Solar System

Front

What is the solar system?

Back

The solar system is a collection of celestial bodies, including the Sun, planets, moons, dwarf planets, comets, and asteroids, that are bound by gravity.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Front

What keeps the Earth and the Moon in their orbits?

Back

Gravity and orbital speed are the two factors that balance to keep Earth and the Moon in their orbits.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Front

What is gravitational force?

Back

Gravitational force is the attraction between two objects with mass, which decreases as the distance between them increases.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Front

What are the inner planets?

Back

The inner planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, which are rocky and smaller compared to the outer planets.

Front

What are the outer planets?

Back

The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, which are primarily gas giants.

Front

What is the difference between asteroids and comets?

Back

Asteroids are rocky bodies that orbit the Sun, while comets are icy bodies that release gas and dust, forming a tail when close to the Sun.

Front

What is a meteorite?

Back

A meteorite is a solid fragment of a meteoroid that survives its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and lands on the surface.

Front

What is inertia?

Back

Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion; it is directly related to the object's mass.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Front

What is the role of the Sun in the solar system?

Back

The Sun is the central star of the solar system, providing light and heat, and its gravitational pull keeps the planets in orbit.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Front

What is the Kuiper Belt?

Back

The Kuiper Belt is a region of the solar system beyond Neptune, populated with small icy bodies and dwarf planets like Pluto.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3