Download Formation of the Solar System Reading Questions

Name_________________________________Per.______
Formation of the Solar System Reading Questions
Go to http://lasp.colorado.edu/education/outerplanets/solsys_planets.php. Click on the Solar System link on
the left hand side and open up “A Star is Born.” Answer these questions:
1. What is the composition of the Interstellar Medium (ISM)?
2. A star’s outward pressure keeps the star from collapsing under the force of gravitational attraction. What
creates this outward pressure?
3. What are two possible causes for the collapse of the gases in the ISM?
4. Why do collapsing clouds of gas and dust heat up? Explain the energy conversions involved.
5. Why does the rotation of a cloud speed up when it shrinks in size? Click on “Show me the Math” and write
down the equation for angular momentum. If the mass of the cloud doesn’t change, and angular
momentum is conserved, what happens to velocity as radius is decreased?
6. Watch the animation of the formation of a star cluster. The process is also similar to how a solar system
forms. There are two outcomes for new stars that come near a region of high density in a cloud of
condensing gas and dust. What are they?
7. What slows the collapse of a stellar cloud?
8. Click on “Show me the Math.” It is called Jean’s mass when the force of gravity equals the force of pressure.
Write the equation for Jean’s mass and label what the variables are.
9. What is the minimum temperature for H to fuse into He? _____________________
What is the minimum temperature for He to fuse into C? _____________________
10. Click on the Solar System Link on the left side and select “How planets form.” What is the line called that
divides the 4 rocky planets from the 4 gas giants? _________________________
11. Use the simulation to see where rocks, metals, and gases condense. How far from the sun do rocks and
metals need to be to condense into “frozen flakes?” Note: one AU is the average distance from Earth to the
Sun.
_____________________________
How far from the sun do hydrogen compounds condense? _______________________
Do H and He condense outside the frost line? If so, where?
12. Describe the process of accretion.
13. Fill in the chart for the most common materials in the solar nebula:
Examples
Metals
Rock
H Compounds
H and He Gas
Typical
Condensation T
Relative Abundance
(by mass)
14. If H and He are so common in the solar nebula, why do you think they are naturally occurring in only small
amounts on the rocky planets?
15. What is the suggested origin of the Jovian moons and rings? Why are there so many and all in a plane
around the gas giants? If you are interested in the formation of the Jovian moons and rings, feel free to
browse the other links on the left side of the webpage.
Name____________________________________
Orbit Simulator Questions:
Click on the orbit simulator. Work your way through the directions on how to operate the simulator, and
then answer the questions below.
1. Observe Comet Borrelly. How does the eccentricity of the comet compare to the other solar system
bodies?
2. What changes occur in the comet as it approaches the Sun? Describe the interaction.
3. Describe the velocity of Comet Borrelly close to and far from the Sun.
4. How does the inclination of Comet Borrelly compare to the other Solar System bodies?
5. Explore changing the average distance and eccentricity of Planet X. What happens to the velocity of
the planet when the eccentricity is high or low? Explain in detail.
6. What shape does Planet X make when the eccentricity is zero? _______________________
7. How does the average distance of Planet X affect the velocity and period?
8. How do the velocities of the outer planets compare to the inner planets?
9. How does the velocity of Pluto compare to the velocity of Jupiter? Why do you think the velocities
are different?
10. Using the plotting window, explore plotting variables on the x and y-axis. Which plots of the Solar
System bodies have definite trends and what are those trends? Describe (is the trend linear,
exponential?)
11. Which plots do not have any apparent trend? Why?
12. What happens to the plots when you change the eccentricity and/or average distance of Planet X?
Explore a variety of plots and describe your results.
13. How does Comet Borrelly compare to the other planets you’ve plotted? Did any plot surprise you?
Why? Explore a variety of plots and describe your results.
14. How does distance from the central body (the Sun) affect the velocity of an orbiting body?
15. How does distance from the central body affect the period of an orbiting body?
16. Does eccentricity affect the period of the orbiting body? Why/ why not?
17. Does inclination affect the velocity or period of the orbiting body? Why/ why not?