Solar System Study Guide

How do the distances of the planets from the Sun influence their surface and atmospheric conditions?

• The four planets closest to the Sun have the largest diameters, and the four planets farthest from the Sun have the smallest diameters

• The four planets closest to the Sun have the warmest temperatures, and the four planets farthest from the Sun have the coolest temperatures.

• The four planets closest to the Sun have the lowest number of planets suitable for life, and the four planets farthest from the Sun have the highest number of planets suitable for life

• The four planets closest to the Sun have the highest amount of helium in the atmosphere, and the four planets farthest from the Sun have the smallest amount of oxygen in the atmosphere.

What is the order of the planets from the Sun in Earth’s solar system, starting with the closest planet to the Sun?

• Jupiter—Saturn—Uranus—Neptune—Earth—Venus—Mars—Mercury

• Neptune—Uranus—Saturn—Jupiter—Mars—Earth—Venus—Mercury

• Saturn—Jupiter—Mercury—Earth—Venus—Uranus—Mars—Neptune

• Mercury—Venus—Earth—Mars—Jupiter—Saturn—Uranus—Neptune

Which statement is true about the gaseous planets?

• They are the most able to sustain living things

• They contain trace amounts of other components

• They are the farthest from the Sun in the solar system

• They contain the same components in their atmosphere

Based on diameter, which of the following properly lists three of the planets in order from smallest to largest?

• Earth, Mars, Jupiter

• Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus

• Venus, Neptune, Saturn

• Venus, Uranus, Mars

What is at the center of the Solar System?

• The Sun

• Mars

• Jupiter

• Earth

What planet is the third planet from the Sun?

• Mercury

• Jupiter

• Mars

• Earth

How many planets are there on the Solar System?

• 9

• 10

• 7

• 8

How many planets are smaller than Earth?

• 1

• 4

• 2

• 3

The thick atmosphere of Venus provides an answer to which of the following questions?

• Why does Venus have the longest rotational period of all the planets?

• Why is Venus sometimes seen in the morning and sometimes at night?

• Why is Venus hotter than Mercury if Mercury is closer to the Sun?

• What causes the phases of Venus as viewed from Earth?

What dwarf planet was once considered a full planet of the Solar System?

• Pluto

• Ceres

• Eris

• Venus