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WorksheetsThe Solar System
Total questions: 22
Worksheet time: 1hrs 6mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
The outer planets are called the terrestrial planets.
a)
True
b)
False
2.
An astronomical unit is the average distance
a)
from Earth to Mars.
b)
from Earth to the Sun.
c)
from Earth to the Moon.
d)
from Earth to the asteroid belt.
3.
Which outer planet has a sideways axis of rotation?
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
Neptune
4.
Which outer planet is about the same size, makeup, and structure as Uranus?
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Neptune
5.
Earth, Mars, Mercury, and Venus are the
a)
gas giants.
b)
terrestrial planets.
6.
The greenhouse effect occurs when a planet's atmosphere traps solar energy and causes the surface temperature to increase.
a)
True
b)
False
7.
All of the outer planets are mostly made of
a)
water ice.
b)
metal and rock.
c)
gas and liquid around a solid core.
8.
Which planet is the solar system's largest?
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
Neptune
9.
The outer planets have atmospheres composed mostly of
a)
nitrogen and oxygen.
b)
hydrogen and helium.
c)
water vapor and carbon dioxide.
10.
Which planet has a moon that is larger than the planet Mercury?
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
Neptune
11.
All of the inner planets
a)
have at least one moon.
b)
have thick atmospheres.
c)
are rocky and have a solid outer layer.
12.
Because Mercury's mass is so small, it
a)
does not rotate.
b)
has no atmosphere.
c)
has a surface that is not solid.
13.
Why is Venus the hottest inner planet?
a)
It is covered with liquid water.
b)
It is the closest planet to the Sun.
c)
Its atmosphere traps a lot of heat energy.
14.
Earth is the only planet with a wide variety of life because of its
a)
size and shape.
b)
closeness to the Sun.
c)
moderate temperature and liquid water.
15.
Why do scientists think that liquid water might have once existed on Mars?
a)
Mars' surface has deep gullies on it.
b)
The southern half of Mars is covered with craters.
c)
The largest known mountain in the solar system in on Mars.
16.
How is Venus unlike other planets?
a)
It has a solid inner core.
b)
It has a very thin atmosphere.
c)
Its period of rotation is longer than its period of revolution.
17.
Which inner planet has the longest period of revolution and why?
a)
Venus, because it spins very slowly.
b)
Mercury, because it is closest to the Sun.
c)
Mars, because it is farthest from the Sun.
18.
An object that orbits the Sun, has a spherical shape, and has a mass greater than the mass of other objects near it is a(n)
a)
star.
b)
planet.
c)
asteroid.
d)
comet.
19.
What keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?
a)
the Sun's mass
b)
the Sun's period of rotation
c)
the Sun's gravitational force
d)
the Sun's electromagnetic energy
20.
The planets in the solar system are so far apart that scientists measure the distances between them in
a)
miles.
b)
astronomical meters.
c)
kilometers.
d)
astronomical units.
21.
Asteroids and comets are mainly rock and ice.
a)
True
b)
False
22.
Which shape describes a planet's orbit?
a)
a circle
b)
an ellipse
c)
a straight line
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