Planetary Motion

What is the eccentricity of this ellipse?

• 3.00

• 4.00

• .25

• 0.33

How does Jupiter's eccentricity (0.048) compare to Mars' (0.093)?

• Jupiter is more eccentric

• Jupiter is less eccentric

How does Venus' eccentricity (0.007) compare to Mercury's (0.206)?

• Venus is more eccentric

• Mercury is more eccentric

When Earth orbits closest to the sun,

• the sun orbits Earth; Earth does not orbit the sun.

• Earth orbits at the same speed as when it is farthest from the sun.

• Earth orbits at a slower speed than when it is farthest from the sun.

• Earth orbits at a faster speed than when it is farthest from the sun.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

All the planets orbit the sun in the same direction that they were spinning when they formed. Which of these laws describes why this is the case?

• For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

• An object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. An object in motion remains in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.

• Each planet in the solar system is a different distance from the sun. The distance is proportional to the length of time it takes a planet to orbit the sun.

• Planets moves fastest when they are closest to the sun and slowest when they are farthest from it.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

Copernicus’s model started what is called the Copernican revolution. What did his model propose?

• That the planets and sun move around Earth at constant speeds.

• That the planets orbit the sun in circular paths.

• That the planets and sun orbit Earth with little circles in their orbits.

• That the sun and moon orbit Earth and the rest of the planets orbit the sun.

Pluto is the next large planetary body past Neptune, the farthest planet from the sun. Based on Kepler’s 3rd law, what do you hypothesize about the length of time it takes Pluto to orbit the sun?

• It takes longer to orbit the sun than Neptune does.

• It takes less time to orbit the sun than Neptune does.

• It takes the same amount of time to orbit the sun than Neptune does.

• I need more information to make the hypothesis.

The planet Mercury puzzled scientists for many years until Einstein explained its orbit with the general theory of relativity. Mercury does not orbit the sun the way Newton’s laws predict. Why is that?

• Mercury’s orbit is slower than expected.

• Mercury’s orbit is faster than expected.

• The direction of Mercury’s orbit changes by a small increment each time it orbits the sun.

• Mercury orbits the sun in the opposite direction of the other planets.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

The planets orbit the sun because of gravity.

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

Planets move fastest at perihelion.

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4