Please write your NAME and answers as neatly as possible.

Name: _________________________________________________

1. The Earth and Moon are roughly the same age (the Moon did form after the Earth, but not by much). The Moon is heavily cratered because of the heavy bombarding (by meteors) that occurred early in the history of the solar system. Why doesn't the Earth have the same number of craters as the Moon? (15 pts. Do not try to squeeze your answer into the tiny space below!!! You have plenty of room elsewhere on this sheet of paper)

2. When the rocks the astronauts brought back from the Moon were analyzed, it was found that the composition of the Moon is similar to the crust and mantle (the outer layers) of the Earth. The leading theory for the origin of the Moon is that it formed from the material that was blasted off the Earth after a giant meteor impact. Explain the reasoning behind this theory using your understanding of the structure of the Earth. (10pts)