Task 4: Study solar system data chart and answer following questions: 1. How do inner (Terrestrial) planets differ from the outer (Jovian) planets? 2. What is the difference between the period of revolution and rotation of a planet? 3. What is the relationship between a planet's period of revolution and its distance from the Sun? 4. Which planet has the highest surface temperature? Why? 5. Which planet would float if it would be placed in water? Why? 6. Which planet has period of Rotation longer than its period of Revolution. What its effect? 7. Which planets move more rapidly in its orbit? Why? 8. What is the major difference between the geocentric model and heliocentric model of our solar system? 9. Define: Asteroid belt: Solar eclipse: Lunar eclipse: 10. a) Which celestial object has the strongest influence on our ocean's tides? Why? b) Which causes the Moon phases? 11. a) Which celestial object has the same period of revolution and the period of rotation? Why? b) Which celestial object gives information about our Natural Satellite? Regents questions: 12. Which graph best represents the relative periods of rotation of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars? Period of Rotation Planet! Planet 13. Question 13 is based on following diagram: Mercury Venus Earth Mars Planet C Planet B Period of Rotation Planet D 1 AU 2 AU Orbital Distances in Astronomical Units (AU) 3 AU a) Planet D's diameter is 10 times greater than Earth's diameter. What planet in our solar system has a diameter closest in size to the diameter of planet D? b) Why does Planet B revolve faster than Planet C? Page 2 Name Band Lab# Date Teacher AIM: How can we create a Scale model of the solar system? Introduction: In this lab, you will construct a scale model showing the spacing of the planets in the solar system. This model will help you understand some of the vast distances in our family of planets. Materials: solar system reference data Paper tape (task 2) ruler or meter stick calculator pencil Note: If a long paper tape is not available, you may neatly and carefully cut some sheets of plain paper and then tape them together to form a long strip as needed. Procedure: 1. It is a group activity. (One model per group/table) 2. Read reference chart of solar system. Note: the distances from the Sun to each planet are in million kilometers Using the Astronomical Unit (AU): An AU is the average distance between the Sun and Earth (1 Au =149.6 million km = 93 million miles). AU is commonly used to compare distances in the solar system. Task 1: Convert each distance to Astronomical Units in table 1(1 AU is the distance from the Sun to Earth). (Hint: Since 1 AU=149.6 million km, divide planet's distance in million km by 149.6 to find AU) Example: Mercury is listed as an average distance of 57.9 million km from the Sun. Divide that number by 149.6 and then you will find Mercury is 0.387 AU from the Sun. Task 2: Construct solar system model (1 tape pre group) 1. Measure 150.0 cm long supplied tape (meter stick) 2. Near the beginning of your tape (put your name on it, of course!!), draw a line across the tape (length wise) and label the line ("Sun"). This is something like the starting line of a race. 3. Place the locations of the planets on the labeled line from the Sun. Use a scale of 5.0 cm for 1 AU. For instance, if a planet was 7.5 AU from the Sun, you would measure a distance of 7.5 AU x 5.0 cm/AU = 35.0 cm 4. Label each planet in table 1. Task 3: Complete table 1 and answer questions: Table 1-Solar system data Celestial object/ planet Mean distance (million km) MERCURY VENUS EARTH MARS JUPITER SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE 57.91996 108.249.4 149.6-9 227.9 778.4 1,426.7 2,871.0 4,498.3 149.6 Distance from the Sun(AU) Nearest thousandth (Distance/149.6) 0.387 AUXS 0.75 1015 Distance on Model (cm) Nearest tenth (AU x 5.0cm) 1.9 cm 1.0 EARTH'S MOON Answer questions: (0.386 from the Earth) 1. Which planet is about 5 times farther from the Sun than Earth? 2. Which planet is about 72% of Earth's distance from the Sun? 3. About how many times farther is Saturn compared with Jupiter? 4. About how many times farther than Saturn is Neptune? 5. Compare the pattern of spacing of the inner planets with the pattern of spacing of the outer planets. Page