Greg Foot finds out what would happen if an asteroid collided with Earth.
He calculates how much energy would be transferred at impact using the formula E = 陆mv虏 and produces an equivalent explosion to show the size of crater produced by a meteoroid the size of a golf ball.
He explains why the size and speed of asteroids matters and how our atmosphere protects from all but the largest asteroids.
Greg does this by showing how air pressure alone can be used to ignite cotton wool and how air and friction cause objects smaller than 35m in diameter to burn up as they enter the Earth鈥檚 atmosphere before reaching the Earth鈥檚 surface.
Unlike the Earth, the Moon has no atmosphere and this is why the Moon has a history of more numerous impacts.
Teacher Notes
Students could perform simple experiments using ball bearings and a tray of sand to investigate the effect of speed and angle of impact on crater formation.
This introduces the idea and use of E = 陆mv虏 to investigate the energy of different impacts. This can then be linked to everyday examples of collisions such as car crashes and calculations of the energy transferred at impact.
Curriculum Notes
These short films will be relevant for teaching physics and chemistry at both KS3 and KS4 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and National 4/5 in Scotland.
More from the Secrets of Everything:
Can you make a star on Earth? video
Greg Foot demonstrates that a star is just like a continuous chemical reaction.
How big is one giant leap on the Moon? video
Greg Foot finds out how high he can jump on Earth compared to on the surface of the Moon.
How can you survive a lightning strike? video
Just how dangerous is lightning and how can anyone survive a direct lightning strike?
If the whole world jumped at the same time would the planet move? video
Greg Foot investigates the question on everyone's lips; what if everyone in the world jumped at the same time?
Why is the sky blue? video
Greg Foot discovers why the sky is blue by examining the effect of the atmosphere.
Why can't I run fast? video
Will humans be able to run faster and continue to break world records?
Why do boomerangs come back? video
Why a boomerang will always return to its thrower when thrown correctly.
Why is fire hot? video
Greg Foot demonstrates how fuel, heat and oxygen are required to produce fire.
Can I escape from quicksand? video
Why quick sand is dangerous and the forces involved that make it difficult to escape from.