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WorksheetsUnit 2 Solar system and Beyond.
Total questions: 35
Worksheet time: 18mins
Many people know that scientists have discovered a famous red spot on Jupiter, and that this spot is actually a giant storm that moves around the planet. This storm can be seen by telescopes from earth and also by probes that have flown past Jupiter. What question could you ask that would help you determine which of those two tools was used to discover Jupiter’s red storm for the first time?
How many miles is Jupiter from Earth?
Has a human ever landed on Jupiter?
Was the storm discovered from the surface of Jupiter, or from space?
Was the storm first seen from earth or from an image sent from space?
In a book, a student finds this photograph of the surface of Mercury. The student wonders what technology was used to take this picture and discover what the surface of Mercury looks like. The student writes down a question to ask to figure out how scientists got this photo: Was this photograph taken from Earth or from the surface of Mercury? If it was taken from Earth, I know a telescope must have been used. If it was taken from Mercury, I know that a rover/robot must have been used. Which of the following changes below would improve the student’s question?
She should also ask if the picture was taken from space, because it could have been taken by an astronaut who traveled to Mercury
She should also ask if the photo is color or black-and-white, because it could have been taken by an astronaut who traveled to Mercury
She should also ask if the picture was taken from space, because it could have been taken by a probe passing Mercury
She should also ask if the photo is color or black-and-white, because it could have been taken by a probe passing Mercury
A group of astronomers is studying objects that are very distant from our solar system. They are trying to decide if a new device is useful for their research. Which question would most help them decide if the device is useful for their research?
Is the device larger than other devices?
Will the device use more electricity than other devices?
Does this device take longer to build than other devices?
Can the device gather data from further distances than other devices?
The United States has landed a device on Mars. Using this device, which question can now be answered that could not be answered before?
What is the shape and color of Mars?
How many moons does Mars have?
What is the soil like on Mars?
How far away is Mars?
A group of fourth graders were studying a timeline of technological advances in space research. Which of the following questions could the student research to further understand the similarities and differences between the data collected from the technology?
How has technology improved its quality of photos over time?
What were the dates that each technology was invented?
Who were the scientists who invented the technology?
When was the first space discovery first documented?
Which of the following questions could be asked to understand how technology has affected observations made about space overtime?
How are the sizes of technology different from many years ago compared to today’s technology?
How does the information collected today compare to information collected many years ago?
Is the technology used today more complex than they were in ancient times?
When were other galaxies discovered?
In the year 1610, the astronomer Galileo used the telescope he built to observe the moons of Jupiter. Until the invention of the telescope, there was no evidence of moons around any planet beyond Earth. What is this an example of?
new evidence changing scientific knowledge
the observation of the creation of a planetary moon
new interpretations of the movement of planetary bodies
new interpretations of old evidence changing scientific knowledge
The picture shows a satellite orbiting around Earth in space. The satellite contains a powerful telescope and cameras. Why would scientists most likely choose to use a telescope in space instead of a telescope on Earth?
It is easier to take pictures of other satellites orbiting Earth in space.
It can view distant objects in space that cannot be seen from Earth.
It can take pictures of small living things floating in space around Earth.
It is less expensive to build a large telescope in space than on Earth’s surface.
The picture below shows a red dwarf star that is thousands of light years away from Earth. Today, it is impossible for humans to travel near this star because of the number of years it would take to get there. Since scientists cannot travel near a red dwarf star, which technology is helpful for extending their understanding of such stars?
telescopes and satellites that use images to build information about these stars
microscopes and X-rays to help understand details about things found on Earth
computers to allow scientists to read about red dwarf stars
binoculars to enable scientists to see the stars in detail
Use the chart of star size, distance, type, and visibility to answer: Would you predict that Rigel or Betelgeuse would appear brighter from earth?
Rigel because it is larger and closer to Earth
Betelgeuse because it is larger and closer to Earth
Rigel because blue supergiants appear brighter than red supergiants
Betelgeuse because red supergiants appear brighter than blue supergiant
Use the chart of star size, distance, type, and visibility to answer: If both Rigel or VY Canis Majoris could be seen in the night sky, which would you predict would appear brighter from Earth?
Rigel because it is closer.
VY Canis Majoris because it is larger.
Both stars would be equally bright because one star is much closer but the other is much larger.
There is not enough information to decide because one star is much closer but the other is much larger.
Kate and Sam are outside on a perfectly clear night, looking up at the stars. They are discussing what they learned about stars in science class today. Kate says she is still confused as to why some stars are brighter than others. She asks Sam if he could explain. Which argument is the best to explain why some stars appear to be larger and brighter than others.
If one star is closer to the earth than another, then it will appear larger and brighter. If two stars are the same distance from the earth, the larger star will appear brighter.
When a person on earth looks at the stars in the night sky, if one star is further away from the earth than another, then it will appear larger and brighter. If two stars are the same distance from the earth, the larger star will appear brighter.
When a person on earth looks at the stars in the night sky, if one star is closer to the earth than another, then it will appear larger and brighter. If two stars are the same distance from the earth, the smaller star will appear brighter.
When a person on earth looks at the stars in the night sky, if one star is further away from the earth than another, then it will appear smaller and brighter. If two stars are the same distance from the earth, the smaller star will appear brighter.
During recess, Tony and Josephine were talking about the sun and stars. Tony told Josephine that the sun is really a star. Josephine asked why it was so big and bright. If the sun is a star why is it so big and bright?
The sun is not really a star. It is a sun and that’s why it is so big and bright.
Since the sun is the closest star to the earth, it appears bigger and brighter than the other stars.
The sun is brighter than all the other stars in the sky, so it looks bigger from the earth even though it is really farther away than most stars.
The sun is a star, but it is made up of gasses that are much different from the other stars and this makes it appear bigger and brighter than the other stars.
Examine the two pictures below. Which of the following explanations would BEST describe the brightness of these stars if someone from Earth was looking at them?
Image A would appear brighter because it is closer to the Earth than Image B.
Image B would appear brighter because it is closer to the Earth than Image A.
Image B would appear brighter because it is larger than Image A.
Image A would appear brighter because it is a sun.
Two fourth grade boys are looking at the night sky with a telescope and notice some stars are brighter and bigger than other stars. Which statement BEST explains why some stars are brighter and bigger?
The stars are bigger than other stars because they are physically bigger.
The stars are brighter than other stars because they are physically brighter.
The stars appear bigger and brighter because of their closeness to the Earth.
The stars appear bigger and brighter because of their closeness to surrounding stars.
Two stars are the same size and the same temperature, but one of the stars appears brighter in the night sky. What is most likely true of the brighter star?
It is blue in color.
It is a younger star.
It is closer to Earth.
It is an older star.
The star Betelgeuse is part of the constellation Orion. Betelgeuse is about 900 times larger than the Sun. However, from Earth, Betelgeuse appears as a red dot. Why does the Sun appear so much larger and brighter from Earth than Betelgeuse?
Betelgeuse is much hotter than the Sun.
Betelgeuse is surrounded by other stars.
The Sun is much closer than Betelgeuse.
The Sun is much older than Betelgeuse.
Based on the information in the passage, what can be concluded about the Sun?
The Sun is the smallest of all the stars in the sky.
The Sun is the dimmest of all the stars in the sky.
The Sun is the closest to Earth of all the stars in the sky.
The Sun is the farthest from Earth of all the stars in the sky.
Based on the observed sizes and brightnesses of stars in the night sky and their distances from Earth shown in the passage, which statements correctly compare the distances of his favorite stars from Earth? Select TWO that apply.
Star 3 is farther from Earth than star 4.
Star 4 is farther from Earth than star 2.
Star 3 is farther from Earth than star 2.
Star 1 is the closest star to Earth out of his favorite stars.
Star 3 is the closest star to Earth out of his favorite stars.
Which of the following explanations correctly compares planets and stars?
Stars orbit around planets.
Stars are larger than plants.
Stars can be seen in the sky at night and planets cannot.
Planets are made of gas and plasma; Stars are made of gas or rock.
A student constructs the following explanation to compare planets and stars: Stars are much larger than planets, and they also have have gas in their composition, which planets do not. Nearby planets can sometimes be seen in the night sky, but stars can be very far away and still seen in the night sky because they emit light. Finally, planets orbit around stars. Which of the following changes would improve the student’s explanation the most?
Planets cannot be seen in the night sky, but stars can.
Some stars are larger than planets, but not all of them.
A student completes research and organizes it in the chart below. The teacher observes the notes and asks the student to give Label A and Label B the correct headings. Which of the following would the student fill in and why? Chart: Label A - Made out of hot helium - Continuously gives off light Label B - Made out of rock - Reflects light from the sun
Label A is a star because stars constantly twinkle since they always give off light. Label B is a planet because planets are either made out of gases or rocks.
Label A is a star because stars constantly twinkle since they always give off light. Label B is a planet because planets do not give off their own light.
Label A is a planet because it is made out of hot helium. Label B is a sun because all suns are made out of hot rocks.
Label A is a planet because it gives off light. Label B is a star because all stars reflect light and twinkle in the night.
Why do planets appear to move across the constellations at different times and locations compared to stars?
Planets orbit around the Earth.
Planets move the same speed as all stars.
Planets are much closer to the Earth than stars.
Planets do not move, it just appears that they do because the stars are moving.
A student is completing research about how stars are different from planets. Which of the following descriptions could the student conclude from the research?
Stars are evenly spread out in the sky because of their orbits.
Stars are made out of gases and give off a light.
Stars orbit around planets that they are close to.
Stars each have one moon that orbits around it.
A chart was made about planets and stars. Which of the following is accurate information that can be placed inside the chart?
You must use a telescope in order to see stars at night. You can see all planets at the same time when observing without any technology.
Stars have much higher temperatures than planets since stars emit light and energy.
Planets twinkle in the night sky and stars are dim.
Planets and stars are very similar, but the only difference is that planets orbit stars.
Kiara makes a mistake on her diagram. Which sentence corrects Kiara's mistake?
Stars shine steadily, but planets twinkle.
Both stars and planets move along orbits.
Only stars create their own heat and light.
Stars are made of solids, liquids, and gasses.
Juan observes the night sky, making drawings of the brightest objects' locations, for a few months. He noticed that nearly all of the objects followed the same regular path across the sky each night. After a few weeks, however, Juan noticed that one of the objects changed its path and seemed to be traveling in the opposite direction across the sky. What kind of object is Juan observing?
a star because its orbit makes it appear to change directions
a planet because its orbit makes it appear to change directions
a star because Earth's orbit makes it appear to change directions
a planet because Earth's orbit makes it appear to change directions
Which sentence is true about the differences between planets and stars?
Planets are closer to Earth than stars, so they appear not to move.
Planets are farther from Earth than stars, so they appear to move more.
Stars are closer to Earth than planets, so their movements are easier to see.
A model of the solar system is shown. Which of the following is a strength of the solar system model below?
The model attempts to show the size of the planets to scale.
The model attempts to show the composition of the planets.
The model attempts to show the differences in how the planets look.
The model attempts to show the distance between the planets to scale.
A student is writing about the strengths and weaknesses of the solar system model below. She writes four sentences evaluating it: 1) The model of the solar system accurately shows that, to scale, the inner planets are much smaller than the outer planets. 2) It also shows very accurately how the planets look different from space. I would recommend making two improvements to the model. 3) First, the planets should be lined up better – the inner planets are not in line with the outer planets in the model, and they should be. 4) Second, the distances between the outer planets should be increased because they are actually much more spaced out than this diagram shows. Which sentence in the student’s explanation would you revise to make her explanation more accurate?
Sentence #1
Sentence #2
Sentence #3
Sentence #4
A student uses the following model of the solar system. What limitations does the model have?
It does not show the order of the planets from the Sun or the composition of the planets.
It does not show how the planets orbit around the Sun or the composition of the planets.
It does not show how the relative size or show that the planets orbit around the Sun.
It does not show the composition of the planets or the relative size.
A student uses the following model of the solar system. Which is a limitation and an advantage of the model?
An advantage of the model is that it shows the composition of the planets. A limitation is that it does not not show the order of the planets.
An advantage of the model is that it shows relative size. A limitation is that the model does not show the distance between the planets correctly.
An advantage of the model is that it shows the distance between the planets correctly. A limitation of the model is that it does not show relative size.
An advantage of the model is that it shows how the planets orbit around the sun. A limitation is that it does not show the composition of the planets.
A model of the solar system is shown. Which of the following are two advantages of the model?
It shows how the planets orbit around the sun and the composition of each planet.
It shows the composition of each planet and the appearance of the planet.
It shows the relative size of the planet and the appearance of the planet.
It shows the composition of each planet and the order from the sun.
A group of fourth graders are wanting to build a solar system model. Which of the following characteristics of the model should the student include to make it as representational of the real solar system as possible?
The model should show how the planets all orbit around the Sun at the same speed while showing relative sizes and distances from the Sun.
The model should show the order from first to last on a poster board with texture to represent the composition.
The model should show an orbit with the correct order with relative distances from the Sun and relative sizes.
The model must be 3D to show that the solar system is also 3D.
The model shows planets in Earth’s solar system. What information can be observed from this model?
the distance of the planets from each other
the composition of the planets’ atmospheres
the size of the planets compared to each other
the speed of the planets’ orbits around the Sun
