Topic 9

Question 1

What are the internal divisions of the moon?

Answer 1

Crust (thinner on Earth side)
Solid mantle
Semi-solid outer core
Small corn core

Question 2

Name 2 things the moon doesn’t have compared with Earth

Answer 2

Tectonics and volcanoes

Question 3

What did Apollo equipment defect on the moon

Answer 3

Moonquakes

Question 4

Explain why the moon’s crust is thinner on the Earth side?

Answer 4

• Due to gravitational pull from Earth & sun
• during the formation of the moon
  
  • after the impact that created the moon, it got tidally locked in a short period of fine
  • the Earth was still hot so it cooked the near side (residual heat) but let the far side cool more rapidly, thus forming a thicker crust

Question 5

Name 2 characteristics of the Near side of the moon

Answer 5

-thinner crust
-many maria
(basins flooded with lava– regions of dark basaltic rock)

Question 6

Name 4 characteristics of the far side of the moon

Answer 6

-thicker crust
-lack of maria
-covered by terrae(highlands)
-crust up to 160km thick
-heavily cratered due to facing outward

Question 7

Why do we only see one side of the Moon?

Answer 7

the moon has a synchronous rotation with Earth

Question 8

why can we see more than half of the Moon’s surface on certain occasions?

Answer 8

We can see up to 59% of the Moon’s surface because of libration

Question 9

What is the escape velocity

Answer 9

The speed an object needs to be travelling at from the surface to break free of a moon or planet’s gravity and leave without further propulsion

Question 10

Name the 4 theories for the origin of the Moon

Answer 10

-Co-accretion/Condensation
-Capture Theory
-Fission Theory
-The Giant Impact Hypothesis

Question 11

Explain Condensation/Co-accretion for the formation of the Moon

Answer 11

> The Moon formed at the same time as the Earth from the same nebula

Question 12

WHy is condensation/co-accretion incorrect

Answer 12

-THe Moon would have a rich and similar-sized iron core (It doesn’t)
-The densities of the two objects would be similar, the Moon has 60% the density of Earth
-Moon has an elliptical orbit and orbit angle

Question 13

Explain Capture theory for the formation of the Moon

Answer 13

-THe Moon was formed in a different part of the solar system but captured by Earth’s gravity
-AN analysis Moon rock shows similar material composition and almost identical oxygen isotopes
This makes them too similar

Question 14

Explain Fission theory for the formation of the Moon

Answer 14

> The Earth spun rapidly during its early evolution and Earth material flung out to form the Moon
-A large chunk of the Pacific Ocean flies out to form the Moon

Question 15

Why is Fission theory incorrect

Answer 15

The Oceanic crust where the Moon ‘came from’ is younger than the moon
-The Moon contains more mantle than Crust, but ocean rock is mostly crust

Question 16

Explain the Giant impact theory for the formation of the Moon

Answer 16

[This is the one we widely believe]
>A Mars sized object crashed into Earth, changing its axis (to 23.5 degrees) and flinging debris into orbit
-the Moon formed from this
>This object was called THeia