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WorksheetsSolar System Maze
Total questions: 116
Worksheet time: 1hrs 27mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
What is the impact of the phrase “planetary leftovers” in lines 29 and 30?
a)
. It gives a connotation of something saved from a previous use.
b)
It suggests the importance of the planets’ gravitational pull.
c)
It provides more detail about the appearance of the comets.
d)
It gives a scholarly sound to the sentence.
2.
The information in the text box on Edmond Halley offers support for which claim made by the author?
a)
Comets are predictable.
b)
A Comets are affected by radiation from the Sun.
c)
A Comets come from the edge of the solar system.
d)
A Comets warn of important and sometimes terrible events.
3.
Which sentence best states the main idea of the text box about Edmond Halley?
a)
As a student at Oxford University in England, Edmond Halley (rhymes with valley) was so excited about astronomy that he left school to map the stars in the Southern Hemisphere’s skies.”
b)
A “Halley is best known for his groundbreaking work on comets, especially the one that bears his name.”
c)
A “Halley was the first to say that comets sighted in 1531, 1607, and 1682 were actually the same comet returning every 76 years.”
d)
A “The multitalented Halley was England’s Astronomer Royal from 1719 until he died in 1742 at Greenwich Observatory in England.”
4.
Read this sentence from the text box on comets. Ancient people believed the unannounced visitors were warnings of something unusual and terrible—war, flood, death, sickness, or earthquake. Which section of the article supports this claim?
a)
A How many asteroids are out there?
b)
A Where do comets come from?
c)
Edmond Halley
d)
A Who’s coming to visit in 2062?
5.
The purpose of the article’s structure is to
a)
A provide a guide to the topics that are discussed
b)
A indicate the vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to readers
c)
A provide a historical background for the scientific discussion
d)
A show readers what major questions still puzzle the scientific community
6.
Leslie and Sue were writing a report on the early theories about our solar system. They wanted to use primary sources about some of the very early theories. They were short on time. Where would be the BEST place for the girls to look for primary sources on this topic?
a)
science CD-ROMS
b)
science magazines
c)
references on astronomy
d)
back issues of newspapers
7.
What did scientists use to come up with a theory about how the universe was created?
a)
scientific evidence and observation
b)
opinion
c)
observation
d)
guessing
8.
Where is our solar system located in the Milky Way Galaxy?
a)
outer rim
b)
center space
c)
nest in a tree
d)
moon
9.
Based on the information, which object is most likely an asteroid?
a)
iron and nickel
b)
iron
c)
nickel
d)
silica
10.
Halley was learning about an object in the Solar System that is made of frozen gases and solid rock. Which of these objects was she learning about?
a)
comet
b)
rock
c)
star
d)
asteroid
11.
Which object in the solar system is made up of dust and rock and burns up when entering the Earth’s atmosphere?
a)
moon
b)
comet
c)
meteor
d)
star
12.
Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun and make up the solar system. Which letter on the above diagram represents Earth?
sun) F G H I J K L M
sun) F G H I J K L M
a)
F
b)
G
c)
H
d)
I
13.
A characteristic of gaseous planets is that they have _______.
a)
no density
b)
a density less than Earth’s
c)
a density greater than Earth’s
d)
a density the same as Earth’s
14.
Jack constructed an accurate scale model of the solar system. In his model, the Sun was a basketball, Jupiter was a large marble, Neptune was a small marble, and Venus was a grain of sand.
In this model, which would most accurately represent the size of Earth?
In this model, which would most accurately represent the size of Earth?
a)
peanut
b)
golf ball
c)
a grain of sand*
d)
marble
15.
How is Saturn different from Earth?
a)
Saturn is smaller than Earth.
b)
Saturn is closer to the Sun than Earth
c)
Earth has a moon, while Saturn does not have any moons.
d)
Earth is made mostly of rock, while Saturn is made mostly of gas.
16.
The earth is the only planet we live on because it has living organism and
chose the best answer
chose the best answer
a)
water
b)
rocks
c)
wind
d)
mountains
17.
Earth’s orbital position in our solar system
a)
outer planet
b)
inner planet
c)
outside of nubula
d)
inside nubula
18.
Which planet is characterized by polar ice caps, a pink sky, a rust-colored surface, large volcanoes, and surface channels?
a)
uranus
b)
saturn
c)
pluto
d)
mars
19.
A hurricane-type cloud known as the Great Red Spot can be found on which planet
a)
mars
b)
jupiter
c)
neptune
d)
star dust
20.
Suppose you view the constellation Leo in the northern sky on March 1 at 8:00 p.m. On April 1, at the same time of night, Leo looks like it has changed its position slightly. Which statement best explains your observation?
a)
The constellation has moved within the Milky Way.
b)
The constellation has moved behind a dust cloud.
c)
The universe is expanding.
d)
The Earth has moved in its orbit around the Sun
21.
During Spring months observed from Northern latitudes, the constellation Leo will rise in the East, travel across the night sky, and set in the West. Which BEST explains this observation
a)
The constellation Leo appears to move across the sky as a result of the Earth’s rotation
b)
The constellation Leo appears to move across the sky as a result of the Earth’s tilt.
c)
The constellation Leo appears to move across the sky as a result of the Earth’s rotation.*
d)
The constellation Leo appears to move across the sky as a result of the Earth’s tilt.
22.
Which of these lists bodies in order, from CLOSEST to FURTHEST from the Earth?
a)
moon, sun, near edge of milky way, center of milky way
b)
near edge of milky way, moon, center of milky way, sun
c)
near edge of milky way, moon, center of milky way, sun
d)
moon, sun, center of milky way, near edge
23.
A single galaxy is BEST described as containing
a)
millions stars
b)
trillion stars
c)
billions stars
d)
two stars
24.
Why does the Sun appear larger and brighter as seen from Earth than the other stars
a)
hotter
b)
larger
c)
closer
d)
small
25.
Why does the Sun appear to move across the sky?
a)
the Sun's rotation
b)
the Earth's rotation
c)
the Sun orbits the stars
d)
the stars are orbiting around the Sun
26.
Mercury and Venus are the two planets orbit inside the orbit of the Earth. On Earth, we can see them just before sunrise or just after sunset. During the period that we can see them before sunrise, we call them the morning stars.When we can see them after sunset, we call them the evening stars.
a)
the planets are orbiting around Earth.
b)
like Earth, the other planets orbit the Sun.
c)
the other planets have much larger orbits than Earth.
d)
Earth is moving in a different direction than the other planets.
27.
The moon orbits our Earth. The opposite would never be true; the Earth would never orbit the moon. One reason is due to the force of gravity. The object ____________ has a greater gravitational force and that determines what satellites orbit around it.
a)
with greater mass
b)
with less mass
c)
with water
d)
with salt
28.
Meteoroids usually come from _______ or asteroids.
a)
Meteors
b)
Comets
29.
______ are meteoroids that entered our atmosphere and hit Earth without completely burning up.
a)
Meteors
b)
Comets
c)
Meteorites
d)
Asteroid
30.
Select the order from smallest to largest.
a)
Sun, Milky Way, solar system, universe
b)
Sun, Milky Way, universe, solar system
c)
Sun, solar system, Milky Way, universe
d)
Sun, solar system, universe, Milky Way
31.
A spiral galaxy of stars that contains our Sun
a)
Planisphere
b)
Intensity
c)
Star
d)
Milky Way
32.
_________________ are composed of dust and rocks mixed with ice and methane. They are created in the Oort Cloud or Kuiper Belt.
a)
Meteoroids
b)
Asteroids
c)
Comets
d)
Meteors
33.
A __________ is a chunk of ice & dust that has a bright head & a long narrow tail.
a)
asteroid
b)
planet
c)
meteoroid
d)
comet
34.
The ______is between the orbits of Mars & Jupiter.
a)
solar system
b)
asteroid belt
c)
terrestrial planets
d)
photosphere
35.
What is a planet?
a)
a swirling ball of gases
b)
a star
c)
a huge ball made out of rock
d)
a large object that orbits a star
36.
A model of the universe in which Earth is at the center of the revolving planets and stars. This includes the sun revolving around the Earth. This model is no longer supported.
a)
Geocentric
b)
Heliocentric
37.
When Galileo peered into the telescope and saw that Venus went through phases, what did this suggest?
a)
The telescope must possibly be wrong.
b)
Venus had a moon orbiting it.
c)
Venus must be orbiting the Sun.
d)
Venus had moons just like Earth.
38.
who created the first telescope?
a)
Ptolemy
b)
Nicolaus
c)
Galileo
d)
Abraham Lincon
39.
Why do scientists think there is dark matter?
a)
Galaxies are not shaped like they should be.
b)
Galaxies are spinning too fast.
c)
Galaxies are spinning too slow.
40.
Is the Big Bang Theory completely true forever?
a)
Yes, it fits with current data.
b)
Yes, we believe it to be so.
c)
No, theories evolve with new data.
d)
No, it does not fit with data.
41.
Why do scientists think there is dark matter?
a)
Galaxies are not shaped like they should be.
b)
Galaxies are spinning too fast.
c)
Galaxies are spinning too slow.
42.
an experiment is done to test your hypothesis. Your results...
a)
prove (or does not prove) your hypothesis is correct
b)
supports or fails to support your hypothesis
c)
are not important
43.
Which of the following statements is true about a THEORY
a)
A theory is a guess or hunch about something that has occurred in nature.
b)
A theory is a comprehensive set of ideas explaining a phenomenon in nature - in other words it is well tested - repeated and replicated, with peer review
c)
A theory is based on verifiable laws and can be proven true.
d)
A theory is a hypothesis that uses laws and observation to make an assumption
44.
What is the best explanation for why scientific theories are modified?
a)
Theories more than five years old are out of date.
b)
Scientists want to prove that the work of other scientists is wrong.
c)
New evidence that supports a revision prompts scientists to modify the earlier theories.
d)
So much information is available today that it is harder to focus research and disprove theories.
45.
Why must an experiment be repeated many times?
a)
Experiments are repeated to see if the environment was controlled well enough.
b)
Experiments are repeated to see if the scientists did his or her job correctly.
c)
Experiments are repeated to see if the question was focused.
d)
Experiments are repeated to see if the same results are reached each time.
46.
The summary at the end of an experiment that explains the results.
a)
conclusion
b)
procedures
c)
materials
d)
responding variable
47.
A series of steps used by scientists to solve a problem or answer a question.
a)
scientific inquiry
b)
recipe
c)
data collection
d)
metric system
48.
An experiment is a(n):
a)
accident
b)
definite answer
c)
way to test a hypothesis
d)
long task
49.
A __________ is a chunk of ice & dust that has a bright head & a long narrow tail.
a)
asteroid
b)
planet
c)
meteoroid
d)
comet
50.
The ______is between the orbits of Mars & Jupiter.
a)
solar system
b)
asteroid belt
c)
terrestrial planets
d)
photosphere
51.
The four terrestrial planets are known for their _________
a)
hot temps
b)
deep atmospheres
c)
rocky surfaces
d)
large size
52.
A force of attraction between any two objects is called _____________.
a)
static electricity
b)
rotation
c)
gravity
d)
orbit
53.
What is a planet?
a)
a swirling ball of gases
b)
a star
c)
a huge ball made out of rock
d)
a large object that orbits a star
54.
Which is NOT an inner planet?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Jupiter
55.
Select the order from smallest to largest.
a)
Sun, Milky Way, solar system, universe
b)
Sun, Milky Way, universe, solar system
c)
Sun, solar system, Milky Way, universe
d)
Sun, solar system, universe, Milky Way
56.
What do the four outer planets have in common?
a)
They are much larger than Earth and are made mainly of Hydrogen and Helium
b)
The are about the same size as Earth and are mostly made of Hydrogen and Helium
c)
They are must larger than Earth and are mainly made of iron
d)
They are the same size as Earth and are mainly made of iron
57.
Uranus is different from other planets because it
a)
Is the farthest from the sun
b)
is mostly nitrogen and helium
c)
rotates on its side
d)
has the most moons
58.
What is the smallest terrestrial planet?
a)
Mars
b)
Venus
c)
Mercury
d)
Earth
59.
This planet is the "jewel" of the solar system because it is surrounded by rings of dust, ice, and rocks.
a)
Neptune
b)
Earth
c)
Jupiter
d)
Saturn
60.
Uranus is different from other planets because it
a)
Is the farthest from the sun
b)
is mostly nitrogen and helium
c)
rotates on its side
d)
has the most moons
61.
One of the conditions for life on Earth is
a)
alternating night and day
b)
extreme temperatures
c)
polar ice caps
d)
liquid water
62.
Although this planet is known as Earth's twin, the similarity ends there. This planet's atmosphere is very thick, dense, and composed of carbon dioxide. Clouds of sulfuric acid make it impossible for humans to live there.
a)
Mars
b)
Jupiter `
c)
Venus
d)
Mercury
63.
This planet is known as the Red Planet due to the breakdown of iron rich rocks. Like Earth it has four seasons and rotates on it's axis a little more than 24 hours day
a)
Mars
b)
Mercury
c)
Venus
d)
Neptune
64.
What holds the solar system together
a)
hope
b)
mass
c)
gravity
d)
light
65.
In the universe, what is the body that includes the sun, all 8 planets, their moons, and all objects that revolve around the sun?
a)
solar system
b)
galaxy
c)
planet
d)
universe
66.
iron in rock and soil, two moons, rotates once every 24 hours and 38 minutes, year lasts 687 Earth days, thin atmosphere of mostly carbon dioxide, windy
a)
Earth
b)
Mars
c)
Mercury
d)
Saturn
67.
Objects made of ice, gas and dust and orbit our sun are called:
a)
Asteroids
b)
Comets
c)
Meteroids
d)
Meteors
68.
The planets in our solar system orbit _____.
a)
a large planet
b)
the smallest planet
c)
the sun
69.
How are meteors formed
a)
They were formed when the solar system formed
b)
The planets' gravity pull them in and they start orbiting the sun
c)
They are smaller portions of asteroids
d)
They are smaller portions of comets
70.
How are comets formed
a)
They were formed when the solar system formed
b)
The planets' gravity pull them in and they start orbiting the sun
c)
They are smaller portions of asteroids
d)
They are smaller portions of meteorites
71.
Which way does the tail of a comet face when it goes near the sun?
a)
Towards the sun
b)
Away from the sun
c)
Behind the comet
d)
In front of the comet
72.
What is the difference between a meteoroid and meteorite?
a)
One name sounds cooler
b)
A meteorite is smaller than a meteoroid
c)
A meteorite has already hit Earths surface
d)
A meteoroid has already hit Earths surface
73.
What two things are left behind in the tail of a comet?
a)
Ice and Rock
b)
Ions and Dust
c)
Ions and Ice
d)
All of the above are in the tail of a comet
74.
________________ are small objects made up of iron, rock, carbon that orbit around the sun.
a)
Meteors
b)
Comets
c)
Asteroids
75.
Meteors are often called shooting stars
a)
True
b)
False
76.
The Asteroid Belt is located between......
a)
Mars and Jupiter
b)
Neptune and Pluto
c)
Earth and Venus
77.
Which planet is between Venus and Mars?
a)
Earth
b)
Neptune
c)
Mercury
d)
Jupiter
78.
Select the order from smallest to largest.
a)
Sun, Milky Way, solar system, universe
b)
Sun, Milky Way, universe, solar system
c)
Sun, solar system, Milky Way, universe
d)
Sun, solar system, universe, Milky Way
79.
One of the conditions for life on Earth is
a)
alternating night and day
b)
extreme temperatures
c)
polar ice caps
d)
liquid water
80.
This planet is known as the Red Planet due to the breakdown of iron rich rocks. Like Earth it has four seasons and rotates on it's axis a little more than 24 hours day
a)
Mars
b)
Mercury
c)
Venus
d)
Neptune
81.
The _____ is found right after Neptune's orbit.
a)
Meteroid belt
b)
Kuiper Belt
c)
Oort Cloud
d)
Asteroid Belt
82.
An enormous system of gas, dust, and stars held together by gravity is called a _________.
a)
Galaxy
b)
Light-year
c)
Star
d)
Magnitude
83.
Which planet is furthest away from the sun?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Jupiter
d)
Neptune
84.
What is a fact about the outer planets?
a)
They are smaller.
b)
They are made of rock
c)
They are made of gas.
d)
They have no rings.
85.
What is a fact about the outer planets?
a)
They are smaller.
b)
They are made of rock
c)
They are made of gas.
d)
They have no rings.
86.
How long does it take for the moon to complete all of its phases?
a)
27 days
b)
30 days
c)
29.5 days
d)
12 days
87.
The tendency to keep something moving in a straight line is
a)
Mass
b)
Weight
c)
Gravity
d)
Inertia
88.
What are terrestrial or the inner planets composed of?
a)
water
b)
gas
c)
rock
d)
none of the above
89.
What are the jovial (outer) planets composed of ?
a)
rock
b)
gas
c)
dust
90.
Planets that are farther from the sun
a)
take more time to orbit
b)
take less time to orbit
91.
The moon was created due to Earth's collision with a planet named Thea which resulted in matter orbiting the Earth for billions of years eventually forming our moon.
a)
False
b)
True
92.
The Greater the distance is between two objects of mass the _________ amount of gravitational force is between them.
a)
greater
b)
less
c)
equal
93.
True or False
The Earth is the center of the solar system.
The Earth is the center of the solar system.
a)
True
b)
False
94.
What is a common characteristic of the inner planets?
a)
Large
b)
Gaseous
c)
Rings
d)
Rocky Surface
95.
Which planet has no atmosphere and looks like our moon?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
96.
Which planet has a thick atmosphere and is the hottest planet?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
97.
Which planet is covered in water?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
98.
Which planet has iron in its soil and is the red planet?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
99.
Which planet is the smallest?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
100.
Which planet is Earth's sister planet?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
101.
Which planet rotates to give day/night every 24 hours?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
102.
Which planet has had rovers sent to it to study its soil?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
103.
Which planet rotates on its side?
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
Neptune
104.
Which planet has a Great Dark Spot?
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
Neptune
105.
Which planet has hurricanes and one large one that makes up the Great Red Spot?
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
Neptune
106.
What force keeps the planets orbiting the sun?
a)
Gravity
b)
Magnetism
c)
Electricity
d)
Friction
107.
Which planet is the largest?
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
Neptune
108.
Which planet has the biggest rings?
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
Neptune
109.
Which planet is the largest?
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
Neptune
110.
What is in between the inner planets and the outer planets?
a)
Asteroid belt
b)
Kuiper belt
c)
Sun
d)
Moon
111.
The Big Bang Theory explains the formation of the -
a)
Earth
b)
Sun
c)
Universe
d)
Solar System
112.
According to science, approximately how long ago did the big bang occur?
a)
140 years ago
b)
14 thousand years ago
c)
14 million years ago
d)
14 billion years ago
113.
Before the Big Bang, where was all the matter and energy contained?
a)
Inside the sun
b)
In a single point
c)
It was invisible
d)
Under a rock
114.
Right after the big bang, what happened to all the matter and energy?
a)
It spread out
b)
It evaporated
c)
It created water
d)
It stayed still
115.
The energy left over from the big bang is known as -
a)
Microwave Radiation
b)
Nuclear Radiation
c)
Cosmic Background Radiation
d)
Astronomical Radiation
116.
This is the substance that all physical objects are made of
a)
Sand
b)
Water
c)
Matter
d)
Cheese
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