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Why is Mars Red?
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Conduct the following experiment to discover why Mars in Red. By sending the two Viking landers to Mars, scientists discovered why that planet looks red from Earth. Conduct this experiment to find out why when we see Mars, we see red! Materials for each group of students: |
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| Directions:
1. Half-fill the pan with sand. |
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| 2. While wearing the gloves, snip the steel wool into small pieces and mix them into the sand. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 3. Carefully pour enough water into the pan to just cover the sand and steel wool mixture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4. Set the pan in a safe place for several days. Replace any evaporated water daily. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 5. Check the pan daily for any color changes. Record what you see. What does this tell you about the red soil of Mars? | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| When water mixes with iron, it creates rust. Although Mars is now dry, evidence exists that the planet once contained water. When this water mixed with iron compounds found in Mars's soil, the compounds rusted, making the soil look red. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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