Analyze the Characteristics of Objects in Our Solar System That Allowed Life to Exist Such as the Proximity of the Sun

What characteristics of the planet, Earth, is essential to the survival of living organisms?

• Earth has abundant available water
  
• Earth has just one orbiting moon.
• Earth orbits the Sun once every 365 days
  
• Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours.

Layer of ozone in upper atmosphere of Earth is important to life because it shields Earth from

• changes in temperature.
• ultraviolet radiation.
• solar winds.
  
• impacts from meteors.

The magnetic field of Earth protects life against 

• debris ejected from the Moon.
• ultraviolet radiation from the stars.
  
• high energy particles from the Sun.
• falling meteors from outer space.
  

Earth is 150 mil. km from the Sun. If it was 200 mil. km away, it wouldn't support life because

• there would be less exposure to solar wind.
• the oxygen would leave the atmosphere.
• the temperature would be too cold.
• the surface water would evaporate
  

What is the most important factor that determines Earth’s temperature?

• Distance to the Moon
  
• Gas composition of the atmosphere
• Proximity to the Sun
• Amount of water on the planet

The habitable zone for the star is about 25 mil. km away. Which planet can support life?

• Planet W
• Planet X
• Planet Y
• Planet Z

What discovery about Mars suggests conditions that may have once supported life? Mars has

• small amounts of water in the soil
• only a small amount of atmosphere.
• two moons orbiting the planet
• the tallest mountain in the solar system.

 Ozone contributes to supporting life on earth by blocking 

• ultraviolet light.
  
• water vapor.
• helium ions.
  
• atmospheric heat.

If Earth were much smaller, it would not support life because it would not have enough mass to

• collect needed radiant energy from the Sun.
  
• maintain a gravitational pull on the Moon.
• have sufficient gravity to hold an atmosphere.
• rotate on its axis once per day.

What data could be collected, that gives scientists info about if life exists on that planet?

• The number of other planets in the system
• How long the planet takes to rotate
• The orbit length of the planet
• The presence of an atmospheric ozone layer