Download Study Guide Answers

The Solar System
STUDY GUIDE FOR OPEN NOTE TEST
1. The sun produces energy by what process? nuclear fusion
2. The planet that is closer to the sun than Earth and Venus is Mercury.
3. The solar wind is a stream of electrically charged particles that extend outward from what layer of the sun?
corona
4. One of the conditions required for life on Earth is liquid water.
5. Describe a heliocentric system. Earth and other planets revolve around the sun.
6. The fact that each planet’s orbit is an ellipse was discovered by Johannes Kepler.
7. Who first explained that the sun is at the center of the system of planets? Nicholas Copernicus
8. Aside from Earth, which inner planet once had liquid water on its surface? Mars
9. Which two inner planets are much alike in terms of size and density? Earth and Venus
10. What do all the inner planets have in common? They are all small, dense, and have rocky surfaces.
11. Most ancient astronomers thought that all celestial objects revolved around the Earth.
12. Saturn’s rings are mostly made up of chunks of ice and rock.
13. Why is Uranus different than most other planets? It is rotated 90° on its side.
14. Neptune is very similar in size and color to Uranus.
15. The hypothesis that Mars may once have had the conditions needed to support life is based in part on
evidence that liquid water was once present.
16. What shape are the orbits of most comets? long, narrow ellipses
17. Where is the asteroid belt located? It is located between Mars and Jupiter.
18. Meteoroids usually come from comets or asteroids.
19. What do all the outer planets have in common? There are all gas giants.
20. A meteoroid that hits Earth’s surface is called a(n) meteorite.
21. Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a(n) storm larger than Earth.
Essay:
Explain how the process of nuclear fusion occurs at the core of the sun.
In the process of nuclear fusion, hydrogen atoms join together to form helium. This happens under
extreme heat and pressure. An extreme amount of energy is released.