======Impact Craters======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
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**Categories:** {{$demo.categories}}
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**Alternative titles:** Candy Cratering
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Fill a tray with 2 to 3 cm of flour or sand and level the surface. Sprinkle a thin, even layer of cocoa powder over the top.
  - Choose one projectile (candy, marbles, rubber balls, steel balls) and a drop height. Hold the projectile still at the chosen height over the center of the tray.
  - Drop the projectile straight down and let it form a crater. Do not throw.
  - Measure crater diameter and depth if possible. Note the ejecta pattern and any rays in the cocoa layer.
  - Reset the surface by gently shaking or smoothing the tray. Repeat with different drop heights, masses, and sizes to compare results.




====Links==== 
“Impact Craters” Hands-on Activity Demonstration - Learn with NASA: 
{{youtube>K1AsC36nxi4?}}\\

📄 Impact Craters - NASA STEM Search: [[https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/impact-craters/]]\\

📄 Craters in the classroom - Las Cumbres Observatory: [[https://lco.global/education/activities/craters-in-the-classroom/]]\\


====Variations====
  * Compare crater size versus drop height to explore how impact speed affects crater diameter.
  * Test different projectile materials of the same size to isolate the effect of mass.
  * Vary surface layers to model different soils
  * Drop at a shallow angle to observe an elongated crater and an off center ejecta pattern.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Wear safety glasses to protect eyes from airborne powder and bouncing projectiles.
  * Keep faces and hands above the tray edges and drop objects vertically, not as thrown shots.
  * Use small, smooth projectiles only; avoid sharp, heavy, or fragile objects that could shatter.
  * Control dust by working slowly and cleaning up with a damp cloth; avoid inhaling fine powders.
  * Supervise younger students and keep the work area clear of non participants.




====Questions to Consider====
  * How do mass and drop height change crater diameter and depth? What does this suggest about impact energy?
  * What differences do you see between vertical and angled impacts?
  * How might crater floors or permanently shadowed regions trap water ice on the Moon?
  * Which surface analog produced the largest or most defined crater, and what might that imply about lunar soil?
  * How does your model differ from real impacts in vacuum and at very high speeds?