The Sun and Small Bodies in th Solar System

The sun is made up of different elements. Which element makes up more than 70 percent of the sun?

• carbon

• helium

• oxygen

• hydrogen

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

Here is an image of the sun.

Which of these choices best describes what is seen in this picture of the sun?

• aurora

• prominence

• solar flare

• sunspot

In convection, hot gases rise through cooler gases as they travel to the top of the convective zone. Once they reach the top of the convective zone, they cool. What happens to these gases next?

• They create sunspots.

• They sink back down.

• They give off energy in solar flares.

• They begin the process of nuclear fusion.

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NGSS.HS-ESS2-3

Dark areas can form in the photosphere of the sun. These areas are cooler than surrounding areas. They also have a strong magnetic field. Which term best describes these dark areas?

• a sunspot

• solar wind

• a solar flare

• a prominence

Why is nuclear fusion possible only in the cores of stars?

• Hydrogen exists only at the core of stars.

• Hydrogen and helium nuclei require a lot of light to bond together.

• High temperatures and pressures, which are required for fusion to occur,only occur in the core.

• E = mc2 only works in the cores of stars.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

Which of the following is a small, irregularly shaped body made of rock or organic material that orbits the sun?

• omet

• meteor

• asteroid

• meteorite

The object shown here is composed of rock, dust, water, ice, and other frozen substances.

Which object is shown?

• a comet

• a meteor

• an asteroid

• a meteorite

People sometimes talk about seeing shooting stars. What do they actually see?

• a meteoroid traveling through space

• a star that is moving through the galaxy

• a meteoroid that burns up in Earth’s atmosphere

• a comet that has come close enough to Earth’s atmosphere to be seen

Where is the Oort cloud located?

• between the sun and Mercury

• within the asteroid belt

• between the asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt

• beyond the orbit of Pluto

Comets offer clues to the conditions that existed during the formation of our solar system. This makes scientists very interested in the composition of comets. Which of the following current technologies would allow scientists to determine the composition of comets?

• Using remote-sensing satellites to obtain data on comets.

• Using an optical telescope to study the fine details of a comet.

• Using a manned space module to land on a comet so that astronauts could collect samples.

• Using a space probe to collect samples of particles from a comet.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2