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Chapt.6 The Solar System
Study Guide
Test Date:
1. What is the difference between a star and a planet?
A star is an object that produces its own energy, including heat and
light. Planets do not produce their own heat and light. Sun produces
most of the light in solar system.
2. Is Sun the largest star in the universe? What is the size of the Sun?
Sun is not the largest star in the universe. In fact Sun is an average
sized star. But it is the largest object in the solar system. More than a
million earths can fit inside the Sun.
3. Write five facts about the Sun.
a. Sun is mostly made up of two gases; hydrogen and helium
b. It is not the largest star in the universe.
c. Most of the energy is produced in the core.
d. Earth and other planets in the solar system get most of the heat and
light from the Sun.
e. There is a strong gravitational pull between the Sun and the planets.
4. What is fusion?
The Sun is a big ball of gases-mostly hydrogen and helium atoms. The
hydrogen atoms in the Sun’s core combine to form helium and generate
energy in a process called fusion or nuclear fusion. The energy produced
in this process of fusion is called solar energy.
5. Where is most of Sun’s energy produced?
Most of the energy that the Sun produces is formed in its core.
6. What is an asteroid belt? Where is it located?
An asteroid is a bit of rock. Most of the asteroids in our solar system
can be found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. This area is
sometimes called the "asteroid belt".
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7. List the planets that have at least one moon.
Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto (Can be omitted
as Pluto is no longer a planet).
Mercury and Venus do not any moons.
8. What shape is the solar system?
The solar system is oval shaped or “elliptical” in shape. The Earth moves
around the Sun in an elliptical orbit. The other planets in the solar
system also move around the Sun in elliptical orbits.
9. What happens to Meteoroids when they enter the earth’s atmosphere?
Meteoroids are small chunks of stone. If a meteoroid enters the Earth's
atmosphere, it is known as a meteor or "shooting star." If the meteor
doesn't entirely fall apart in the atmosphere and strikes the surface of
the Earth, it is called a meteorite.
10. What is inertia and gravity?
Inertia is the tendency of a moving object to keep moving in straight
line.
Gravity is a force of attraction, or pull, between any two objects.
11. What role does gravity and inertia play in our solar system?
As the planets orbit the Sun, they tend to fall toward it. But at the
same time, their forward motion tends to make them move away from
it.
12. Define an orbit.
An orbit is a path one object takes around another object. In our solar
system the planets orbit around the Sun.
13. What keeps planets in orbit?
The gravitational pull from the Sun keeps the planets in orbit.
14. Is there gravity on the surface of Jupiter?
In our solar system, the planet with the greatest gravity is Jupiter.
15. The planets that are further from the Sun are large and made of gas.
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Sun is made up of mainly d
a. orbit faster than the outer
planets
Planets those are farther from the Sun
f
b. the total mass of the two objects
and the distance between the
two.
c. keeps the planets moving in their
orbits around the Sun.
Planets that are close to the Sun a
Comet g
d. two gases; hydrogen and helium
Gravity is affected by b
e. keeps artificial satellites in orbit
around Earth.
f. orbit slower than the inner
planets
g. Frozen masses of gas, ice, and
dust which have a definite orbit
through the solar system.
gravity and inertia
c
Forward motion and Earth’s gravity e
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