The Solar System

What is a bright streak of light that we often refer to as a "shooting star"?

• a meteoroid disturbing Earth's magnetic field.

   

• a meteoroid going through radioactive decay.

• a meteoroid reflecting the Sun's rays to Earth.

• a meteoroid entering the atmosphere and burning up

What is the main difference between asteroids and meteoroids?

• Asteroids are larger than meteoroids.

  This is correct as asteroids are generally larger than meteoroids.

• Meteoroids are asteroids that have hit Earth.

  Both asteroids and meteoroids are in orbit around the Sun and have not entered Earth's atmosphere.

• Meteoroids are larger than asteroids.

  Meteoroids are generally smaller than asteroids.

• Meteoroids are only found in the area between Mars and Jupiter.

  Meteoroids are found in a variety of locations.

What characteristic is shared between all of the outer planets?

•  

  They have no moons that orbit them.

• They are made mostly of gaseous materials.

• They are all very warm, similar to Venus.

• They orbit the Sun opposite to Earth.

Why is Earth capable of supporting life, unlike many other planets?

• Earth is located inside the asteroid belt.

• Earth is a terrestrial body.

• Earth has a gaseous atmosphere for only a part of the year.

• Earth's hydrosphere and atmosphere help maintain the conditions necessary to sustain life.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

The graph shows data on the most abundant gases on Mars.

What would need to change in order for Mars's atmosphere to support human life?

• The level of oxygen would need to increase, and the level of carbon dioxide would need to dramatically decrease.

• The level of carbon monoxide would need to increase, and the level of oxygen would need to decrease.

• The level of nitrogen would need to increase, and the level of argon would need to dramatically decrease.

• The level of carbon dioxide would need to increase, and the level of nitrogen would need to decrease.

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Which statement correctly compares meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites?

• Meteors float in space, meteorites move through the atmosphere, and meteoroids have landed on the surface.

• Meteors float in space, meteoroids move through the atmosphere, and meteorites have landed on the surface.

• Meteoroids float in space, meteors move through the atmosphere, and meteorites have landed on the surface.

• Meteorites float in space, meteors move through the atmosphere, and meteoroids have landed on the surface.

The picture shows a ring containing objects in space.

Which objects most likely make up the ring in this picture?

•  COMETS

  Comets have distinctive tails and are known for their icy compositions. While comets can also revolve around the Sun, they do not make up rings around the Sun, so they are not likely to be the objects in the picture.

• ASTEROIDS

  Asteroids are large rocky objects that revolve around the Sun and can form a circular belt.

• METEORITES

  Meteorites are meteoroids that enter Earth's atmosphere and reach Earth's surface, so they are not the objects in the picture.

•  

  MOONS

  Moons are large objects in space that revolve around planets, not the Sun, so they are not likely to be the objects in the picture.

Which of the following small bodies of the solar system form a belt between Mars and Jupiter?

• meteoroids

• comets

• asteroids

• black holes

The graphs show four different characteristics of the planets in the solar system, listed along the X-axis by their first letters, in order of distance from the Sun.

Which graph shows the average surface temperatures of the planets?

• Graph A

  Graph A shows the surface temperature of the planets increasing as the distance from the Sun increases, which is opposite to the actual pattern of surface temperature.

• Graph B

  Graph B shows Neptune with the highest surface temperature, even though it is the farthest planet from the Sun.

• Graph C

  Graph C shows Mercury, Venus, and Earth, the closest planets to the Sun, with the lowest surface temperatures, and Jupiter with the highest.

• Graph D

  In general, the surface temperatures of the planets decrease as the distances from the Sun increase. Venus is the only exception, as it has a hotter surface temperature than Mercury even though Mercury is closer to the Sun. This is due to Venus’s thick atmosphere, which traps heat at its surface.

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NGSS.MS-PS3-4

Two scientists are attempting to determine whether an object is a comet or an asteroid. The table lists they questions they posed and their observations.

Scientist 1 determines that the object is a comet while scientist 2 determines that the object is an asteroid. Which scientist is correct and why?

• Scientist 1 is correct. Because comets are made of dust and ice, comets are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than asteroids, and only asteroids, not comets, develop tails as they approach the Sun.

• Scientist 1 is correct. Because comets are made of dust and ice, comets are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than asteroids, and a comet would not develop a visible tail that far away from the Sun.

• Scientist 2 is correct. Because asteroids are made of dust and ice, asteroids are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than comets, and an asteroid would not develop a visible tail that far away from the Sun.

• Scientist 2 is correct. Because asteroids are made of dust and ice, asteroids are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than comets, and only comets, not asteroids, develop tails as they approach the Sun