Activity 4

1
Activity 4

• Impact Events the Earth System

2
DATA

• Asteroid 7800 kg/m3
• Diameter 40 meters
• Radius 20 meters
• Velocity 20,000 m/s towards the Earth

3

• Find the Volume of the Asteroid
• V (4/3) 3.14 radius3
• Since you know Dm/v, and you were given the
  Density and just found the volume, so can find
  the mass.
• Make sure you show the proper units!!

4

• From 1b, you found the mass.
• With that value, and the velocity (which was
  given), you can find the Kinetic Energy using the
  equation
• KE (1/2) mv2

5

• For Part 2, you will use the combination of the
  two equations for finding the volume and KE. This
  will make it a one-step process, instead of a
  two-step process.
• The equation is listed on page 294.
• With this equation, you will see how size and
  speed influences how much energy is released upon
  impact.

6

• Part 3 is determining how much energy was
  released upon 4 other impacts.
• You do not need to compute the Richter Scale
  Magnitude Equivalent (which is addressed later in
  the activity)
• You will however compare the different energy
  values to that of four other phenomena.

7

• Lastly, you will use your experience with scaling
  to make a scale drawing of the Chicxulub impactor
  compared to the Earth.
• Make sure when you read the data tables to not
  confuse radius and diameter!!