Solar System Vocabulary

The sun produces large amounts of energy. By what process does the sun produce energy?

• radiation

• convection

• nuclear fusion

• electromagnetic radiation

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

Because of both gravity and centripetal force, planets move in a particular manner around the sun. Which term describes the shape of the orbit of a planet?

• circle

• ellipse

• perihelion

• sphere

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Earth, Mars, Venus, and Mercury all have mountains. Many of these mountains are volcanoes. What is unusual about the volcano on Mars called Olympus Mons?

• It is an active volcano that erupts often.

• It is two-thirds the height of Mount Everest.

• It is the tallest mountain in the solar system

• It puts carbon dioxide into the atmosphere of Mars.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

One layer of the sun has a temperature of 15,000,000 °C. Here, the high temperature caused by crushing gravity causes hydrogen nuclei to fuse, forming helium nuclei. In which layer of the sun does this process take place?

• convection zone

• core

• photosphere

• radiative zone

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Most planets in the solar system have moons. Some moons have surface features that are similar to those found on Earth, such as active volcanoes. Which planet has a moon with the most volcanic activity in the Solar System?

• Earth

• Jupiter

• Mars

• Saturn

Cara is explaining to her sister how the solar system formed. Which description would she use to explain the solar nebula?

• a rotating cloud of gas and dust

• a disk of material surrounding a young star

• a small body from which planets form

• a rocky core surrounded by a deep atmosphere of gas and ice

Where do short-period comets originate?

• the asteroid belt

• the Kuiper Belt

• the orbit of Jupiter

• the Oort cloud

The diagram shows parallax. From which viewing position does the star appear to be in the black square?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

There is one star in our solar system.

• True
• False

Venus is called Earth's twin because they are about the same size

• True 
• False