Author Question: Describe characteristics of an impact crater. What will be an ideal ... (Read 149 times)

APUS57

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 571
Describe characteristics of an impact crater.
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Describe the difference between meteors and meteorites.
  What will be an ideal response?



eliasc0401

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 338
Answer to Question 1

ANSWER: One might imagine that an asteroid striking Earth would create a big hole in the ground with a shape dependent on the incoming angle of the object. However, the incredible velocity, and therefore the energy, of the impactor requires that it explode violently on impact. The effect is more like a missile being fired into a sand surface. It blasts a nearly round hole regardless of the impact. If the impactor is large enough, the explosion violently compresses material in the bottom of the crater, accelerating it to speeds of a few kilometers per second and ejecting material outward at hypervelocity. The center of the crater rebounds rapidly to form a central cone; that cone and the outer rim almost immediately collapse inward to form a wider but shallower final crater. Impact craters provide evidence about the size and date of past impacts and also help us speculate about the damage those impacts would have caused.

Answer to Question 2

ANSWER: When small pieces of rock from space enter the atmosphere at high speeds, friction with the air molecules heats the surrounding air to white-hot incandescence, forming meteors, or what we sometimes call shooting stars. When a large rock enters Earth's atmosphere, it heats up due to friction with the air and forms a fireball that glows for a period of time before it either disintegrates or survives to strike the Earth. When an object is large enough to survive its passage through the atmosphere without burning up and colliding with Earth, it is called a meteorite.



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
 

Did you know?

Many people have small pouches in their colons that bulge outward through weak spots. Each pouch is called a diverticulum. About 10% of Americans older than age 40 years have diverticulosis, which, when the pouches become infected or inflamed, is called diverticulitis. The main cause of diverticular disease is a low-fiber diet.

Did you know?

There are immediate benefits of chiropractic adjustments that are visible via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It shows that spinal manipulation therapy is effective in decreasing pain and increasing the gaps between the vertebrae, reducing pressure that leads to pain.

Did you know?

Sildenafil (Viagra®) has two actions that may be of consequence in patients with heart disease. It can lower the blood pressure, and it can interact with nitrates. It should never be used in patients who are taking nitrates.

Did you know?

In 1835 it was discovered that a disease of silkworms known as muscardine could be transferred from one silkworm to another, and was caused by a fungus.

Did you know?

Though the United States has largely rejected the metric system, it is used for currency, as in 100 pennies = 1 dollar. Previously, the British currency system was used, with measurements such as 12 pence to the shilling, and 20 shillings to the pound.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library