Exam 12: The Moon and Mercury: Comparing Airless Worlds

Which hypothesis suggested that the Moon formed elsewhere and was later caught by Earth's gravity?

There are no _______________ rocks on the surface of the Moon.

Briefly compare and contrast the characteristics of the Moon and Mercury.

It is believed that a giant impact may have taken away some of Mercury's low-density crustal rock and left a small, dense world with a(n) large, dense, and _______________ core.

Large, smooth, dark plains on the Moon are called ____.

Which mission has recently provided scientists with information about Mercury's magnetic field?

Many Moon rocks are classified as _______________, which are made up of fragments of earlier rocks cemented together by heat and pressure.

The presence of _______________ increases the possibility that a human lunar base may be established someday.

Lobate scarps are very low and small disturbances on the surface of Mercury.

Which was the source of lava during the flooding stage of the Moon's development?

Debris blasted from the impact of a crater is called ____.

What makes up the dark colors of the lunar lowlands?

The nights are cold on Mercury because it has a negligible atmosphere.

Explain the three different hypotheses for the origin of the Moon and how evidence from the Apollo lunar rocks persuaded scientists to develop a new hypothesis.