Howardites

The answer sheet for the worksheet Meteorwrongs: rocks that fool people. Each answer comes with the reason, so it can be used to mark or to go over the questions with the class.

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Start here: Beginner · Ages 7 and upAnswer sheet for teachers

Answers: Meteorwrongs: rocks that fool people

  1. C: BlackMagnetite leaves a black streak, which helps tell it apart from hematite.
  2. D: It plays on meteorite sounding like meteor-rightMeteorite sounds like "meteor-right", so a rock that is not one is jokingly called a meteor-wrong.
  3. C: Exactly where you found itWriting down exactly where you found the rock is an important step for anyone who checks it.
  4. D: Slag and rusty machinerySlag comes from furnaces and rusty machinery is man-made; the others are natural Earth rocks and minerals.
  5. False: the right answer is Many Earth rocks pass one test but fail othersSome Earth rocks are heavy or magnetic, so checking several clues together gives a much better answer.
  6. True (Smooth black pieces can look like fusion crust)Some smooth, black pieces of basalt look a bit like the dark skin of a meteorite.
  7. Meteorites are rare, but Earth rocks are everywhere (accept any answer with the same meaning)Meteorites are rare while ordinary rocks are everywhere, so most hopeful finds are from Earth.
  8. Hematite (accept any answer with the same meaning)Hematite leaves a red-brown streak, while magnetite leaves a black one.

Task

Answers will vary. The task comes from the lesson: Collect five interesting pebbles from a garden, park or beach (with permission). Make a detective chart and test each one for weight, magnetism, bubbles and colour. Which, if any, would you show an expert?

Look for work that uses the key words correctly and gives a reason for each point.

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