Moon Rock Basics
What are moon rocks primarily composed of?
A) Sandstone and granite
B) Basalt and anorthosite
C) Limestone and marble
D) Quartz and feldspar
B) Basalt and anorthosite
Which Apollo mission was the first to bring back moon rocks?
A) Apollo 10
B) Apollo 11
C) Apollo 12
D) Apollo 14
B) Apollo 11
What tool do scientists use to determine the age of moon rocks?
A) Carbon dating
B) Radiometric dating
C) X-ray spectroscopy
D) Isotope matching
B) Radiometric dating
What country besides the U.S. has samples of moon rocks?
A) China
B) Japan
C) Soviet Union/Russia
D) India
C) Soviet Union/Russia
What process created most of the moon rocks we find today?
A) Plate tectonics
B) Meteor impacts
C) Volcanic activity
D) Erosion
C) Volcanic activity
How much moon rock was collected during the Apollo 11 mission?
A) 10 pounds
B) 20 pounds
C) 47.5 pounds
D) 100 pounds
C) 47.5 pounds
What rare Earth mineral is commonly found in moon rocks?
A) Hematite
B) Ilmenite
C) Magnetite
D) Zircon
B) Ilmenite
Where can you touch a moon rock on public display in the U.S.?
A) Kennedy Space Center
B) Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
C) Houston Space Center
D) NASA Headquarters
B) Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
What is the name of the powdery soil covering moon rocks?
A) Lunar gravel
B) Regolith
C) Crater dust
D) Silt
B) Regolith
Which Apollo mission collected the most moon rock?
A) Apollo 13
B) Apollo 15
C) Apollo 16
D) Apollo 17
D) Apollo 17
How do scientists know moon rocks are from the moon and not meteorites?
A) They have water content
B) Their isotopic signatures
C) They are magnetic
D) Their density is unique
B) Their isotopic signatures
What kind of moon rock was stolen in 2002 and later recovered?
A) Apollo lunar sample
B) Goodwill moon rock
C) Apollo 15 plaque
D) Lunar basalt
B) Goodwill moon rock
How old are most moon rocks collected by astronauts?
A) 1.2 to 1.5 billion years
B) 2.0 to 2.5 billion years
C) 3.1 to 4.4 billion years
D) 5.0 to 5.5 billion years
C) 3.1 to 4.4 billion years
How many total pounds of moon rocks were brought back by all Apollo missions?
A) 300 pounds
B) 842 pounds
C) 1,000 pounds
D) 1,500 pounds
B) 842 pounds
What kind of radiation has altered moon rocks on the surface?
A) UV radiation
B) Gamma radiation
C) Cosmic radiation
D) Microwave radiation
C) Cosmic radiation
In 2020, NASA contracted a private company to collect moon rocks. Name the company.
A) SpaceX
B) Lunar Outpost
C) Blue Origin
D) Virgin Galactic
B) Lunar Outpost
What’s the main difference between moon rocks and Earth rocks in terms of minerals?
A) Moon rocks contain no radioactive elements
B) Moon rocks lack water-bearing minerals
C) Moon rocks are richer in calcium
D) Moon rocks are magnetic
B) Moon rocks lack water-bearing minerals
What type of moon rock was discovered during the Apollo 15 mission?
A) Mare basalt
B) Anorthosite
C) Genesis Rock
D) Olivine
C) Genesis Rock
What gas trapped in moon rocks provides clues about the early solar system?
A) Hydrogen
B) Helium-3
C) Oxygen
D) Methane
B) Helium-3
How many countries were gifted moon rock samples from Apollo 11 and 17?
A) 50
B) 75
C) 100
D) 135
D) 135