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Today Puzzle #568

Puzzle No. 568– Monday 16 September

If you think you’re having a bad day, well scientists have a recording of the worst day on Earth in the last 66 million years under the Gulf of Mexico. (/news/science-environment-49651406). A meteorite dug a circular hole in the Earth's crust 100km across and 30km deep. This bowl then collapsed leaving a crater 200km across. How deep was it?

Today’s #PuzzleForToday has been set by Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, Director of The Royal Institution

Click here for the answer

The volume of a hole of depth d and radius r is given by d p r2. Given the radius of the crater doubled, then assuming the volume of the hole remained the same, the depth of the crater reduced by a factor of 4 so the new crater was 7.5km deep.

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