Unit - 08: Investigating the Solar System

Made mostly of ice, fits best under which heading in the Venn diagram?

• Asteroid

• Meteor

• Comet

• Section X

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

Which of the following accurately describes the orbital path of most planets in our solar system?

• The orbital path is in a perfect circle.

• The orbital path is in an ellipse, but looks almost circular.

• The orbital path is in a large elliptical shape.

• The orbital path varies greatly from planet to planet.

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 Earth. Which of the following statements describes a property of Earth, but NOT a property of 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.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

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

• Mass

• Diameter

• Shape

• Composition

Scientists observed a rocky, rotating object orbiting 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

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Identify the planet on the chart above that would most likely be the coldest. Explain your answer.

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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 above table, what size ball would be the best choice to represent Earth?

• 0.5 cm

• 1.2 cm

• 12 cm

• 16 cm

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

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 planet was Galileo observing when he discovered the Galilean moons?

• Jupiter

• Saturn

• Uranus

• Neptune

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3