Howardites

A printable worksheet for the lesson When a meteorite falls (Start here: Beginner). It prints on A4 without the website around it. The answers are on a separate sheet for the teacher.

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Start here: Beginner · Ages 7 and upHowardites worksheet

When a meteorite falls

Name:Class:Date:

Key words

Fall
A fall is a meteorite that people saw coming down and then collected.
Meteorite
A meteorite is a piece of space rock that has survived its fall through the air and landed on Earth.
Fireball
A fireball is an extra-bright meteor, brighter than the planet Venus.
Dark flight
Dark flight is the last part of a meteorite's fall, after it has slowed down and stopped glowing.
Strewn field
A strewn field is the area of ground over which the pieces of a single meteorite fall are scattered.
Sonic boom
A sonic boom is the thunder-like bang made by a meteoroid moving faster than sound through the air.

Choose the right answer

Circle the letter of the right answer.

  1. Why does a small meteorite usually make only a small dent, not a big crater?
    • AThe air slows it to the speed of a falling stone
    • BIt is much too cold to dig a hole in the ground
    • CIt bounces gently a few times before it lands
    • DIt melts away as it touches the ground
  2. Why does the air in front of a falling space rock glow?
    • ASunlight bounces off nearby clouds onto it
    • BIt is squeezed and heated so much that it glows
    • CThe rock gives off sparks of electricity
    • DIt reflects light from the Moon at night
  3. A 10 kilogram space rock enters the air. How much of it is most likely to reach the ground?
    • AMore than 10 kilograms
    • BAll 10 kilograms
    • CLess than 1 kilogram
    • DExactly 5 kilograms
  4. Why is it hard to know exactly where the pieces of a meteorite will land?
    • AThe Moon pulls them about
    • BThe wind pushes them sideways as they fall
    • CThe pieces bounce off the clouds
    • DThe pieces change direction on purpose

True or false?

Is the answer given right? Tick True or False.

  1. How fast do most small meteorites hit the ground?

    Answer given: Thousands of kilometres every second TrueFalse

  2. During dark flight, a meteorite falls most like which of these?

    Answer given: A stone dropped from a very tall tower TrueFalse

Write your answer

Answer in a word or a short sentence.

  1. What might people near a meteorite fall hear?
  2. Why does a falling space rock often break into pieces?

Task

Drop a feather, a sheet of paper and a rubber from the same height. Which lands first? Now scrunch the paper into a ball and try again. The air slows things down, just as it slows falling meteoroids.

Howardites · free to copy for use in your classroom · answers are on the separate teacher's answer sheet