Download Investigation 3, Part 1

Lunar Density
 What is the formula for density?
 What is the density of an object that weighs 22 grams
and has a volume of 4 cc.
 Mass in grams divided by volume in cc.
 5.5 g/cc
 One of the pieces of information that researchers
found out about the rock samples returned from the
Moon was their densities.
 We have some rock samples that are similar to those
found on the Moon.
 Olivine
 Pyroxene
 Ilmenite
 Feldspar
 Review the properties of these minerals on your Moon Rock
and Mineral Key.
 These rocks are similar to our Moon rocks that we
found when we did our Moon sampling.
 We are going to figure the density of the four Moon
rock minerals.
 The information might help us understand some
things about how the surface of the Moon took form.
 Lab sheet 65 will guide the investigation.
 Scale
 Graduated cylinders
 1 set of lunar minerals
 Plastic cups
 Calculator
 Measure the density of each mineral
 Rank your densities
 Share results
 Which mineral is the densest?
 Which is the least dense?
 Why might there be differences between the densities
of different groups?
 Read lab sheet 65.
 Discuss the questions at the bottom of the lab sheet.
 Answer questions on the bottom of the lab sheet.
 What materials would you expect to find in the lunar
highlands? Why?
 Feldspar. It is the least dense and would float to the
surface.
 What materials would you expect to find in the maria?
Why?
 Ilmenite, pyroxene and olivine. These minerals would
come to the surface due to volcanic activity.
 What would you expect to find deep in the Moon’s
mantle?
 Ilmenite. It is the most dense and would sink to the
bottom of the magma.
 Handout-Moon Rock Formation.
 Demonstration:
 If this was an accurate demonstration of what happened in
the early formation of the Moon’s crust and mantle, what
lunar material or rock would be represented by our
materials?
 Straw
 Feldspar
 Gravel
 Ilmenite
 Rubber and plastic cubes
 Olivine and pyroxene
 How does this theory explain why we found certain
rocks in the highlands that we did not find in the
maria?
 What questions does this theory answer?
 What questions does this theory not answer?
 What questions do you still have and how can you find
more answers?