Warm Up 9.21.09

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Warm Up 9.21.09

1. About what fraction of the Earths diameter is
   the Moons diameter?
2. What is the moon made of?
3. Describe the Moons motions.

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Moon Surface Observation
Observation
Inference
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The Moons Surface

• Look at the following photographs of the Moon.
  Discuss the Photo collage with your partner and
  make a minimum of three observations in your lab
  notebook.

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Making Inferences

• So what inferences can we make about the surface
  of a different world?
• All inferences that we make rely on one very
  important assumption. Scientists assume that the
  same forces, laws, and processes that we directly
  observe on earth occur the same throughout the
  universe.

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The BIG Assumption

• Scientists assume, for example, that gravity is a
  force that acts the same way across the entire
  solar system.
• This is a safe assumption that continues to be
  confirmed throughout the Solar System as Humans
  make direct observations of gravity on different
  planets in different parts of the Solar System.

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Back to Our Observations

• Scientists have studied the surface of the Moon
  for hundreds of years.
• After careful observation, scientists made the
  inference that the Moon was once actively
  Volcanic and the many craters on its surface were
  the remnants of its past.

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Observations on Earth
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Observations on Earth

• Scientists have watched the formation of
  thousands of Volcanic craters here on Earth.
• The process of Volcanic crater formation is
  heavily studied well known.

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Moon Crater/Volcanic Crater
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Observations Supporting Volcanic Cratering
Observation
Inference
The Moon is made of types of rock that are formed
from cooling lava/magma.
The Moon was volcanically active at some point in
its past.
The Earth has many craters formed by extinct
Volcanoes. Scientists have observed these craters
at all stages of formation.
Craters that look like volcanic craters on earth,
were formed by extinct volcanoes on the moon.
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New Observations New Inferences

• As often happens, a precocious and unconventional
  young man came along and decided to change the
  world.
• A geologist named Eugene Shoemaker began to make
  new observations of craters on Earth, and from
  his observations he began inferring very
  different things.

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Warm Up 9.22.09

1. What observations led scientists to believe that
   the Moons craters were extinct volcanoes?
2. Did the scientists who believed the Moons
   craters were extinct volcanoes make bad
   observations?

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Time Out! Lets all get on the same page!

• Your planet reference guides were due last
  Thursday. If you have not turned them in, please
  do so this week.
• Your independent planet projects are due the week
  of October 5th through October 9th.
• You need to see Mr. Boulden, Dr. Hampton, or Mr.
  Barr for a copy of the rubric that best fits your
  project.

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Eugene Shoemaker
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Observations and Inferences

• As we watch Dr. Shoemaker in the video, pay
  careful attention to his work. What direct
  observations is Dr. Shoemaker making, and what is
  he inferring from his observations?

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Impact Cratering
Observations
Inferences
A buried nuclear bomb forms a crater when it
explodes.
An underground explosion always causes a crater
to form.
Many of the Earths craters are surrounded by
enormous boulders and bedrock turned on its side.
A sudden violent explosion would lift bedrock on
its side and hurl boulders high into the air.
Volcanoes are not known to create enough pressure
to squeeze quartz into cozite. Another process
must have been involved to create the cozite.
Pieces of melted material and the mineral cozite
are often found around craters on earth.
Small meteorites are commonly found all over the
world, and occasionally cause damage to property
and people.
If small meteorites can fall to Earth at
relatively slow speeds, larger ones must as well,
and when they fall must cause much more damage.
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Questions to Ponder, Discuss, and Answer in
Complete Sentences

1. Was Dr. Shoemaker smarter than the scientists
   who studied craters before him? If yes, what did
   Dr. Shoemaker see that no one else saw? If no,
   what helped Dr. Shoemaker develop his inference
   of impact cratering?
2. What observations did Dr. Shoemaker rely on to
   develop his idea of impact cratering? What did
   Dr. Shoemaker need to infer?
3. What observations could you make that might lead
   you to infer that another process besides impact
   cratering led to the Moon having craters? Another
   way to think of this questions is What
   observation could you make to show that Dr.
   Shoemakers inference was wrong?