12 December 2013

Failed Christmas Candy?

This sugar glass "candy" is actually a simulation of a planet's surface when it sustains an impact. (In this case the impact was caused by a foiled-wrapped hammer.) Those craters on the moon you see are a result of similar impacts. I attended a lecture on Impact Craters and this hands-on messy bit was included for fun AND education!

2 comments:

  1. What a great experiment! Peanut Brittle would perform the same way, I think, and be quite tasty after the impacts!!

    When I was explaining the "impacts" of rain in the desert to classes of elementary age children, I tried to think up funny ways to show the concepts...the one that was the funniest was showing how water soaks into the soil: two kids would be the water droplets and the rest would stand in a group with their arms outstretched and the rain drops would get through easily (like thru gravel), then the soil kids would bring their arms in closer and closer and the drops would try to get thru (like silty soil) and it was hard to do and I would have to rescue the water drops as they fought to get through their classmates!!

    My AZ job had some good times!!

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  2. YES! In fact the scientist who was leading the workshop said peanut brittle and chocolate would both be good "test subjects" for this! (:

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