Models of the Solar System
Which Polish astronomer was responsible for proposing the earliest heliocentric model?
Copernicus
What force is responsible for collapsing particles of gas and dust to form our solar system?
Gravity
What two variables affect gravitational attraction?
Mass and distance
Weight is determined by which 2 variables?
Mass and gravity
Which German mathematician improved Copernicus' heliocentric model in the 1600's?
Kepler
What celestial body is also known as the "birthplace of stars?"
Stellar nebula
Which is the most massive object in our solar system?
The sun
Pablo wants to go to the moon, and is curious to know how much he weighs on the moon. He weighs 100 pounds on Earth. He finds out that the moon has half the gravitational force that's present on earth? How much will Pablo weigh on the moon?
What is the name of the model where astronomers believed Earth was at the center of the universe?
The geocentric model
How do scientists know the asteroid belt separating the inner 4 planets and outer 4 planets is part of our solar system?
Because it orbits the Sun
Which object has the greatest gravitational attraction?
Jupiter
A space probe lands on a planet with 2x the gravitational force as the earth. What happens to the mass and weight of the space probe?
Hint: weight = mass x gravity
Mass stays the same, however weight will double
Heliocentric model
What are the 4 inner planets known as?
Terrestrial planets
A space satellite is hovering near a planet. At which of the following distances would the probe feel the largest (strongest) gravitational pull towards this planet?
A. 15,000 km
B. 20,000 km
C. 4,000 km
D. 10,000 km
4,000 km
Which two planets are missing from the geocentric and heliocentric models?
Uranus and Neptune
What is the smallest planet in our solar system?
Mercury
The objects below represent sets of objects in space. Which pair of objects would most likely exhibit the greatest gravitational attraction on each other? (See photo on Mrs. Newsome's screen)
C.