Materials:
Colored rocks/gravel for fish aquariums (at least 3
colors)
Funnels
Tons of h2o balloons
Hose with spigot adapter to fill balloons
Pre-experiment:
Where do you think most meteorites are found? We have said that we have probably all walked past a meteorite without noticing. Now we will simulate finding our own meteorites.
Discuss possible sites for impacts.
Per student supplies:
Teacher supply list
Procedure:
1) Choose 3-5 people to work with. Everyone will release her own balloon, but you will record the data of everyone in your group.
2) Collect student materials. You are responsible for getting them to the park and throwing away any trash.
3) Add pebbles into the balloon, one at a time. Record the number and their color.
4) Fill the balloon about 3/4 full of water and tie it off.
5) With your team, launch the balloons. They may be dropped thrown at an angle, lobbed upŠwhatever.
6) Record data for everyone in your team using the data table.
Name: Write-up due date:
Teammates:
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Explanation of terrain |
Predicted recovery % |
# launched and how many of each color |
# recovered and how many of each color |
Percentage recovered |
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Graphing:
1) Create a bar graph representing the percentage of pebbles recovered from each impact surface.
2) Create a graph representing another piece of data from this lab. Examples include number of pebbles total versus number recovered; graphs comparing the recovery of different colored pebbles; graphs comparing different launch techniques and the recovery percentage. Use your imagination. Any valid graph using data from this experiment will be accepted.
Questions:
Answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper. Please use paragraph structure, complete sentences and observe the conventions of writing. This may be hand written or word-processed.
1)
Write a paragraph describing each of your two graphs making
conclusions about what they show.
2) Was there a pebble color that was easier or more difficult for recovery across all terrains? What were your findings regarding the recovery of different colored pebbles?
3) Based on your data, which surface was the easiest for pebble recovery? Explain why.
4) List several characteristics that would make a land surface most productive for searching for meteorites.
5) Consider different surfaces on Earth. Can you suggest two or three places that might have the qualities that would allow for easier meteorite recovery?