9.3 Our Solar System

Categorize the following.

Groups:

(a) Rocky planets

,

(b) Gaseous planets

• Uranus

• Saturn

• Jupiter

• Mars

• Earth

• Neptune

• Mercury

• Venus

The solar system ___.

• consists of the Sun and all the planets, moons, comets, and asteroids

• is held by the Sun's gravity

• orbits around the Sun

• only consists of the Sun and planets

• orbits around the Milky Way

What does the nebular theory state?

• The solar system formed from a rotating cloud of gas and dust.

• Planets were captured from other star systems.

• The Sun formed first and then ejected planets.

• The planets formed independently of the Sun.

What is the Sun mainly composed of by mass?

• Oxygen and carbon

• Hydrogen and helium

• Iron and nickel

• Uranium and lead

A ___ is a cloud of dust and gases in space where stars form.

• nebula
• black hole
• asteroid
• comet

___ are astronomical bodies that orbit one or more stars and are capable of forming a spherical shape under its own gravity.

• Moons

• Asteroids

• Comets

• Planets

What is the main source of the Sun's energy?

• Hydrogen being converted into helium

• Solar radiation

• Chemical reactions between carbon, oxygen, and iron

• Gravitational collapse

What does one astronomical unit (AU) represent?

• The average distance between the Sun and Earth.

• The distance from the Earth to the Moon.

• The distance light travels in one year.

• The diameter of the Sun.

What does one light year (ly) represent?

• The average distance between the Sun and Earth.

• The distance from the Earth to the Moon.

• The distance light travels in one year.

• The diameter of the Sun.

Name the planets in the solar system, starting from the Sun.

• Mercury

• Venus

• Earth

• Mars