The Sun
What part of the Sun makes energy?
Core
What is a nebula made of?
Gas and dust
What shapes are orbits?
Ovals/ellipses
Which areas get the most direct sunlight?
Equator
Which planets are inner planets?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
What happens to hydrogen in the Sun as it gets older?
Hydrogen decreases, helium increases
What force pulled the nebula together to form the Sun and planets?
Gravity
Which planet goes around the Sun faster: Mercury or Jupiter?
Mercury
How does sunlight angle affect temperature?
Poles colder, equator warmer
How long does it take Earth to orbit the Sun?
365 days
What process makes energy in the Sun's core?
Nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium
Why are inner planets rocky but outer planets are gas/ice giants?
Closer the Sun was hotter, only rocks could stay solid; gases condensed far away.
State Kepler's Second Law in simple words.
Planets move faster near the Sun, slower far away
Plants, currents, weather
What causes seasons?
Tilt of Earth's axis
Name 3 layers of the Sun other than the core.
Radiation zone, convection zone, photosphere, chromosphere, corona
What evidence shows the solar system formed from a spinning disk?
Planets orbit in the same plane and in the same direction.
According to Kepler's Third Law, which takes longer to orbit: Earth or Saturn?
Saturn
Which Earth systems absorb solar energy first?
Atmosphere, hydrosphere (water), Biosphere (life)
What is albedo?
Reflectivity of surface, affects temperature.
Why can nuclear fusion only happen in the core?
It is the only place hot and dense enough for hydrogen to fuse
What kind of evidence best supports the nebula theory?
Radiometric dating shows Earth, Moon, meteorites formed around the same time.
A satellite closer to Earth moves (faster/slower) than one farther away?
Faster
How does solar energy affect weather?
Drives wind, evaporation, precipitation
Draw a diagram of sunlight hitting equator vs. poles