Download Nebular theory

Name_____________________________________________________ Period________________
The Nebular Theory – How did our Solar System form?
Our theory about how the solar system formed is called the nebular theory. This activity will help you understand how
we think the solar system formed.
1. Write your observations from the video that shows how the planets orbit the sun. Write at least 4 observations.
Look for similarities, differences and patterns.
2. Write your observations from the demonstration shown by your teacher.
3. Imagine going around the roundabout in a car going really, really fast. What would you feel (besides sick)?
What would be happening to your body and everything else inside the car?
4. Draw the different steps of the nebular theory below with your teacher.
a. Stellar nebula – this is a huge large cloud of dust and gases
b. Gravity pulls in the nebula and it starts to spin
c. Protoplanetary disc forms
d. The planets gather all of the dust and particles as they move around the sun
5. What observations led to and support this theory?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Star Formation Computer Lab
In this lab, you will be looking at pictures taken by modern telescopes to help you see the evidence that the processes
that form stars and heavy elements continue today. You will be using a program called Worldwide Telescope and
watching some tours about different star forming regions in our universe. Complete the questions as you watch each
tour.
Procedure
Go to worldwidetelescope.org or find the link on my website. Click on the link in the middle called “Explore the WWT on
the web”. Then click on the “Guided Tours” and then click on the Nebula folder. Watch the W5 Star Forming Region
video and answer the questions below.
Tour #1: The W5 Star Forming Region
You may have to watch it a couple of times to get all the answers.
1. What are “O” stars?
2. How many generations of stars are believed to have existed in this nebula?
3. How does one generation of stars help the next generation to form?
4. What do the smaller stars have around them?
5. What could possibly form near these smaller stars?
6. What are the “mountains of creation”?
Now go to the link on my website called “Proplyds” (It is found under the links for online assignments link) and answer
the following questions:
7. What is another name for a proplyd?
8. What forms in the center of a proplyd?
9. What forms in the outer part of the proplyd?
10. What are proplyds?
11. How many proplyds have been found in the Orion Nebula?
12. Click on the picture at the first of the article and draw one of the proplyds shown.
13. Click on one of the pictures on the write and draw a sketch of what a proplyd looks like.
Name_________________________________________________Period___________
Nebular Theory – Computer Lab
Use the links on my website to answer the questions below. They can be found under the “Links for online assignments
link”.
How did the solar system form?
1. What are two clues to how the solar system formed?
2. What is a nebula?
3. What caused the nebula to contract?
4. What happened as the nebula contracted?
5. What shape did the nebula form?
6. What formed first in the solar system?
7. Explain how planetesimals form.
8. How many planetoids were in the early solar system?
9. How do planetoids turn into planets?
10. How old is our solar system?
11. What is this age based on?
What is the nebular theory?
12. How long did it take for the solar system to go from an undifferentiated cloud to a star system?
13. What are three observable facts that the nebular theory is based on?
14. What is the composition of the interstellar cloud that formed our solar system?
15. How do planetesimals grow into planets?
16. What is the composition of the inner planets?
17. What is the composition of the outer planets?
18. Do a google search for the term “Protoplanetary disk”. What is a protoplanetary disk? Look at the images link
as well to see what they look like.
Star Formation Computer Lab
In this lab, you will be looking at pictures taken by modern telescopes to help you see the evidence that the processes
that form stars and heavy elements continue today. You will be using a program called Worldwide Telescope and
watching some tours about different star forming regions in our universe. Complete the questions as you watch each
tour.
Procedure
Go to worldwidetelescope.org or find the link on my website. Click on the link in the middle called “Explore the WWT on
the web”. Then click on the “Guided Tours” and then click on the Nebula folder. Watch the W5 Star Forming Region
video and answer the questions below.
Tour #1: The W5 Star Forming Region
You may have to watch it a couple of times to get all the answers.
19. What are “O” stars?
20. How many generations of stars are believed to have existed in this nebula?
21. How does one generation of stars help the next generation to form?
22. What do the smaller stars have around them?
23. What could possibly form near these smaller stars?
24. What are the “mountains of creation”?
Now go to the link on my website called “Proplyds” (It is found under the links for online assignments link) and answer
the following questions:
25. What is another name for a proplyd?
26. What forms in the center of a proplyd?
27. What forms in the outer part of the proplyd?
28. What are proplyds?
29. How many proplyds have been found in the Orion Nebula?
30. Click on the picture at the first of the article and draw one of the proplyds shown.
31. Click on one of the pictures on the write and draw a sketch of what a proplyd looks like.
Mastery Check Questions:
1. Explain how a stellar nebular turns into a planetary system (like our solar system).
2. List at least three evidences of the nebular theory.
3. What is a proplyd? Draw a picture of one.