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Chapter 10: Problem 7

Are impact craters on the Moon the same size as the meteoroids that made the impact? Explain your answer.

Short Answer

Expert verified
No, impact craters on the Moon are not the same size as the meteoroids that caused them. The creation of a crater involves factors like the speed and angle of impact along with the size of the meteoroid, but the explosive release of kinetic energy at the point of impact usually leads to a crater that is vastly larger than the meteoroid itself.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Meteoroids

Meteoroids are objects in space that range in size from dust grains to small asteroids. When these objects enter an atmosphere, such as Earth's, they burn up and rarely hit the surface. However, on the Moon, which lacks an atmosphere to protect it, meteoroids do hit the surface.
02

Understanding Impact Craters

Impact craters are the result of meteoroids slamming into the Moon's surface. The force of the impact blasts away material, leaving a hole called a crater. The size of an impact crater highly depends on the velocity and the mass of the meteoroid as well as the angle at which it strikes.
03

Comparing Crater Size to Meteoroid Size

Although the size of a meteoroid does have an influence, the crater that is formed by an impact is usually much larger due to the explosion that results from the kinetic energy of the meteoroid being instantaneously converted into other forms of energy (such as heat and seismic), leading to a violent explosion that displaces a large volume of lunar surface material. Therefore, craters on the Moon are not proportional to the size of the meteoroid that caused them.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Observe the Moon through a telescope every few nights over a period of two weeks between new moon and full moon. Make sketches of various surface features, such as craters, mountain ranges, and maria. How does the appearance of these features change with the Moon's phase? Which features are most easily seen at a low angle of illumination? Which features show up best with the Sun nearly overhead?

Describe the evidence that (a) the Moon has a more solid interior than the Earth and (b) the Moon's interior is not completely solid.

Why does the sky look black on the Moon even during daytime?

Comment on the idea that without the presence of the Moon in our sky, astronomy would have developed far more slowly.

Imagine that you are planning a lunar landing mission. What type of landing site would you select? Where might you land to search for evidence of recent volcanic activity?
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