Here is a puzzle in which you can actually figure out something about another planet. It is just like the research that I do except that I have simplified some things so you can do it in less than the years it takes me to do my research. This is a real science puzzle that should take you between 20 and 60 minutes.

There are many things we might want to know about the inside of the Moon, which is where the Moon's lava came from long ago. For example, we might want to know what the temperature was, or how much pressure was there, or how much oxygen was there. These things all affect how natural materials behave, and they have affected how the Moon has changed through time.

For our puzzle, let's figure out what the temperature was inside the Moon when the rock partly melted and a particular lava formed.

Here are the things you can do to solve this puzzle. You can do whichever of them you choose and in any order you choose. See if you can get the right answer and see how quickly you can figure it out.
 

Investigations you can choose:
Measure the temperature inside the Moon
Measure the temperature of lava rock (basalt) at the surface of the Moon
From other sources, get an estimate of the composition of
the Moon's interior
Get a sample of basalt from a Lunar Maré (the dark "seas"
on the Moon) and measure it's composition
When a rock partly melts, determine how much iron goes with
the melted part and how much goes with the solid part
Consider a model for where lava comes from
Pick your answer:
The temperature was 101ºC
The temperature was -181ºC
The temperature was 1475ºC
The temperature was 1375ºC
The temperature was 1300ºC




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