Unit 2: The Physical Earth

Small round bodies that orbit the sun but have not cleared the area around their orbits of other orbiting bodies

• Terrestrial planets

• Gas giant planets

• Asteroid

• Dwarf planets

Type of planet with a solid, rocky surface and crust

• Terrestrial planets

• Gas giant planets

• Asteroid

• Dwarf planets

Larger but less dense type of planet that has orbiting moons and thin, encircling rings

• Terrestrial planets

• Gas giant planets

• Asteroid

• Dwarf planets

A small, irregularly shaped object mainly found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

• Comet

• Meteroid

• Asteroid

• Meteor

A body of icy dust particles and frozen gases that looks like a bright ball with a long, feathery tail

• Comet

• Meteroid

• Asteroid

• Meteor

A piece of space debris composed of chunks of rock and iron

• Meteorite

• Meteroid

• Asteroid

• Meteor

A piece of space debris that burns up before it reaches the Earth's surface

• Meteorite

• Meteroid

• Asteroid

• Meteor

A piece of space debris that enters Earth's atmosphere and collides with Earth

• Meteorite

• Meteroid

• Asteroid

• Meteor

The part of Earth's surface that is covered in water

• Lithosphere

• Atmosphere

• Hydrosphere

• Biosphere

The part of Earth's surface that is covered by land

• Lithosphere

• Atmosphere

• Hydrosphere

• Biosphere