Gas Giant Planet Review

Which is larger, Jupiter or Saturn?

• Jupiter

• Saturn

• They're the same size

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Which of these are common features to both Jupiter and Saturn (choose all that apply)

• Differential rotation causing storms and bands

• Magnetic fields caused by metallic hydrogen deep in the mantle

• Hexagonal cloud formations at their north poles

• A composition that is mostly hydrogen

The order of Saturn's rings are:

• A, B, C, D, E, F, G

• D, C, B, A, F, G, E

• D, B, F, G, E, C, A

• F, E, G, A, B, C, D

Jupiter has light and dark bands on its surface. The light bands are called zones. The dark bands are called:

• dark zones

• regions

• belts

• sectors

Differential rotation on Jupiter and Saturn is driven by what?

• Convection currents

• Large storms

• Moons orbiting in different direction

• Volcanic activity

Why is it appropriate to call Jupiter the solar system's vacuum cleaner?

• It's magnetic field attracts all the cosmic rays from the sun

• It has so many moons

• It caused a gap in the asteroid belt where there aren't any planets

• It has attracted and deflected asteroids and comets, minimizing free bodies in the solar system

Why does Saturn have fewer cyclonic storms like Jupiter?

• Saturn has less energy to drive the storms

• Saturn has less differential rotation

• Saturn has fewer large moons to spin them up

• Rotational energy is stored in the rings instead

What is the most likely formation theory for Saturn's A, B, and C rings?

• They are pieces of a moon that got too close and was torn apart

• They are material spewed out from Saturn's moons

• They have been present since the beginning of Saturn's formation

• They're small solar system objects that were captured into Saturn's orbit

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

Why are Saturn's bands difficult to see?

• Saturn doesn't have bands

• They're covered by clouds

• They blur together since they're moving so fast

• The rings block light and make them harder to see

Saturn has a lower density than Jupiter (less than water!) What major difference between the two does this cause?

• Saturn isn't dense enough to have metallic hydrogen in its mantle

• Jupiter is too dense to maintain substantial rings

• Jupiter is dense enough to have large moons, which Saturn doesn't have

• The layers of Saturn's atmosphere are less compressed than Jupiter's