Spinning
Think of the spinning ice skater and the blown glass. What happens as gravity draws in the molecular cloud’s gas?
As gravity draws in the molecular cloud’s dust, the molecular cloud spins faster and begins to flatten into a disc.
What law of physics determines the in and out movements of the outer planets as they move planetesimals around?
The Law of Conservation of Energy is the law of physics that determines the in and out movements of the outer planets as they move planetesimals around.
What is the Kuiper belt?
A donut-shaped region of icy bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune.
Why is Jupiter’s gravitational influence the greatest in the Solar System?
Jupiter’s gravitational influence is the greatest in our Solar System because it's the largest planet.
What forces are at play both in the early Solar System and at an amusement park?
Gravity, collisions, and momentum are the forces at play both in our early Solar System and at an amusement park.
What happens to a planet’s energy when it moves in and drops to a lower orbit?
When a planet moves in and drops to a lower orbit it loses energy.
What happens when early Earth and protoplanet Thea collide?
The collision of the early Earth with the protoplanet Thea caused both protoplanets to break apart and create a ring of debris which orbits Earth and creates the moon.
What is the asteroid belt?
The asteroid belt is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, located roughly between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars, that is occupied by a great many solid, irregularly shaped bodies, of many sizes but much smaller than planets, called asteroids or minor planets.
Why do no planets form in the asteroid belt?
No planets form in the Asteroid Belt because the asteroids collide with each other repeatedly, so they are never combined long enough to form a protoplanet.
What makes tiny particles stick together after they collide?
The forces of static friction make tiny particles stick together after they collide.
True or False: Physics connects to our Solar system?
True
Can you name Newton's 3 Laws?
Name all of the planets (not including Pluto).
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Why don’t the rock particles in the Kuiper Belt form into planets?
The rock particles in the Kuiper Belt do not form into planets because there are not enough particles of rock close enough together to form protoplanets.
After particles collide and stick together, what force takes over when they become larger?
When they are larger the force of gravity takes over.