Solar System Flashcard

Front

What is Kepler's Third Law of planetary motion?

Back

Kepler's Third Law states that the square of a planet's orbital period is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit. This means that planets farther from the Sun take longer to orbit than those closer to the Sun.

Front

What process primarily produces energy within the Sun's core?

Back

The fusion of hydrogen nuclei (protons) into helium nuclei is the primary process that produces energy within the Sun's core.

Front

What energy conversion occurs when hydrogen is converted to helium in the Sun?

Back

Nuclear energy is converted into electromagnetic and thermal energy during the process of hydrogen fusion into helium.

Front

What is a full moon and how often does it occur?

Back

A full moon occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun, fully illuminated. It occurs approximately once every 29.5 days.

Front

What is eccentricity in relation to planetary orbits?

Back

Eccentricity is a measure of how much an orbit deviates from being circular. A lower eccentricity indicates a more circular orbit, while a higher eccentricity indicates a more elongated, elliptical orbit.

Front

How does Earth's eccentricity compare to Mercury's?

Back

Earth's orbit has an eccentricity of 0.017, making it closer to circular compared to Mercury's orbit, which has an eccentricity of 0.21.

Front

What is the significance of a new moon in relation to tides?

Back

A new moon can lead to spring tides, which are higher than normal tides, due to the alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

Front

What is the difference between neap tides and spring tides?

Back

Neap tides occur when the Moon is in its first or third quarter phase, resulting in lower high tides and higher low tides. Spring tides occur during full and new moons, resulting in higher high tides and lower low tides.

Front

What is the role of nuclear fusion in stars?

Back

Nuclear fusion in stars, such as the Sun, is the process that combines lighter atomic nuclei into heavier nuclei, releasing a significant amount of energy in the form of light and heat.

Front

What are Kepler's laws of planetary motion?

Back

Kepler's laws consist of three principles: 1) Planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus (First Law), 2) A line segment joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time (Second Law), and 3) The square of the orbital period of a planet is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit (Third Law).