Solutions
KM#7: Impact Processes - Meteor Crater (Level 2)
Mathematical Content: Basic algebra, solving simple equations
Question 1: How much energy was released when the meteorite formed the crater?
Use the formula 
with D = 1200 to get 
Joules
Question 2: What was the mass of the meteorite?
Use the equation 
Solve 
for M;
Question 3: How big was the meteorite, that is, what was its volume?
Solve 
for V using the given density
and the value 
from the previous problem.
to get 
.
Question 4: What was the diameter of the meteorite?
Use the formula 
Solve 
to get r = 15.7 meters, so the diameter was 31.4 meters
Question 5: How many times larger was the diameter of the crater than the diameter of the meteorite?
times larger