Download Lesson 2 | The Inner Planets - 6th Grade earth and space Science

Lesson 2 | The Inner Planets
Student Labs and Activities
Page
Launch Lab
25
Content Vocabulary
26
Lesson Outline
27
MiniLab
29
Content Practice A
30
Content Practice B
31
School to Home
32
Key Concept Builders
33
Enrichment
37
Challenge
38
Skill Practice
39
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The Solar System
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Name
Date
Launch Lab
Class
LESSON 2: 20 minutes
What affects the temperature on the inner planets?
Mercury and Venus are closer to the Sun than Earth. What determines the temperature on
these planets? Let’s find out.
Procedure
1. Read and complete a lab safety form.
2. Insert a thermometer into a clear 2-L
plastic bottle. Wrap modeling clay
around the lid to hold the thermometer
in the center of the bottle. Form an
airtight seal with the clay.
3. Rest the bottle against the side of a shoe
box in direct sunlight. Lay a second
thermometer on top of the box next
to the bottle so that the bulbs are at
about the same height. The thermometer
bulb should not touch the box. Secure
the thermometer in place using tape.
4. Read the thermometers and record the
temperatures below.
5. Wait 15 minutes and then read and
record the temperature on each
thermometer.
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Data and Observations
Think About This
1. How did the temperature of the two thermometers compare?
2.
Key Concept What do you think caused the difference in temperature?
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Name
Date
Class
Content Vocabulary
LESSON 2
The Inner Planets
Directions: On each line, write the term from the word bank that correctly completes each sentence.
NOTE: You may need to change a term to its plural form.
Earth
greenhouse effect
Mars
Mercury
terrestrial planet
Venus
1. Earth, Mars, Mercury, and Venus are
.
2.
is the closest planet to the Sun and has no atmosphere.
3.
has an atmosphere made of water vapor and gases.
4. The
occurs when a planet’s atmosphere traps solar energy
and causes the surface temperature to increase.
5.
is about the same size as Earth.
6.
has soil that contains iron oxide, which makes its surface
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
appear reddish in color.
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The Solar System
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Lesson Outline
LESSON 2
The Inner Planets
A. Planets Made of Rock
1. The inner planets are those closest to the
called the
. They are also
.
2. The inner planets are made of
and metallic materials.
3. The outer layers of the inner planets are in the
state.
B. Mercury
1.
is the planet closest to the Sun.
2. Mercury has no gases close to its surface, which means it has
no
.
a. Because of its small mass, Mercury’s
is not strong
enough to hold gases to its surface.
b. Because Mercury has no wind to move energy from place to place, the
temperatures on the side of Mercury facing the Sun are always
extremely
.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
3. Mercury’s surface is covered with impact
, smooth
plains, and high cliffs.
4. Mercury has a core made of
and nickel. Its mantle
is made of oxygen and
.
C. Venus
1.
is the second planet from the Sun.
a. Venus
more slowly than it revolves, so a day on
Venus is longer than a year on Earth.
b. Unlike most other planets, Venus rotates from
to
.
2. Most of Venus’s atmosphere is made up of
.
a. Venus is covered by a thick layer of
b. The clouds on Venus are made of
The Solar System
.
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Name
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Lesson Outline continued
3. Venus is the
planet in the solar system.
a. The high temperatures on Venus are caused by the
.
b. The greenhouse effect increases surface temperature because the
traps solar energy.
4. Most of the surface of Venus is covered by solidified
.
D. Earth
1. The third planet from the Sun is
.
2. Earth’s atmosphere is made up of
and a mixture of gases.
a. The atmosphere produces a(n)
that increases Earth’s
average surface temperature.
b.
is supported on Earth because of its atmosphere,
large bodies of liquid water, and moderate temperature range.
3. Earth has a solid inner core and a(n)
The
outer core.
surrounds the outer core.
a. Earth’s crust is broken into large sliding
b. Earth’s
.
is made mostly of oxygen and silicon.
1. Mars is the
planet from the Sun.
a. Mars has
small moons.
b. Many probes have examined the surface of Mars; most have looked for signs
of
.
2. Mars’s atmosphere contains mostly
.
3. Mars’s surface appears to be red because its soil contains
a. Ice caps on Mars are made up of ice and frozen
.
.
b. Features on Mars’s surface include craters, lava flows, canyons, and the largest
known
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in the solar system.
The Solar System
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E. Mars
Name
Date
Class
MiniLab
LESSON 2: 20 minutes
How can you model the inner planets?
In this lab, you will use modeling clay to make scale models of the inner planets.
Planet
Actual Diameter
(km)
Mercury
4,879
Venus
12,103
Earth
12,756
Mars
6,792
Model Diameter
(cm)
8.0
Procedure
1. Use the data above for Earth to
calculate in the Data and Observations
section below each model’s diameter
for the other three planets.
2. Use modeling clay to make a ball
that represents the diameter of each
planet. Check the diameter with
a centimeter ruler.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Data and Observations
Analyze and Conclude
1. Explain how you converted actual diameters (km) to model diameters (cm).
2.
Key Concept How do the inner planets compare? Which planets have
approximately the same diameter?
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Name
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Class
Content Practice A
LESSON 2
The Inner Planets
Directions: Match each fact with the correct planet by writing the letter of each fact in the correct box.
Each fact is used only once.
Mercury
A. period of rotation = 24 hours
B. polar ice caps made of frozen carbon
dioxide
C. surface features last for billions of years
because of little erosion
D. surface always covered by thick clouds
Venus
E. period of rotation = 244 days
F. period of revolution = 1.88 years
G. has soil rich in iron oxide
H. has no atmosphere or winds
Earth
I. third planet from the Sun
J. atmosphere made up of 95 percent
carbon dioxide
L. 80 percent of surface is covered by
solidified lava
Mars
M. has one moon
N. hottest planet in the solar system
O. southern hemisphere covered with craters
P. closest to the Sun
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The Solar System
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K. period of rotation = 59 days
Name
Date
Class
Content Practice B
LESSON 2
The Inner Planets
Directions: Answer each riddle by writing the name of the correct inner planet on the line provided.
1. Which planet is 5.5 percent of Earth’s mass and has no moon?
2. Which planet has an average distance from the Sun of 1.52 AU, the compound iron
oxide present in its surface, and carbon dioxide ice caps?
3. Which planet is hotter than Mercury, has a longer period of rotation than revolution,
and has an atmosphere of about 97 percent carbon dioxide?
4. Which planet has the largest known mountain in the solar system, two moons, and
a period of rotation equal to 24.6 hours?
5. Which planet has the presence of liquid water, a period of rotation equal to 24 hours,
and a solid inner core?
6. Which planet is the only planet with liquid water on its surface, a liquid outer core,
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
and a crust broken into large plates?
7. Which planet shows no evidence of life, experiences great dust storms, and has
a volcano on it as wide as Arizona?
8. Which planet has clouds of acid and an atmospheric pressure that is 90 times greater
than Earth’s but an internal structure that is similar to Earth’s?
9. Which planet has a liquid outer core, a mantle, and an atmosphere that protects life
from the Sun’s radiation?
10. Which planet has the greatest extremes of temperature depending on which side faces
the Sun, a thin crust, and a core made of iron and nickel?
11. Which planet has an average temperature of 460°C, has no water in its atmosphere,
and rotates from east to west?
12. Which planet has a cracked and wrinkled surface, gravity so small that it cannot hold
gases near its surface, and a thin crust?
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School to Home
LESSON 2
The Inner Planets
Directions: Use your textbook to complete the table. Some information has already been filled in.
Planet
Atmosphere
Structure
Surface
1.
2.
3.
Venus
97 percent carbon dioxide;
thick acid clouds
4.
5.
Earth
6.
7.
rocky crust of silicon and
oxygen; crust broken into
moving plates
Mars
8.
solid inner core; liquid
outer core; mantle
9.
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The Solar System
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Mercury
Name
Date
Class
Key Concept Builder
LESSON 2
The Inner Planets
Key Concept How are the inner planets similar?
Directions: Complete the chart by answering each question in the space provided.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Planet
Atmosphere
Structure
Surface
Moons
Mercury
1. Why does
Mercury not
have an
atmosphere?
2. Which two
metals make up
the core?
3. What covers
the surface?
4. How many
moons does
Mercury have?
Venus
5. What makes
up the
atmosphere?
6. What is
different about
this planet’s
rotation?
7. What covers
80 percent of
the surface?
8. How many
moons does
Venus have?
Earth
9. What does the
atmosphere
support?
10. What type of
core does Earth
have?
11. What makes up
most of Earth’s
crust?
12. How many
moons does
Earth have?
Mars
13. What makes up
about 95
percent of the
atmosphere?
14. What covers
the polar caps?
15. What causes
the reddish
color?
16. How many
moons does
Mars have?
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Name
Date
Class
Key Concept Builder
LESSON 2
The Inner Planets
Key Concept How are the inner planets similar?
Directions: Complete this table by putting a check mark under each planet that the characteristic applies to. The
first two lines have been completed for you.
Characteristic
Has a solid outer layer
Has an atmosphere
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Has wind
Has a surface that shows
erosion
Has a solid inner core
Has a liquid outer core
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Has impact craters
Has at least one moon
Has an iron and nickel
inner core
Has a crust
Has a mantle
Has a surface temperature
greater than 200°C
Has a surface temperature
less than 150°C
Has liquid water on its
surface
Has lava on its surface
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Name
Date
Class
Key Concept Builder
LESSON 2
The Inner Planets
Key Concept Why is Venus hotter than Mercury?
Directions: Explain each fact about the inner planets in the space provided.
FACT Mercury has no wind.
1.
FACT Venus is covered by a thick layer of clouds.
2.
FACT The atmosphere of Venus is very dense with an atmospheric pressure that is
90 times greater than Earth’s.
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3.
FACT Mercury experiences temperature extremes.
4.
FACT Mercury does not experience a greenhouse effect.
5.
FACT Venus is hotter than Mercury even though Mercury is closer to the Sun.
6.
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Name
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Class
Key Concept Builder
LESSON 2
The Inner Planets
Key Concept What kind of atmospheres do the inner planets have?
Directions: Complete the table by listing three facts about the atmosphere or lack of atmosphere on each planet.
Then answer each question.
Planet
Mercury
Facts
1.
Question
Why doesn’t Mercury have an
atmosphere?
2.
3.
Venus
1.
Why is Venus the hottest planet in the
solar system?
2.
Earth
1.
What factors enable life to exist on Earth?
2.
3.
Mars
1.
What causes great dust storms on Mars
that last for months?
2.
3.
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The Solar System
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3.
Name
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Enrichment
LESSON 2
The Inner Planets
An object at rest will tend to stay at
rest. An object in motion will tend to stay
moving in a straight line, unless acted
upon by an external, unbalanced force.
This is Newton’s first law of motion. If you
roll a ball on a level surface, it will roll in
a straight line until the force of friction
(an external, unbalanced force) stops it.
In space, there is very little friction to
slow the planets, but they don’t travel in
a straight line. The external, unbalanced
force that keeps the planets in curved
orbits is gravity.
Gravitational Force
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We usually go about our lives without
giving much thought to gravity. We can’t
notice the pull of gravity we have on Earth,
but we surely notice the pull of gravity
Earth has on us, especially when we fall
down. But the pull of gravity exists
between every pair of objects that have
mass. The more massive an object is, the
more gravity it has.
Staying in Orbit
Gravity keeps the planets in orbit
around the Sun, the moons around the
planets, and the Sun around the center
of the Milky Way. Mass and distance
determine which object orbits another
object. Small satellites such as the Moon
are attracted to the nearest larger object
with mass, as Earth attracts the Moon.
Mars doesn’t orbit Jupiter because the Sun
is far more massive than Jupiter and Jupiter
is far away from Mars. Mars is about
228,000,000 km from the Sun and about
551,000,000 km from Jupiter.
Applying Critical-Thinking Skills
Directions: Answer each question or respond to each statement.
1. Predict what would happen to Earth’s Moon if the force of gravity stopped.
2. Hypothesize what would happen to the Moon if its forward motion stopped.
3. Infer If you have ever gazed at the Milky Way on a clear night, you know that our
galaxy is composed of countless objects: suns, planets, asteroids, comets, gas, and dust.
These objects orbit around the center of the Milky Way. What can you infer is at the
center of the Milky Way?
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Name
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Challenge
Class
LESSON 2
The Inner Planets
Comparing the Inner Planets
Use the Venn diagram below to compare the characteristics of Venus and Earth. Describe
the features they share in the center area of the diagram. Differentiate between the
greenhouse effect on Venus and the greenhouse effect on Earth in a brief essay.
Characteristics
of Venus
Both
Characteristics
of Earth
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Name
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Skill Practice
Graphing Data
Class
LESSON 2: 25 minutes
What can we learn about planets by graphing
their characteristics?
Scientists collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions based on data. They are
particularly interested in finding trends and relationships in data. One commonly used
method of finding relationships is by graphing data. Graphing allows different types of data
be to seen in relation to one another.
Learn It
Scientists know that some properties
of the planets are related. Graphing
data makes the relationships easy
to identify. The graphs can show
mathematical relationships such as
direct and inverse relationships.
Often, however, the graphs show
that there is no relationship in the
data.
Planet
Average Distance
from the Sun (Au)
Orbital
Period (yr)
Radius of
Planet (km)
Mercury
0.39
0.24
2440
Venus
0.72
0.62
6051
Earth
1.00
1.0
6378
Mars
1.52
1.9
3397
Jupiter
5.20
11.9
71,492
Saturn
9.58
29.4
60,268
Uranus
19.2
84.0
25,559
Neptune
30.1
164.0
24,764
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Try It
1. You will plot two graphs that explore the relationships in data. The first graph
compares a planet’s distance from the Sun and its orbital period. The second graph
compares a planet’s distance from the Sun and its radius. Make a prediction about how
these two sets of data are related, if at all. The data are shown in the table.
2. Use the data in the table to plot a line graph below showing orbital period versus
average distance from the Sun. On the x-axis, plot the planet’s distance from the Sun.
On the y-axis, plot the planet’s orbital period. Make sure the range of each axis is
suitable for the data to be plotted and clearly label each planet’s data point.
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Name
Date
Class
Skill Practice continued
3. Use the data in the table to plot a line graph showing planet radius versus average
distance from the Sun. On the y-axis, plot the planet’s radius. Make sure the range of
each axis is suitable for the data to be plotted and clearly label each planet’s data point.
Apply It
4. Examine the Orbital Period v. Distance from the Sun graph. Does the graph show a
relationship? If so, describe the relationship between a planet’s distance from the Sun
and its orbital period.
relationship? If so, describe the relationship between a planet’s distance from the Sun
and its radius.
6.
Key Concept Identify one or two characteristics the inner planets share that you
learned from your graphs.
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The Solar System
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5. Examine the Planet Radius v. Distance from the Sun graph. Does the graph show a