The students conducted an experiment to test how aluminum foil can reduce the impact of micrometeorites on astronauts. They dropped balls of different materials onto sand covered with layers of tissue, aluminum foil, and modeling clay to simulate the effect on human tissue. The results showed that aluminum reduced both the size and depth of impact craters compared to no foil. Specifically, a stone ball produced the largest impact without foil but aluminum lessened both the size and depth of its crater.

1. Micrometeorites
De Bron and Cité Scolaire Internationale Lyon

2. Sien(15) and Andreas(15)
from Belgium
Who are we?
Mathilde(15) and Flavia(15)
from France

3. The experiment
There are micrometeorites in space but it seems that with their
flying suits, astronauts are immune to the danger they
represent. But how is it possible?

4. Hypothesis , materials and operation of experiment
Materials
• Tissues
• Sand
• Golf ball
• Modelling clay
• Aluminium foil
• ruler
We dropped a ball of 100 grams onto sand. Then we observed the impact of the fall on it, which represents
the human fibre (that is the control experiment).
Then we dropped the same ball at the same height on the sand covered with a combination of 10 layers of
tissue, aluminium and modelling clay. We again observed the impact by measuring the depth in the sand.

5. Test results
Ball Without
aluminium
With
aluminium
Size of impact Depth of impact Size of impact Depth of impact
wood 5.5 cm 0.5 cm 0.5 cm 0.2 cm
stone 6.0 cm 1.0 cm 2.0 cm 0.7 cm
glass 4.0 cm 3.0 cm 0.5 cm 0.2 cm
metal 3.5 cm 2.5 cm 1.0 cm 0.4 cm

6. Results in a chart.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
wood stone metal glass
size without aluminium
size with aluminium
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
wood stone metal glass
depth with aluminium
depth without aluminium

7. Conclusion
• The ball of stone has the biggest impact when dropped.
• Aluminiun foil can reduce the impact.
• REMARK: Aluminiun foil can reduce a part of the impact , but it can’t reduce
the full impact. In reality the astronauts use 13 layers of aluminiun foil and
that can reduce the impact of micrometeorites.