Book 16, Question 17
Why Does Dry Mud Crack Into Puzzle Pieces?
When wet mud dries, it shrinks because the water leaves! The mud cannot shrink evenly, so tension builds up until it splits. The cracks make a pattern like puzzle pieces.
More fun facts
- As mud dries, it shrinks and cracks.
- The first cracks often meet in T-shaped junctions.
- When mud gets wet and dries again and again, the cracks form six-sided shapes.
- NASA's Curiosity rover found six-sided mud cracks on Mars.
- They are the first evidence of repeated wet and dry seasons on early Mars.
Questions kids ask
What did mud cracks on Mars tell scientists?
Six-sided mud cracks found by Curiosity are the first evidence of repeated wet and dry seasons on early Mars.