Formation of the Solar System

Which statement disagrees with Laplace’s hypothesis of the sun’s formation?

• The sun gradually cooled over time.
• The sun began to shrink after it formed.
• The sun began to rotate faster after it formed.
• The sun’s mass moved toward the outer edge of it.

Immanuel Kant proposed the nebular hypothesis for the origin of the solar system as a single cloud of material rotating in a single direction. Which object in our solar system is the most similar to the nebula in composition?

• sun
• Mars
• Earth
• Mercury

A student rubs an inflated balloon with wool. The student moves the balloon over bits of paper, and the balloon attracts it. Which statement best describes how the balloon models the early formation of planets in the solar system?

• The balloon and the planets are both constructed from bits of matter that they collect.
• The balloon circles over the bits of paper, just as the planets circle around each other.
• The balloon and the planets both display orbital motion around a larger body of mass.
• The balloon attracts bits of paper, just as the planets attract matter that is around them.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Which statement correctly describes a difference in our solar system’s inner planets and outer planets due to gravitational effects?

• The inner planets are larger.
• The outer planets have more moons.
• The inner planets are more spread apart.
• The outer planets all have rocky surfaces.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Which of these are comets composed of?

• ice and dust
• metals and dust
• hydrogen and ice
• hydrogen and helium

An astronomer uses parallax to determine a star’s distance from Earth. Which statement correctly describes parallax?

• Stars closer to Earth will have a dimmer appearance.
• Stars farther away from Earth will have a dimmer appearance.
• Stars closer to Earth will appear to have a greater shift in position.
• Stars farther away from Earth will appear to have a greater shift in position.

Which statement summarizes how the formation of the solar system was similar to the differentiation of Earth into layers?

• In both processes, the most massive materials moved to the center.
• In both processes, the most massive materials moved to the outside.
• In both processes, the most massive materials were evenly distributed.
• In both processes, the most massive materials formed the middle layer.

Explain how the planets stay in orbit around the sun.

• The magnetic pull of the planets and the sun hold them in orbit.

• The rotation of the planets and the sun hold them in orbit.

• The gravitational pull of the planets and the sun hold them in orbit.

• They don't stay in orbit around the sun.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Describe one way in which a young star is different from a protostar.

• A protostar forms in the center of a nebula when the particles clump and a young star forms when the protostar contracts.

• A protostar does not spin and a young star does.

• A young star is in the center of the system and a protostar is not.

• A protostar does not have nuclear fusion while a young star does, so a protostar will be cooler than a young star.

Explain why there is a larger gravitational force between the sun and Earth than between two tennis balls on a table.

• The tennis balls are closer together than the Earth and sun.

• The sun and Earth are different sizes, which creates more gravity.

• The sun and Earth are moving while the tennis balls are not.

• There is a larger gravitational force because the Earth and sun have more mass which creates more gravity.

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NGSS.MS-PS2-4