What safe meteorite experiments can pupils do in class?
Crater-making in flour, density measurements, magnet tests, sorting rocks, modelling meteor showers and half-life simulations are all safe and effective.
Many meteorite activities need only everyday materials and carry little risk.
Crater investigations use a deep tray of flour topped with cocoa powder. Pupils drop marbles or balls from different heights and measure crater diameter and ray length. This teaches fair testing, variables and measurement. Use safety glasses and keep dropping heights below shoulder level.
Density tests compare real meteorites, or replicas, with ordinary rocks. Pupils measure mass on a balance and volume by displacement in a measuring cylinder, then calculate density. Iron meteorites give values near 7.8 grams per cubic centimetre, stony meteorites about 3.0 to 3.7, and typical crustal rocks about 2.6 to 3.0.
Magnet tests use a strong magnet on a string to see which rocks respond. Discuss why metal-rich meteorites attract it and why some Earth rocks, such as magnetite, do too.
Meteor shower models use a torch as the Sun and a ball as Earth moving through a 'dust trail' of confetti or chalk dust on a table, showing why showers recur each year.
Half-life simulations use dice or coins: pupils roll a set, remove those showing a particular result each round and plot the decline.
Avoid activities involving heating, acids, crushing or cutting rocks, and do not allow tasting. Wash hands after handling specimens, and follow your school's usual risk assessment procedures.