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WorksheetsSolar System
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 8mins
. Temperatures on Mars reach as high as 20 °C and fall as low as -120 °C. That temperature is colder than any place on Earth. Temperatures on Earth vary, but they stay within a range of -89 °C to 58 °C. Which of these physical properties is responsible for the greater range of temperatures on Mars as compared to those on Earth?
Mass
Thin atmosphere
Period of revolution
Axial tilt
The distance between objects along with the masses of the objects affect the gravitational force between the objects. Which statement is true according to Newton’s law of universal gravitation?
When the masses of objects increase, gravitational force decreases
When distance between objects increases, gravitational force decreases
When distance between objects decreases, gravitational force decreases
When the masses of objects decrease, the distance between objects decreases
The surface of Mercury has many more craters than the surface of Earth has. Which of the following statements best explains why Mercury has many more craters than Earth has?
Mercury has a thinner atmosphere than Earth has
Mercury rotates faster than Earth does
Mercury has a smaller mass than Earth does
Mercury is closer to the Sun that Earth is
What is a way that the properties of the gas giants could cause the number of moons that orbit each planet to differ greatly from the number of moons that orbit Earth?
Gas giants are more massive than Earth and thus have greater gravitational forces, so they could attract more objects
Gas giants are farther from the sun than Earth, so there are fewer objects in that part of space to attract into orbits
Gas giants are less dense than Earth, so they contain less material that could form natural satellites
Gas giants rotate more rapidly than Earth, so they eject more material that could form natural satellites
Eric is creating a timeline of the formation of the solar system. Which flow chart best describes the formation of the solar system?
Solar nebula – nuclear fusion – sun – planets – planetesimals – protoplanetary disk
Protoplanetary disk – nuclear fusion – sun – solar nebula – planetesimals – planets
Solar nebula - protoplanetary disk – nuclear fusion – planetesimals – planets – sun
Solar nebula – protoplanetary disk – nuclear fusion – sun – planetesimals – planets
The table below shows some physical properties of the gas giant planets. What can you conclude about the period of rotation of the gas giant planets?
The smallest gas giant planet rotates the fastest
The planet with the smallest gravity rotates the fastest
The planet with the largest axial tilt rotates the fastest
The largest gas giant planet rotates the fastest
Teresa is studying the solar system. She learns that Jupiter has 18 named moons as well as many small unnamed ones, and that Earth has just one moon. Which of the following best explains why Jupiter has so many more moons than Earth?
Jupiter has a thicker, denser atmosphere than Earth and it condenses rock particles to form moons
Jupiter is much farther away from the Sun than Earth, so it attracts more moons
Jupiter has a much greater mass, and therefore a greater gravitational pull, than Earth
Jupiter is so much colder than Earth that clumps of ice form moons in its upper atmosphere more readily
People sometimes talk about seeing shooting stars. What do they actually see?
A meteor that burns up in the atmosphere close enough to see
A meteoroid traveling through space
A meteorite that burns up in the atmosphere close enough to see
A comet that has come close enough to Earth’s atmosphere to be seen
This diagram shows part of the Solar System. In addition to several planets, the diagram includes a band of small objects that orbit the sun.
Which objects are located in orbit between Mars and Jupiter?
Comets
Meteorites
Kuiper Belt objects
Asteroids
Why does Aristarchus’ idea that the sun is much larger than Earth support the heliocentric theory of the Solar System?
Small objects rotate around large objects
Small objects revolve around large objects
Large objects rotate around small objects
Large objects revolve around small objects
Why is the composition of the inner planets different from that of the outer planets?
The inner planets formed from heavier elements. The lighter elements that were left over formed into larger outer planets
The inner planets formed from lighter elements. The heavier elements that were left over formed into larger outer planets
The outer planets formed from heavier elements. The lighter elements that were left over formed into larger inner planets
The outer planets formed from lighter elements. The heavier elements that were left over formed into larger inner planets
Many historical models of the solar system were geocentric. Which of these phrases describes a geocentric solar system?
Circular, orbital path of travel
Existing in a star system
The sun as a reference point
Earth as a reference point
Which of the following best explains how modern astronomers view Galileo’s model of the solar system?
Modern astronomers would suggest the Sun is not the exact center of the solar system, but would agree that the Sun is not revolving around the Earth
Modern astronomers would disagree with Galileo’s entire model of the solar system
Modern astronomers would suggest that Galileo was wrong about almost everything except the position of the Sun in the solar system
Modern astronomers would disagree with Galileo’s idea that the planets revolve around the Sun, but would agree with his arrangement of the planets
Hillary is studying Kepler’s law of planetary motion. She learns that each planet follows an elliptical orbit around the Sun, as shown in the diagram below. Which statement below best explains why the planets orbit the Sun?
The forces between each of the planets keep them in orbit
The planets are drawn into orbit by the magnetic force of the Sun
The gravitational force of the Sun keeps the planets in orbit
The constant velocity of each planet keeps it moving in orbit around the Sun
Astrology is an example of pseudoscience. Astrology uses horoscopes that make predictions about a person’s life based upon the positions of the planets and stars. Why is astrology pseudoscience and not science?
Astrology does not involve topics that are of any concern to most people
Astrology does not follow the practices used by scientists in their work
Astrology does not examine phenomena in the natural world
. Astrology does not involve making observations
