an investigation to determine the relationship between temperature, the amount of heat transferred, and the change of average particle motion in various types or amounts of matter.
Solar System Fact Sheet.pdfRecommended Teaching Sequence:
Day 1: Analyze and interpret data to compare and contrast the scale properties of Mars and Earth. Plan an investigation to determine how mass (quantity of matter) affects the rate of heat loss.
Day 2: Carry out an investigation to determine how mass (quantity of matter) affects the rate of heat loss. Develop a mathematical model to describe the proportional relationship between mass and the total thermal energy of a system.
Day 3: Read to obtain information about sources of thermal energy and what causes the formation of a volcano. Construct an explanation based on evidence for what caused Mars to lose its volcanic activity.
Formative Assessment:
Use what students have written in their science notebooks as a formative assessment, including a description of the experiment, data collected from the experiment, the mathematical models, and the written explanation for what caused Mars to lose its volcanic activity. Do students understand the relationship between the amount of matter and the rate of heat loss? Do students understand the relationship between temperature and the total thermal energy of a system? Do students understand that the amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a system depends on the amount of matter present?
Lesson Contributor:
April Mitchell, Science Specialist, Salt Lake City School District