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WorksheetsThe Inner Planets
Total questions: 40
Worksheet time: 1hrs 4mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
The four closest planets to the sun
a)
Earth-like planets
b)
inner planets
c)
water planets
d)
tiny planets
2.
The force that keeps earth in orbit with the sun
a)
motion
b)
Newton's 1st Law
c)
Gravity
d)
Newton's 3rd Law
3.
How is Mercury different from the other inner planets?
a)
has no atmosphere
b)
it has large craters
c)
it orbits the Sun in an elliptical orbit
d)
It has water
4.
What causes Venus to be one of the brightest object in the night sky?
a)
it is very hot
b)
clouds reflect light so it looks really bright
c)
massive auroras
5.
How might a planet's distance from the sun affect the time it takes to make one orbit?
a)
the closer the planet is to the sun, the less time it will take to make one orbit
b)
distance does not matter
c)
size determines how fast an object orbits
d)
the farther away an object is the faster it orbits
6.
What do all inner planets have in common?
a)
they all have a rocky surface
b)
they all have water
c)
they all have active volcanoes
d)
they all have weather
7.
Which planet is warmer, Mercury or Mars?
a)
Mercury is warmer, because is it closer to the sun
b)
Mars is warmer, that is why it is red
c)
They are the same temperature
d)
Mercury is warmer because it has a thick atmosphere
8.
Why does Earth have a shorter year than Mars?
a)
Earth is closer to the sun, so its orbit is shorter
b)
Mars has a shorter year
c)
The gravity of the asteroid belt slows Mars down
9.
What effect does gravity have on the planets' orbits?
a)
the sun's gravity is so great that it keeps planets orbiting around it
b)
It does not have an effect
c)
The effect of gravity gets greater the farther away you get from the Sun
10.
Why is Mercury covered with craters?
a)
the craters were made when meteorites crashed into it because it doesn't have an atmosphere
b)
it is covered in millions of dormant volcanoes
c)
We used Mercury to test nuclear weapons
d)
It's massive gravity pulls everything in
11.
How would an atmosphere protect Mercury's surface?
a)
it would break up objects before they hit its surface
b)
It would reflect the objects back out into space
c)
Space objects would be slowed down by it
12.
Why are Mercury and Venus so hot?
a)
they are close to the sun
b)
they have lots of volcanoes
c)
they have thick atmosphere's
d)
they have skies that are on fire
13.
How are the atmospheres of Mercury and Venus different?
a)
Venus atmosphere is made of thick clouds;Mercury has almost no atmosphere
b)
They have the same type of atmosphere
c)
Venus does not have an atmosphere, Mercury has a very thick atmosphere
14.
What are Earth's two major characteristics?
a)
Has liquid water and an atmosphere that filter out some of the sun's harmful rays
b)
Volcanoes and oceans
c)
Earthquakes and a moon
d)
Life and no atmosphere
15.
Why is Mars called the Red Planet?
a)
its soil has a lot of iron oxide, which is reddish brown (like rust)
b)
It is very hot
c)
It has a lot of active volcanoes
16.
What characteristics make Mars unlikely to have plant and animal life on it?
a)
there's not enough oxygen
b)
there is no water at all
c)
It is too far away from the Sun
d)
there is too much carbon dioxide so it is very hot
17.
Why would the discovery of liquid on Mars be important?
a)
it might prove that Mars could have sustained life
b)
it would prove that fish used to live there
c)
it might prove that there really are "Martians"
18.
Why is Mars the coldest of the inner planets?
a)
It is farther from the sun than any other inner planet
b)
It's not, it is the hottest
c)
It has lots of snow storms
d)
It rotates on its axis very slowly
19.
Which planets have shorter orbits around the Sun?
a)
inner planets
b)
outer planets
c)
comets
d)
asteroids
20.
Inner planets have _________ orbits and outer planets have ________ orbits.
a)
shorter, longer
b)
longer, shorter
c)
big, smaller
d)
round, elliptical
21.
_______ is the hottest planet in the solar system.
a)
Mars
b)
Venus
c)
Jupiter
d)
Mercury
22.
What does the term terrestrial mean?
a)
Earth-like
b)
Round and rocky
c)
Has lots of water
d)
Close to the Sun
23.
What four planets make up the inner planets?
a)
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
b)
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter
c)
Mercury, Mars, Saturn, Earth
d)
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Jupiter
24.
What are characteristics of inner planets?
a)
Terrestrial, smaller, few or no moons
b)
Round, rocky, full of water
c)
Orbit the sun, very active volcanoes
d)
Close to the sun, lots of moons
25.
Why is it unlikely that we will ever be able to go to Venus?
a)
It is the hottest planet in the solar system
b)
It is too far away
c)
We don't have the technology to get there
d)
It is too rocky
26.
What is a characteristic that both inner and outer planets share?
a)
Orbit the sun.
b)
They are rocky.
c)
They are gaseous.
d)
Have the same length of day.
27.
Which planet was named for the Roman god of commerce, travel and thievery?
a)
Mars
b)
Mercury
c)
Venus
d)
Jupiter
28.
Which planet moves the fastest around the sun?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
29.
Which planet has a thick atmosphere that traps greenhouse gases?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Jupiter
d)
Neptune
30.
Which planet shines the brightest in the Earth sky?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Jupiter
d)
Tatooine
31.
Which planet is known as Earth's twin?
a)
Venus
b)
Mars
c)
Mercury
d)
Titan
32.
Which is the only planet known to support life?
a)
Earth
b)
Mars
c)
Hoth
d)
All of them
33.
Where is the largest volcano in the solar system located?
a)
Hawaii
b)
Mars
c)
The Sun
d)
Venus
34.
What is the name of the largest volcano in the solar system?
a)
Olympus Mons
b)
Mt Olympus
c)
Isle of Olympus
d)
Olympics
35.
Which planet is known as the red planet?
a)
Mars
b)
Jupiter
c)
Saturn
d)
None
36.
Which planet has the most extreme temperature ranges?
a)
Mercury
b)
Neptune
c)
Mars
d)
Uranus
37.
How many moons does Mars have?
a)
0
b)
1
c)
2
d)
3
38.
Which planet rotates clockwise, unlike every other planet?
a)
Mercury
b)
Neptune
c)
Earth
d)
Venus
39.
A large, round object that revolves a star and has cleared the region around its orbit
a)
dwarf planet
b)
comet
c)
planet
d)
asteroid
40.
_______ is likely the first planet humans will colonize.
a)
Mars
b)
Venus
c)
Saturn
d)
Mercury
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