Forces in our system
Scale of the System
The Planets
Vocab in Action
100

These two factors are what determine the strength of gravity.

What are mass and distance?

100

This is what makes up over 99% of our solar system

What is empty space?

100

These are the two factors that are similarities between inner planets

What are rocky and smaller?

100

One trip around the sun is called this.

What is a revolution?

200

This planet has the fastest orbital speed of all the planets.

What is Mercury?

200
When the sun is closest to the earth (January), what does that tell us about orbital speed at the time?

What is it is fastest?

200

These are two similar factors that all outer planets share.

What are large and gaseous?

200

Describe a transit

What is when a celestial body (planet) goes in between a star and another planet? 

300

These are the two forces that cause our orbit of the sun

What are gravity and initial velocity

300

Fill in the blank: Venus appears bigger when it is _______ to Earth.

What is closer?

300

As the planets get further from the sun the space between the planets does this.

What is increase?

300

Mercury transits the sun from Earth's perspective. This tells us that ...

What is its orbit is between the sun and Earth or its orbit is closer to the Sun than Earth's orbit?

400

If the mass of the sun was tripled, this would happen to orbital speed of all planets.

What is increase?

400

Jupiter is farther than the Earth from the sun. Because of this when could we see Jupiter?

What is at midnight?

400

This is when we can't see the other planets in our solar system.

When they are in front or behind the sun?

400

1 AU (astronomical unit) represents this.

What is the distance between the sun and Earth?

500

If the mass of a planet increased or the distance two planets from each other decreased, what would happen to the gravity?

What is it would increase?

500

There are two main factors that determine if a model is to scale: Name them.

What are size of the planets and spacing of the planets?

500

These are the steps in the formation of our Solar System. 1. Planets, asteroids, and comets form, 2. Sun forms from remnants of other stars, 3. Planetesimals form due to gravity, 4. Gas and dust form a disk around the sun, 5. Orbits stabilize the way they are today. Order them appropriately

What is 2, 4, 3, 1, 5?

500

We see a new planet has joined the solar system. It is 1.5 AU from the sun. Is the earth visible at midnight for that planet? Why or why not?

What is no, because earth would be inside and you can only see planets further from the sun than your location at midnight?

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