Comets, Asteroids, Meteoroids, Meteors & Meteorites Quiz

What is the difference between comets, asteroids, meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites?

• Comets are found in the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud, while asteroids, meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites are found in the asteroid belt.

• Comets have a direct orbit with the sun, while asteroids, meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites have atypical orbits.

• Comets are the largest space rocks, while asteroids, meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites are smaller in size.

• Comets are made of ice and dust, while asteroids, meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites are made of solid rock.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Which of the following space rocks is made of ice, water, and dust?

• Comets

• Meteoroids

• Asteroids

• Meteors

What causes the unique tail of a comet?

• The melting of ice and expansion of gases as the comet orbits the sun

• The collision of two comets

• The burning up of the comet in the Earth's atmosphere

• The gravitational pull of nearby planets

Which of the following space rocks can be seen as shooting stars?

• Asteroids

• Meteoroids

• Meteors

• Meteorites

What happens to a meteoroid when it enters the Earth's atmosphere?

• It burns up and becomes a meteor

• It shatters into pieces

• It crashes into the Earth and becomes a meteorite

• It gets trapped in the Earth's atmosphere

What are meteorites?

• Space rocks that are made of ice and dust

• Space rocks that are larger than asteroids

• Space rocks that have crashed into the Earth

• Space rocks that have melted in the Earth's atmosphere

Why are meteorites valuable?

• They are made of precious metals

• They have a unique shape

• They are extremely large in size

• They contain rare elements and materials

Which of the following space rocks can cause planetary destruction?

• Meteors

• Meteoroids

• Asteroids

• Comets

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

What is the smallest size of an asteroid?

• 1 foot

• 6 inches

• 1 inch

• 3 feet

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

How do Mars and Jupiter help protect the Earth from asteroids?

• They create more asteroids through collisions

• They deflect asteroids away from the Earth

• They destroy asteroids before they reach the Earth

• They corral and trap asteroids with their massive gravities

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-4