Components of the Solar System

The terrestrial planets include(s):

• Mercury

• Jupiter

• Saturn

• Venus

• Mars

Identify which components (check all that apply) are accurate for the geocentric solar system model (prior 1700s)

• The sun orbits Earth

• The moon orbits Earth

• Planets are closer than stars

• Orbits and epicycles are Circular

• Saturn is farther away from Earth than Jupiter

Early astronomers thought that all objects in space orbited Earth. What is the name for this early model of the solar system?

• Copernican model

• heliocentric model

• geocentric model

• Keplerian model

How did the bits of dust and gas that eventually formed the solar system behave while falling into orbit around each other?

• They collided and went spiraling in opposite directions.

• They expanded as they were pulled farther apart and eventually cooled.

• They created new gases that caused them to cool after interacting with each other.

• They ran into each other and stuck together due to gravitational and other forces.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

What hypothesis do scientists have about the direction of Venus and Uranus's rotation?

• Both planets may have been hit by objects that caused their rotation to change.

• Their positions in the solar system caused a shift in their gravitational forces.

• Both planets may have made contact early in the formation of the solar system.

• The planets cores may have caused their weight to shift toward a clockwise direction.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

The diagram represents planets A and B, of equal mass, revolving around a star.

Compared to planet A, planet B has a

• weaker gravitational attraction to the star and a shorter period of revolution

• weaker gravitational attraction to the star and a longer period of revolution

• stronger gravitational attraction to the star and a shorter period of revolution

• stronger gravitational attraction to the star and a longer period of revolution

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

NGSS.MS-PS2-5

The Sun formed when the dense concentration of gas and dust at the center of a rotating disk reached a temperature and pressure high enough to fuse hydrogen into

• carbon

• lava

• helium

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

What is one way that astronomers are able to make assumptions about how our solar system was formed?

• They collect surface samples from other planets

• They observe how our solar system continues to behave

• They send spacecraft out to gather samples from other planets

• They look for solar systems that are in the process of forming.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

A half life occurs during:

• Radioactive Decay

• Carbon Decay

• Fusion

• Exothermic

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Models of the solar system with Earth at the center are called _____________________ models.

• geocentric

• heliocentric

• terrestrial

• none of the above

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1