Download The Solar System

Natural Science: Test
Grade 6
1
The Solar System
Section A:
Multiple choice
1. The hottest part of the Sun is its;
a) crust
b) sunspots
c) core
d) photosphere
2. The volcanic mountain Olympus Mons can be found on;
a) Jupiter
b) Mars
c) Saturn
d) Mercury
3. Which one of the following is not an inner planet with a rocky surface?
a) Uranus
b) Earth
c) Venus
d) Mars
c) 24 hours
d) 28 days
4. How long does it take the Moon to rotate once?
a) 28 hours
b) 365¼ days
5. The temperature on the surface of the Sun is about;
a) 15 000 0000º C
b) 1 700º C
c) 6 000º C
d) 500º C
c) Uranus
d) Saturn
6. Which planet is the furthest from the Sun?
a) Mercury
b) Neptune
7. What is the name of the most famous space telescope to date?
a) Sojourner
b) Curiosity
c) Hubble
d) SALT
8. How long does it take asteroids to revolve around the Sun?
a) 3 - 6 Earth years
b) 3 - 6 Earth days
c) 88 Earth days
d) 88 Earth years
c) Mars
d) Mercury
9. Which one of these planets have no moons?
a) Jupiter
b) Pluto
10.Who was the first person to set foot on the Moon?
a) Buzz Aldrin
b) Neil Armstrong
c) Yuri Gagarin
d) Michael Collins
11. What are the billions of smaller rocks that travel through space called?
a) asteroids
b) craters
c) comets
d) meteorites
12. NASA is short for;
a) National Astronauts Society of America
b) National Aeronautics Society of America
c) National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States of America
d) National Astronauts Society of the United States of America
½ each (6)
Natural Science: Test
2
Grade 6
The Solar System
Section B: Definitions
Question 1:
1. solar system
Define the following terms in full.
(10)
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2. asteroids
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3. Sun
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4. Moon
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5. rover
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Question 2:
Answer the following questions in full.
1. Compare a star to a planet, making reference to their composition, position in the solar system
and movement.
(6)
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Natural Science: Test
3
Grade 6
The Solar System
2. Discuss the difference between the rotation of the Earth and the revolution of the Earth, then
draw a simple diagram to illustrate the difference.
(6)
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Section C: Short questions
Question 1:
Fill in the missing words.
½ each (6)
The Earth _____________________ around an _________________ . This imaginary line runs
from the _____________________ pole to the ____________________ pole. It takes the Earth
___________________________ to complete a full ________________________ . This is the
reason why we experience __________________ and _________________ on Earth. The Earth
also moves in its own _____________________________ around the ___________________ .
It takes the Earth _______________________________ to complete one __________________
around the Sun.
Question 2:
Answer the following questions in full.
1. In which way is the Moon different from the Sun?
(2)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Natural Science: Test
Grade 6
4
The Solar System
2. Explain the movement of the Moon in detail.
(3)
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____________________________________________________________________________
3. Name the four outer planets. What is the difference between the inner and outer planets? (4)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. Why does the Earth and other planets stay in orbit around the Sun?
(1)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
5. What is the difference between an optical telescope and a radio telescope?
(2)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 3:
Write only the letter of the celestial body that fits the description:
A: M ars
B: M ercury
C: Saturn
D: Jupiter
F: Uranus
G: Neptune
H: P luto
I: Venus
E: Earth
_______
This is the biggest planet.
_______
This planet is called the ‘ice giant’.
_______
It is the only planet without an atmosphere.
_______
This planet has two moons.
_______
This is no longer a planet, but classified as a ‘dwarf planet’.
_______
This planet is sometimes mistaken for a star.
_______
This planet is 150 million km from the Sun.
_______
This planet has bright colourful rings around it, made from frozen water.
_______
This planet is the coldest planet.
(9)
Natural Science: Test
Grade 6
5
The Solar System
Question 4:
Refer to the diagram below and answer the questions which follow:
N
E
A
C
D
B
G
F
1. Give the names of each of the planets:
(8)
A: _____________________________
B: _____________________________
C: _____________________________
D: _____________________________
E: _____________________________
F: _____________________________
G: _____________________________
H: _____________________________
2. Which planet will have the longest year, as we know it? Give a reason for your answer. (2)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. Draw the asteroid belt in green on the diagram and explain what it is.
(3)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Natural Science: Test
6
Grade 6
The Solar System
Section D: Application
1. Using your knowledge of the revolution of the Earth around the Sun, explain in detail why
South Africans have winter, when New Yorkers have summer.
(4)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Deduce why the Moon has many craters, but the Earth’s surface has only a few craters.
(2)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. The flags planted during all the lunar expeditions and the footprint of the first man to walk on
the Moon are still there. Point out why this is possible.
(3)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. Explain how the location of the Moon affects the tides.
(4)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. Using your knowledge of the planet Mars, critically evaluate the probability of life on Mars. (5)
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Total:
/85
Natural Science: Test
Grade 6
7
Memo:
Section A:
Multiple choice
1. c)
2. b)
3. a)
4. d)
5. c)
6. b)
7. c)
8. a)
9. d)
10. b)
11. d)
12. c)
(6)
Section B: Definitions
Question 1:
1. solar system
Define the following terms in full.
(10)
The Solar system is the Sun and all the objects, including the planets,
asteroids and moons, that travel around it. These objects pull on each other as they move
around the Sun.
2. asteroids
Asteroids are chunks of rocks from planets that broke up a long time
ago. These rocks orbit around the Sun and form the asteroid belt. Asteroids can be small or
very big.
3. Sun
The Sun is a star, producing its own energy. As all other stars, the Sun is a ball
of gas. The Sun’s temperature is highest at the core and it is about 420 times as big as the
Earth. The Sun is the reason for life on Earth.
4. Moon
Moons are celestial bodies made of rock that orbit around planets. Some
planets have many moons, but the Earth only has one moon, called the Moon. Moons
cannot give out light or warmth as it is not made of gas.
5. rover
A rover was designed to allow humans to explore planets and the Moon. It is
made of special wheels and axles that can travel on rough, uneven terrains. Rovers have been
used to explore the Moon and Mars.
Question 2:
Answer the following questions in full.
1. Compare a star to a planet, making reference to their composition, position in the solar system
and movement.
(6)
Stars are balls of gas with extremely high temperatures. Stars are very far from the Earth. Stars
do not orbit the Sun and usually stay in the same place and the same distance apart. Planets on
the other hand, can consist of rock (inner planets) or gas (outer planets). The temperatures on
planets vary in relation to their distance from the Sun, but planets can only reflect the light of the
Sun and cannot give off light. There are only eight planets that all orbit around the Sun. Planets
therefore change position constantly.
Natural Science: Test
Grade 6
8
Memo:
2. Discuss the difference between the rotation of the Earth and the revolution of the Earth, then
draw a simple diagram to illustrate the difference.
(6)
The Earth rotates around its own axis. This means that the Earth spins around an imaginary line
that stretches from the North pole to the South pole. The Earth completes one rotation every 24
hours. One rotation of the Earth qualifies as a day on Earth. The rotation results in day and night.
The section of the Earth facing the Sun will have day, and the section facing away from the Sun
will have night.
The Earth also revolves around the Sun, or orbits around the Sun. It takes the Earth 365¼ days
to orbit the Sun. This is known as a year on Earth. The revolution of the Earth around the Sun
results in different seasons.
Revolving or orbits
around the Sun
Rotating or
spinning around
its axis
Section C: Short questions
Question 1:
Fill in the missing words.
½ each (6)
The Earth rotates around an axis . This imaginary line runs from the North pole to the South pole.
It takes the Earth 24 hours to complete a full rotation . This is the reason why we experience day
and night on Earth. The Earth also moves in its own revolution/orbit around the Sun . It takes the
Earth 364¼ days to complete one revolution around the Sun.
Question 2:
Answer the following questions in full.
1. In which way is the Moon different from the Sun?
(2)
The Sun is a ball of burning gas giving off light and heat. The moon is a rocky body that cannot
produce its own heat or light. We can only see the part of the Moon that is lit by the Sun. When it
is new moon, the Moon is directly between the Earth and the Sun and we cannot see the reflection
of the Sun on the Moon from Earth.
Natural Science: Test
Grade 6
9
The Solar System
2. Explain the movement of the Earth’s Moon in detail.
(3)
The Moon also rotates around its own axis. It takes about 28 days to rotate once around its own
axis. The moon also revolves around the Earth and it takes 28 days to revolve once around the
Earth. As it takes the Moon the same time to rotate around its own axis and to revolve around
the Earth, the same side of the Moon is always facing Earth!
3. Name the four outer planets. What is the difference between the inner and outer planets? (4)
The four outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The inner planets are closer to
the Sun and consists mainly of rocky matter. The outer planets orbit a lot further away from the
Sun and are therefore a lot colder. These planets consist mainly of gas.
4. Why do the Earth and other planets stay in orbit around the Sun?
(1)
As the Sun is the biggest object in the Solar system, it has the greatest force of gravity, this
force makes the planets move around the Sun in a circle. All the other objects and planets also
exercise gravity upon each other to stay in position.
5. What is the difference between an optical telescope and a radio telescope?
(2)
An optical telescope is a telescope that you look through to magnify something. A radio telescope
does not use lenses or mirrors to magnify, it uses the radio waves generated by objects in space.
These waves are usually collected using a big bowl or dish. Pictures are then compiled from the
radio waves.
Question 3:
Write only the letter of the celestial body that fits the description:
A: M ars
B: M ercury
C: Saturn
D: Jupiter
F: Uranus
G: Neptune
H: P luto
I: Venus
D
E: Earth
This is the biggest planet.
F
This planet is called the ‘ice giant’.
B
It is the only planet without an atmosphere.
A
This planet has two moons.
H
This is no longer a planet, but is classified as a ‘dwarf planet’.
I
This planet is sometimes mistaken for a star.
E
This planet is 150 million km from the Sun.
C
This planet has bright colourful rings around it, made from frozen water.
G
This planet is the coldest planet.
(9)
Natural Science: Test
Grade 6
10
Memo:
Question 4:
Refer to the diagram below and answer the questions which follow:
N
E
A
C
D
B
G
F
1. Give the names of each of the planets:
(8)
A: Mercury
B: Venus
C: Earth
D: Mars
E: Jupiter
F: Saturn
G: Uranus
H: Neptune
2. Which planet will have the longest year, as we know it? Give a reason for your answer. (2)
Neptune, as Neptune is the furthest away from the Sun, it will take the longest to orbit the Sun.
3. Draw the asteroid belt in green on the diagram and explain what it is.
(3)
The asteroid belt is a collection of asteroids that orbit the Sun. Asteroids are a collection of rocks
of varying sizes that are the remains of old planets.
Natural Science: Test
Grade 6
11
Memo:
Section D: Application
1. Using your knowledge of the revolution of the Earth around the Sun, explain in detail why
South Africans have winter, when New Yorker’s have summer.
(4)
The Earth is slightly tilted on its axis (23,5º), which means it is not perfectly vertical. As the
Earth revolves around the Sun, the Northern and Southern hemisphere is not an equal distance
away from the Sun. When the Northern hemisphere is slightly tilted more towards the Sun, the
Northern hemisphere will have summer. At that same time, the Southern hemisphere will be
slightly tilted away from the Sun and the Southern hemisphere will then have winter.
Northern
Hemisphere
Winter
day
Equator
night
Southern
Hemisphere
Summer
2. Deduce why the Moon has many craters, but the Earth’s surface has only a few craters.(2)
The Moon has no atmosphere to keep flying debris and meteorites away from the surface. The
Earth’s atmosphere acts as a barrier to keep out most space debris. Although some meteorites do
come through, the damage done is fixed over years as a result of erosion. On the Moon there is
no erosion as there is no wind or water.
3. The flags planted during all the lunar expeditions and the footprint of the first man to walk on
the Moon are still there. Point out why this is possible.
(3)
The Moon has no wind or water, which means there will be no erosion and no dust. This can be a
reason why the footprint and flags are still intact. The only reason why something can become
damaged, is the harsh temperatures.
4. Explain how the location of the Moon affects the tides.
(4)
The gravity of the Moon causes high tide in the ocean directly below the Moon and on the
opposite side of the Earth. Low tides will be 90 degrees in relation to the Moon, on both sides of
the Earth. When the Sun and the Moon is directly aligned (the moon is between the Sun and the
Earth - New moon, or the Earth is between the Sun and the moon—Full moon), the gravitational
pull is a lot more and the Earth will experience extreme high tides and extreme low tides, this is
called Spring tide.
Low
Tide
Gravitational pull
of the Moon
High
Tide
High
Tide
Low
Tide
Natural Science: Test
12
Grade 6
5. Using your knowledge of the planet Mars, critically evaluate the probability of life on Mars. (5)
Own answer, e.g. of facts to use:
Why life may be possible:
1. Mars is a rocky planet, which means that rovers etc. can land on Mars to explore.
2. Mars rotates around its own axis and a day on Mars is almost the same length as a day on
Earth.
3. There are big valleys on Mars and valleys are usually caused by water flowing downhill. This
suggests that there may have been water on Mars or that there may even still be water on
Mars.
Why life may not be possible:
1. Mars has a thin atmosphere of mostly carbon dioxide, which humans can’t breathe.
2. It is very cold on Mars, the average temperature is –55ºC.
3. There is no sign of plants which means that there is no food for humans.
4. Mars is very far away from Earth. It will take you two Earth years to travel to Mars.
(Students can argue that people can live on Mars in space-suits and bring all the food needed. If
they find water, they can possibly experiment with planting food.)