Howardites

The answer sheet for the worksheet Where do meteorites come from?. 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: Where do meteorites come from?

  1. C: The rock above shields itThe rock above acts as a shield, so cosmic rays only start changing its atoms once it is out in space on its own.
  2. B: A chip nudged onto a path that crosses Earth's orbitOnly pieces pushed onto paths that cross Earth's orbit can meet our planet and land here.
  3. C: It spent longer travelling through space on its ownThe longer a rock flies through space alone, the more of its atoms are changed by cosmic rays.
  4. B: Its cosmic-ray exposure ageThe time in space, worked out from atoms changed by cosmic rays, is the cosmic-ray exposure age.
  5. True (It has to throw the rock right off Mars into space)Only a very powerful crash can throw rocks off Mars and out into space, where a few later reach Earth.
  6. False: the right answer is Jupiter's strong pull kept stirring them upThe giant planet Jupiter kept stirring the asteroids up, so they never came together as a planet.
  7. It forms, it is broken off, it travels to Earth (accept any answer with the same meaning)A meteorite first formed billions of years ago, was later broken off its asteroid, then journeyed to Earth.
  8. It passes through without hitting anything (accept any answer with the same meaning)Asteroids are usually very far apart, so spacecraft have crossed the belt without bumping into anything.

Task

Answers will vary. The task comes from the lesson: Draw the Sun in the middle of a big sheet of paper. Add the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars as circles, then shade a wide band for the asteroid belt and draw Jupiter outside it.

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

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