Solar System Scale

Which planet in the Solar system orbits the sun in the shortest amount of time?

• Mercury

• Earth

• Jupiter

• Neptune

How do the sizes of the inner planets (4 closest to the sun) compare to the sizes of the outer planets (4 farthest from the sun)?

• The inner planets are larger.

• The outer planets are smaller.

• There is no size difference between the inner and outer planets.

• The inner planets are smaller.

Imagine that a new object is found in our solar system. It is small and made of rock and orbits the dwarf planet Eris. How would scientists classify this object?

• A moon

• A comet

• An asteroid

• A meteoroid

Why is making a model of the solar system difficult?

• Don't have the right materials

• The solar system is so big and the objects in it are so small in comparison

• There are too many parts in a model

• Because the science concepts are too difficult

Describe how the distances between the orbits of the inner planets (1st four from the sun) compare to the distances between the orbits of the outer planets (four farthest from the sun).

• The distances between orbits of the outer planets are much smaller.

• The distances between orbits of the outer planets are much larger.

• The distances between orbits of the inner planets are much larger.

• There is no difference between the distances of the orbits of the inner planets and the outer planets.

What is the center of our solar system?

• The sun

• Uranus

• Jupiter

• Saturn

Our Solar System_________

• Has 8 planets that are very close together

• Has 8 planets, but is mostly empty space

• Has 9 planets that are very close together

• Has 9 planets, but is mostly empty space

According to a livescience.com headline from earlier in the week, "On Wednesday (Sept. 22), the fall equinox will bring the Earth about 12 hours of daylight, 12 hours of night, and a renegade space rock measuring about three times the size of the Statue of Liberty."

This object would be classified as a...

• comet

• asteroid

• meteoroid

• moon

One similarity between asteroids, comets and meteoroids is that they all:

• are made of the same materials

• come from the Asteroid Belt

• have long tails that follow behind them

• orbit the sun

This model shows...

• the size differences among the planets accurately.

• the distances between the planets accurately.

• both the sizes of the planets and the distances between them accurately