Meteorite Lab

Problem: Can we calculate the size of Canyon Diablo Meteorite by using simulation?

Hypothesis: I figured that the size of the Canyon Diablo Meteorite could be roughly calculated but the error percentage would be really high because we cannot take into consideration the speed it hit the earth at or how far the meteorite was falling from.

Procedure: We filled a box with flour and some cocoa (for color differentiation) and dropped a marble from one meter five times each and then we dropped another marble from the same high five times. With each drop we measured the size of the diameter of the crater from the very outer edge to the opposite outer edge. From this point we used the ratio given to us on the lab to cross multiply and get an estimate on what the diameter of the Canyon Diablo Meteorite might have been.

Data: Can be seen on the hardcopy of the lab which will be turned in on the day of the test.

Calculations: Can be seen on the hardcopy of the lab which will be turned in on the day of the test.

Conclusions: We concluded that simulation can give us an idea of the size of Canyon Diablo Meteorite but the calculations of my group were not very accurate. I think one possible reason for this is the precision of the calculations. If we had measured the diameter of the crater made to the tens of thousandths place we would have more accuracy.