Investigating the Solar System

According to the "Mass of Planets" table, on which planet would a person weigh the least?

• Jupiter

• Venus

• Mercury

• Earth

According to the "Mass of Planets" table, which planet has the greatest gravitational force?

• Jupiter

• Venus

• Mercury

• Earth

A student is making a model of the solar system. They choose a ball with a 14 cm diameter to represent Jupiter. According to the table, what size ball would be the best choice to represent Earth?

• 0.5 cm

• 1.2 cm

• 12 cm

• 16 cm

Which of the following represents characteristics of the four planets closest to the Sun?

• Larger planets

• Gas giants

• Rocky (terrestrial) planets

• 4 or more moons

Mars is very similar to the Earth. Which of the following statements describes a property of the Earth, but NOT Mars?

• An abundance of liquid water is located on the planet.

• One or more moons orbit the planet.

• The planet is constantly in motion.

• The orbital path is predictable.

All of the planets in our solar system have about the same -

• mass

• diameter

• shape

• composition

Scientists observed a rocky, rotating object in space. It was 250 km wide. The rocky object was located several times farther away from the Sun than the Earth.

The object is most likely -

• Venus

• the Moon

• Mars

• an asteroid

Which of the following best describes meteors?

• Solids with irregular shapes, some of which are larger than Pluto, that mostly orbit the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Venus

• Solids that range in size from dust to small rocks that are scattered throughout the solar system, often due to the breakup of comets, that burn in a brief bright display when they enter Earth’s atmosphere

• Solids made of rock and ice with very elliptical orbits that originate beyond the orbit of Neptune and release gas and dust in a bright display that can last weeks when they pass close to the Sun

• Solids that orbit many planets in our solar system, many of which are asteroids or comets that have been caught by the gravitational pull of the more massive planet they orbit

What movements are involved in the relationship between Earth and Sun?

• The Sun rotates around the Earth as it revolves to cause day and night.

• The Sun revolves around the Earth as it rotates to cause day and night.

• The Earth rotates around the Sun as it revolves to cause day and night.

• The Earth revolves around the Sun as it rotates to cause day and night.

Which of the following represents characteristics of the four planets farthest from the Sun?

• Smaller planets

• Gas giants

• Rocky (terrestrial) planets

• 3 or less moons