Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Planet Nine wikipedia , lookup
Late Heavy Bombardment wikipedia , lookup
History of Solar System formation and evolution hypotheses wikipedia , lookup
Formation and evolution of the Solar System wikipedia , lookup
Dwarf planet wikipedia , lookup
Space: 1889 wikipedia , lookup
Name:________________________________ Lab #:____ DUE DATE: __________________________ Period:____ LAB: “Plotting Planets” Introduction: When you look at pictures or diagrams of our solar system and nine planets, you are usually looking at a sketch or drawing that is not drawn to scale. Usually the planets are too close to each other in their orbit around the sun, or some planets are not matched to size with the rest of the planets in the solar system. In this activity, you will be plotting out the distances of each planet from the sun to make a scale model of our solar system. A scale model is a way to draw or represent a very large size object into a smaller visual model. An example of a scale model would be a road map; it would be quite ridiculous to have an exact copy to size of all the roads in the country. In this case, we make a smaller version on paper that may use centimeters for miles or millimeters for feet. Just think! If we didn’t use scale models, no one could fit a map in their pocket – it would be too big! Purpose: To construct a scale model showing the distances from the sun for each of the planets in our solar system. Materials: 3-m of adding machine paper Scissors Masking tape Procedure A: Meter stick Sun cut-out Colored Pencils Ruler Pencil Calculator The Set-up 1. Have one person cut out the yellow sun diagram. Our Solar System 2. Unroll 3 meters of adding machine paper and cut it with scissors at the 3-meter mark. 3. Use masking tape to tape the adding machine paper to the sun from the back. Make sure the edge of the adding tape is at the start line on the sun. 4. Fold your solar system strip in half lengthwise. See dotted line on Diagram 1.2 on the next page. Points for solar system strip: ____________ / 5 points Procedure B: Planet Name Plotting the planets. 1. Make a clearing on the floor by your desk. Using only 2 pieces of tape, tape each end of the adding paper to the floor. 2. Using the chart to the right and a ruler, measure the distance Mercury is from the sun and mark it with a small dot on the fold you made. 3. Continue measuring each planet’s distance from the sun. Always start measuring at the Start, where the adding machine tape meets the sun. Diagram 1.2 Tape #1 Distance from Sun (in centimeters-cm) Mercury 3 cm Venus 6 cm Earth 8 cm Mars 12 cm Jupiter 39 cm Saturn 72 cm Uranus 144 cm Neptune 225 cm Pluto (dwarf) 290 cm Tape #2 SUN . M Procedure C: 1. 2. 3. 4. . V . . . . . . . E m J S U N P Drawing your planets. The dot you made on the fold for each planet in Procedure B is the center of each planet you will draw your planets using those dots. Use the diameters of each planet in the data table to the right to calculate the radius from the center of each planet. [r = ½d] Using the radius you calculated, measure that distance from the planet center in many directions. See arrows in diagram 1.3 below. Be careful, the smaller planets may only need their dots enlarged. Color your planets. Use a book for reference! planet Diagram 1.3 Planet Name Diameter of planet Mercury 2 mm Venus 5 mm Earth 5 mm Mars 3 mm Jupiter 57 mm Saturn 48 mm Uranus 20 mm Neptune 19 mm Pluto (dwarf) 1 mm Radius of planet [1 point] dot 20 mm Adding tape Name: ___________________________________ Lab #: _____ DUE DATE: ______________________________ Complete the data tables below for each planet. Period: _____ If 1 cm = 20 million km, calculate the actual distances of each planet from the sun. To do this simply multiply the scale distance by the scale amount. An example has been done for you. *You MAY use a calculator to help! TABLE 1.1 Calculate the distance from the sun for each planet. [1 point] Planet Scale Dis. Scale Amount Actual Distance 60 million km Mercury 3 cm x 20 mil. km Venus 6 cm x 20 mil. km Earth 8 cm x 20 mil. km Mars 12 cm x 20 mil. km Jupiter 39 cm x 20 mil. km Saturn 72 cm x 20 mil. km Uranus 144 cm x 20 mil. km Neptune 225 cm x 20 mil. km Pluto (dwarf) 295 cm x 20 mil. km TABLE 1.2 Calculate the estimated diameters of each planet. [1 point] Planet Scale Dis. Scale Amount Mercury 2 mm x 2500 km Venus 5 mm x 2500 km Earth 5 mm x 2500 km Mars 3 mm x 2500 km Jupiter 57 mm x 2500 km Saturn 48 mm x 2500 km Uranus 20 mm x 2500 km Neptune 19 mm x 2500 km 1 mm x 2500 km Pluto (dwarf) Estimated Diameter 5,000 kilometers Conclusion Questions: Use this lab to help you answer the following questions: 1. What does it mean to make a scale model of something? [1 point]________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 2. List the planets in order. Start with the closest to the sun. [1 point] _______________ ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Compare the size of the Inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) to that of the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). [1 point] ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 4. According to the data you collected, which planet is the smallest? Explain how you know this. [1 point] ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Use your notebook to help you answer the following questions: 5. Give two similarities between all the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars). [2 points] 1)__________________________________________________________________ 2)__________________________________________________________________ 6. Give two similarities between all the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). [2 points] 1)___________________________________________________________________ 2)___________________________________________________________________ 7. Compare Mars to that of the Earth. (Use size, and main characteristics from your notes to answer.) [2 points] ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 8. Using this lab and your notebook, use two observed facts or main characteristics to explain why Pluto is part of a group of planets called dwarf planets. [2 points] 1) _________________________________________________________________ 2) _________________________________________________________________