project
Make a Moon Crater

Materials

1. Prepare the Moon’s sub-surface
Spread about an inch of flour into your cake pan. The flour represents the part of the Moon’s crust that an impactor will pulverize and blast out.

2. Add rocks and minerals
Add a layer of cake sprinkles to represent rocks and minerals buried under the surface. (You do not need to completely cover the flour layer.)

3. Create the Moon’s surface
Add a thin third layer by sprinkling cocoa over the top with a spoon. You can also use a sifter for a more even coating. The cocoa represents the surface layer on the Moon.

4. Prepare for impact
Find a spot where you can safely and easily drop a rock into your cake pan. You may want to put down a newspaper or a towel to catch any baking ingredients that come out of the pan.

5. Make a Moon crater
Simulate a rock impacting the Moon by holding a small rock above your head and dropping it into the cake pan. Observe the "ejecta pattern" created by the impact. Did any of the sprinkles get ejected out of the crater? Gently remove the impactor

6. Get creative with your craters
Try dropping different size rocks from different angles and heights. How does the ejecta pattern differ from one impact to the next?