Name ______________________________________________________________
MSIP Resource Manual Worksheet, Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Mars in the Solar System (pgs. 13-18)
Similarities and Differences
1. The tilt of Mars’s axis is similar to Earth. Earth’s tilt is 23.5o; Mars’s tilt is _______o.
(Enter a number)
2. Earth’s day is 24 hours long. Mars’s day is 24 hour _______ minutes long, almost
the same length as Earth. (Enter a number)
3. Venus has been considered Earth’s twin. This is because Venus is very similar in
_______ and _______ as Earth. (There is two answers to this question.)
a. atmosphere
b. mass
c. size
d. temperature
4. The southern ice cap of Mars is made mostly of…
a. dry ice.
b. water ice.
c. both dry ice and water ice.
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5. The surface of Mars has very few craters on its surface.
a. True
b. False
Match the hemisphere with its features.
_____6. Surface is very heavily cratered.
A. Northern Hemisphere
_____7. Made up mainly of smooth, dark plains. B. Southern Hemisphere
8. The Tharsis Bulge is home to the largest _______ in the entire Solar Systems.
a. canyons
b. mountain ranges
c. plains
d. volcanoes
9. Because Mars was geologically active for so long, you can have _______ terrain next
to _______cratered terrain in the south. (There are two answers to this question.)
a. ancient
b. mountainous
c. very
d young
Polar Caps
10. During the winter, this freezes out of Mars’s atmosphere at the poles.
a. Carbon dioxide
b. Carbon Monoxide
c. Nitrogen
d. Oxygen
11. As much as _______ of the atmosphere of Mars freezes and becomes part of the
polar ice cap each winter.
a. 1/4
b. 1/3
c. 1/2
d. 2/3
2
12. During the summers, the polar caps…
a. grow larger.
b. shrink.
13. There is always ice left at the poles.
a. True
b. False
14. The ice that remains at the north pole is mostly…
a. dry ice.
b. frozen nitrogen.
c. frozen oxygen.
d. water ice.
Craters
15. The craters on Mars are similar to those found on…
a. Deimos.
b. the Earth.
c. the Moon.
d. Phobos.
16. What is ejecta?
a. Large, smooth plains.
b. Lava that flows over a long distance.
c. Material blasted into the air from the impact of an object with Mars.
d. Material blown into the air out of a volcano during an eruption.
3
17. Unlike the Moon, ejecta blankets on
Mars do not have a perfectly circular
form.
a. True
Ejecta
b. False
18. What would cause ejecta blankets to form?
a. Some of the ejecta flowed across the surface outside the crater.
b. Magma under the surface being blown on to the surface of Mars.
c. The angle of the object hitting the surface of Mars.
d. The way ejecta falling straight back to the surface.
19. Craters of this type are called _______
craters.
a. flat-floored
b. multiple tiered
c. pedestal
d. rampart
“We have your satellite. If you want it
back send 20 billion in Martian money.
No funny business or you will never see
it again.”
A joke written on a wall in a hall at
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, California,
after losing contact with the Mars Polar
Lander in December 1999.
4
20. Craters of this type seem to sit upon a
raised pile of ejecta.
a. flat-floored
b. multiple tiered
c. pedestal
d. rampart
21. Craters that are made into an incomplete circle by lava flows covering part of the
rim are particularly common near the…
-
a. equator.
b. polar regions.
c. southern hemisphere.
d. Tharsis Montes volcanoes.
Wind Features
22. Even though the atmospheric pressure is low, surface winds
on Mars are fast.
a. True
b. False
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Volcanoes
23. What are possible reasons Martian volcanoes are the largest in the Solar System?
(There are two answers to this question.)
a. Major eruptions occurred in the same place, creating large volcanoes.
b. Mars has more magma to form volcanoes.
c. Mars seems to have a much thicker crust than Earth so there are no moving
crustal plates.
d. Mars seems to have a much thinner crust than Earth so there are no moving
crustal plates.
24. If Olympus Mons were on Earth, it would be 2.5 times higher than _______, the
tallest mountain on Earth, and cover almost the entire state of _______. (There are
two answers to this question.)
a. Arizona
b. the Matterhorn
c. Missouri
d. Mt. Everest
25. Volcanoes on Mars were formed…
a. from lava accumulating from constant eruptions over millions of years.
b. from lava upwelling through vents in the fractures created by Tharsis Bulge.
c. through build-up through constant bombardment.
d. through the process of plate tectonics early if Mars’s history.
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Canyons
26. This is the largest canyon in the Solar System.
a. Minio Valles
b. Nanedi Valles
c. Valles Marineris
d. Verdi Valles
27. The total length of the Valles Marineris system over _______ miles. (Enter a
number, no coma)
28. At the end of the canyon is a region that may have been formed by huge floods.
The region contains…
a. chaotic terrain.
b. mountainous terrain.
c. rough terrain.
d. smooth terrain.
29. Valles Marineris was formed by flowing water.
a. True
b. False
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Channels
30. Do we have evidence liquid water once flowed on Mars?
a. Yes
b. No
31. In addition to water, flowing lava could have also formed channels on Mars.
a. True
b. False
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MSIP Resource Manual Worksheet, Chapter 3 – Key
1. The tilt of Mars’s axis is similar to Earth. Earth’s tilt is 23.5o; Mars’s tilt is
_______.98o. (Enter a number)
23
2. Earth’s day is 24 hours long. Mars’s day is 24 hour _______ minutes long, almost
the same length as Earth. (Enter a number)
37
3. Venus has been considered Earth’s twin. This is because Venus is very similar in
_______ and _______ as Earth. (There is two answers to this question.)
b. mass; c. size
4. The southern ice cap of Mars is made mostly of…
a. dry ice.
5. The surface of Mars has very few craters on its surface.
b. False
_____6. Surface is very heavily cratered.
A. Northern Hemisphere
_____7. Made up mainly of smooth, dark plains. B. Southern Hemisphere
B 6. Surface is very heavily cratered.
A 7. Made up mainly of smooth, dark plains.
8. The Tharsis Bulge is home to the largest _______ in the entire Solar Systems.
d. Volcanoes
9
9. Because Mars was geologically active for so long, you can have _______ terrain next
to _______cratered terrain in the south. (There are two answers to this question.)
a. ancient; d. young
10. During the winter, this freezes out of Mars’s atmosphere at the poles.
a. Carbon dioxide
11. As much as _______ of the atmosphere of Mars freezes and becomes part of the
polar ice cap each winter.
b. 1/3
12. During the summers, the polar caps…
b. shrink.
13. There is always ice left at the poles.
a. True
14. The ice that remains at the north pole is mostly…
d. water ice.
15. The craters on Mars are similar to those found on…
c. the Moon
16. What is ejecta?
c. Material blasted into the air from the impact of an object with Mars.
17. Unlike the Moon, ejecta blankets on Mars do not have a perfectly circular form.
a. True
10
18. What would cause ejecta blankets to form?
a. Some of the ejecta flowed across the surface outside the crater.
19. Craters of this type are called _______ craters.
d. rampart
20. Craters of this type seem to sit upon a raised pile of ejecta.
a. flat-floored
b. multiple tiered
c. pedestal
d. rampart
c. pedestal
20. c
21. Craters that are made into an incomplete circle by lava flows covering part of the
rim are particularly common near the…
a. equator.
b. polar regions.
c. southern hemisphere.
d. Tharsis Montes volcanoes.
d. Tharsis Montes volcanoes.
21. d
22. Even though the atmospheric pressure is low, surface winds on Mars are fast.
a. True
23. What are possible reasons Martian volcanoes are the largest in the Solar System?
(There are two answers to this question.)
a. Major eruptions occurred in the same place, creating large volcanoes; c.
Mars seems to have a much thicker crust than Earth so there are no moving
crustal plates.
11
24. If Olympus Mons were on Earth, it would be 2.5 times higher than _______, the
tallest mountain on Earth, and cover almost the entire state of _______. (There are
two answers to this question.)
a. Arizona, d. Mt. Everest
25. Volcanoes on Mars were formed…
b. from lava upwelling through vents in the fractures created by Tharsis
Bulge.
26. This is the largest canyon in the Solar System.
c Valles Marineris
27. The total length of the Valles Marineris system over _______ miles. (Enter a
number, no coma)
2500
28. At the end of the canyon is a region that may have been formed by huge floods.
The region contains…
a. chaotic terrain.
29. Valles Marineris was formed by flowing water.
b. False
30. Do we have evidence liquid water once flowed on Mars?
a. Yes
31. In addition to water, flowing lava could have also formed channels on Mars.
a. True
12
MSIP Resource Manual Worksheet, Chapter 3 – Scoring Guide
1. 23
2. 37
3. a, c
4. a (3 choices)
5. b (2 choices)
6. B (2 choices)
7. A (2 choices)
8. d
9 a, d
10. a
11. b
12. b (2 choices)
13. a (2 choices)
14 d
15. c
16. c
17. a
18. a
19. d
20. c
21. d
22. a (2 choices)
23. a, c
24. a, d
25. b
26. c
27. 2500
28. a
29. b
30. a (2 choices)
31. a (2 choices)
Scoring
Guide
29-31 – 4
27-28 – 3.5
23-26 – 3
21-22 – 2.5
18-20 – 2
16-17 – 1.5
14-15 – 1
1-13 – .5
0–0
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