Answers to Student Questions (taken from the article) Growing Green on the Red Planet What does Mark Watney need in order to survive on Mars until NASA sends a rescue mission? Mark Watney will need food and water to survive on Mars. What type of scientist is Mark Watney? Mark Watney is a botanist. Name three places on Earth that have been used to study Mars. The three places on Earth used to study Mars are: Antarctica Hawaii South America According to this article, why is Mars much colder than Earth? Mars is much colder that Earth mainly because it is farther away from the sun than is Earth. Why is it necessary to regulate the use of manure as fertilizer on Earth? It is necessary for U.S. environmental agencies to regulate the use of manure to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria that could contaminate the crops. Describe the chemical reaction that is involved in photosynthesis. Water and carbon dioxide react to produce oxygen and sugars in photosynthesis. 6 H2O + 6 CO2 6 O2 + C6H12O6 Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are primary nutrients for plants. What is the purpose of each of these nutrients? Nitrogen is an important element in chlorophyll, which is needed for photosynthesis. Phosphorus is a component in the chemical reactions that involve photosynthesis. Potassium is involved in the opening and closing of the pores in leaves and stems, which allows the uptake of carbon dioxide and water. Describe the difference between macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur, are needed in large quantities for plant life. Micronutrients, which include iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum, and chlorine, are important for plant growth but are only need in small quantities. How does the gravity on Mars compare to that on Earth? The gravity on Mars is 38% that of Earth’s. List the three factors cited in the article that would make it difficult to grow plants on Mars. Factors that make it difficult to grow plants on Mars include: extreme cold temperatures sunlight hitting Mars is much less that what gets Mars’s atmosphere is not as as Earth’s What are the sources of oxygen and hydrogen that Mark Watney used to make water on Mars?
Answers to Student Questions (taken from the article) Growing Green on the Red Planet What does Mark Watney need in order to survive on Mars until NASA sends a rescue mission? Mark Watney will need food and water to survive on Mars. What type of scientist is Mark Watney? Mark Watney is a botanist. Name three places on Earth that have been used to study Mars. The three places on Earth used to study Mars are: Antarctica Hawaii South America According to this article, why is Mars much colder than Earth? Mars is much colder that Earth mainly because it is farther away from the sun than is Earth. Why is it necessary to regulate the use of manure as fertilizer on Earth? It is necessary for U.S. environmental agencies to regulate the use of manure to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria that could contaminate the crops. Describe the chemical reaction that is involved in photosynthesis. Water and carbon dioxide react to produce oxygen and sugars in photosynthesis. 6 H2O + 6 CO2 6 O2 + C6H12O6 Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are primary nutrients for plants. What is the purpose of each of these nutrients? Nitrogen is an important element in chlorophyll, which is needed for photosynthesis. Phosphorus is a component in the chemical reactions that involve photosynthesis. Potassium is involved in the opening and closing of the pores in leaves and stems, which allows the uptake of carbon dioxide and water. Describe the difference between macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur, are needed in large quantities for plant life. Micronutrients, which include iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum, and chlorine, are important for plant growth but are only need in small quantities. How does the gravity on Mars compare to that on Earth? The gravity on Mars is 38% that of Earth’s. List the three factors cited in the article that would make it difficult to grow plants on Mars. Factors that make it difficult to grow plants on Mars include: extreme cold temperatures sunlight hitting Mars is much less that what gets Mars’s atmosphere is not as as Earth’s What are the sources of oxygen and hydrogen that Mark Watney used to make water on Mars?
chemmatters-tg-april2017-mars.docx