Pasta quake magnitude 3 - 5
This activity uses pies of spaghetti to illustrate the earthquake magnitude scale. While completing an activity using bundles of spaghetti students will discover the difference in magnitudes of earthquakes from a magnitude 5 to a magnitude 7. A magnitude 8 can be demonstrated as well, but takes bit more preparation work. The earthquake in Japan in 2011 which created the tsunami that travelled across the Pacific Ocean, as described in Kamome, was a magnitude 9.1. The Pasta Quake video https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/video/pasta_quake_modeling_magnitude_scale_using_spaghetti demonstrates a magnitude5, 6, 7, 8 and a magnitude 9 earthquake.
Age Group:
3-5
External Resoures:
Activity Documents