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Use the
interactive mathematics questions below to test your math skills
while discovering
information about Mars and Mars exploration.
These questions are designed to test mathematical skills for grades
7 - 12.
Photographs are courtesy of NASA.
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1. The average diameter of Mars is 6,780
km. This is approximately half the diameter of the
Earth and twice the diameter of the Moon.
| a. What is the ratio of the diameter of the Moon to the diameter of Mars? |
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| b. What is the ratio of the diameter of the Mars to the diameter of
the Earth? |
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| c. What is the ratio of the diameter of the
Moon to the diameter of the Earth? |
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The Martian North Polar Cap
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2. In April of 1999, a
cyclonic storm system near the north polar region of Mars was detected. The storm measured 1100 by 900 miles in
dimension. What is the surface area of Mars covered by this storm, in
square miles?
Martian Storm
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3. The map above shows
the north polar magnetic anomalies of Mars.
What is the approximate latitude and longitude
setting, in degrees, for the area on the map shaded
in red? |
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4. Because Mars is smaller and less dense than Earth, it
has much less gravity. A person that weighs 150 lbs
on Earth will weigh 56.60378 lbs on Mars. Based on
this data, what is the approximate ratio of gravity on
Mars to gravity on Earth? |
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5. The surface temperature
on Mars varies from -199 degrees Fahrenheit to 80 degrees
Fahrenheit. Using this data, what is the approximate
average temperature on Mars?
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Martian temperatures measured by a
thermal emissions spectrometer. |
Choose:
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6. Mars revolves around the
sun once every 687 Earth days. Each year NASA
scientists working on Earth are expected to present annual
reports. When the colonization of Mars occurs,
scientists working on Mars will also be expected to
present annual reports based on the Martian year.
Over a span of n Earth years, how many annual reports will Martian
scientists present?
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"Happy Face" crater |
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7. The Mars canyon system
of Valles Marineris is the largest and deepest known in
the solar system. It extends more than 2,500 miles
and reaches depths of 3 to 6 miles. The average
depth of the canyon was determined by averaging the depths
taken at 150 locations along the canyon. The
cross-sectional area of the canyon, based upon a length of
2500 miles and the average depth, is 12,000 square
miles. What is the average depth of the canyon?
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8. The highest point on
Mars is Olympus Mons, a huge volcano. The distance
from the base of the volcano to the top of the crater is
18 miles. The crater measures 370 miles across.
If a Martian hiker decides to climb this volcano on the
north side and descend on the south side, how many miles
will the hiker travel, to the nearest tenth of a mile?
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Olympus Mons |
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9. Mars has two moons,
Phobos and Deimos. The distance from Mars to Phobos
is 9378 km and to Deimos is 23,459 km. The diameter
of Phobos is 22.2 km and of Deimos is 12.6 km. A
radio signal is to be sent from the surface of Mars to the
surface of Phobos and then to the surface of Deimos.
What is the shortest distance, in kilometers, that the
radio signal could travel to accomplish this task?
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Face of Phobos |
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10. Mars is about 1.5 times
as far from the Sun as the Earth is.
Approximately how far from the Sun is Mars?
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