Scale Model of the Solar System Lab

Why do we use models in science?

• Models are used in science because they make everything bigger and harder to see.

• Models are used to test ideas about things that cannot be observed directly.

• Models are used in science because they are very pretty and scientists enjoy looking at them and get absolutely no information from them.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS1-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is the unit we use to measure distances in our solar system?

• Light year

• Inches

• Astronomical units (AU)

• Cubic centimeters

What does this distance measure?

• The distance from planet Earth to Mars

• The distance from the Sun to the asteroid belt

• The distance from planet Earth to the moon

• The distance from planet Earth to the Sun

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

The is the numerical value of this distance?

• 150 million km or 93 million miles

• 10 million km or 9 miles

• 150 trillion km or 100 miles

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Why do we use this measurement?

• Because this unit looks better on paper and therefore makes more sense that we use it

• Because other units of measurement are too small to measure large distances.

• Because other units will convert better and thus making it a bigger number.

When you glued the planets down on your register paper what did you notice about the inner planets compared to the outer planets?

• The inner planets are really far away from the sun and the outer planets are very close to the sun

• This is a trick question there was no difference the only difference was the color of the paper the planets represented.

• The inner planets are closer to the sun and to each other and the outer planets are further from the sun and from each other.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

What three things do all the inner planets have in common? What three things do the outer planets have in common?

• Inner: They all have rings, They all are gas giants, They all have a rocky surface. Outer: Gaseous, They all have rings, further from the sun.

• Inner: They are rocky, Hotter and closer to the sun. Outer: Gaseous, Cooler, and further from the sun.

• Inner: They have rings, Further from the sun, and they are all made of gas. Outer: Rocky, all icy, and closest to the sun.

If your register tape is 158 cm long and Pluto is now at the edge with 39.5 AU’s, what is the length of one AU in the Solar System?

• 6cm

• 7cm

• 4cm

• 5cm

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

How far is Mercury in this new solar system, if Mercury is 0.4 AUs from the Sun

• 2cm

• 2.2cm

• 1.8cm

• 1.6cm

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

If your register tape is 200 cm long and Pluto is the farthest planet at 39.5 AU’s. If we wanted to add the planet Eris which at its farthest point is 97 AU’s from the sun. How much more register tape would we need to add this planet?

• 291

• 285

• 300

• 250

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3