Download Section 23.1 Solar System

Name: _____________________________________Date: ________________
Earth Science
Mr. Herman
Exeter SHS
Chapter 23.1 The Solar System
Vocabulary (define)
Terrestrial planets
Jovian planet
Nebula
planetesimal
Questions for Discussing (refer to text and note page)
1. Name the terrestrial planets and determine the how many moons each planet has
orbiting.
2. Name the jovian planets and determine how many major moons each planet has
orbiting.
3. Complete the “Planet Comparison Chart” on the back of this page.
Name: _____________________________________Date: ________________
Earth Science
Mr. Herman
Exeter SHS
Chapter 23.1 The Solar System
Objective
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The students will list the major differences between the terrestrial and jovian
planets.
The students will explain how the solar system formed.
Pa academic standards
Unifying Themes
3.1.10. GRADE 10
Apply patterns as repeated processes or recurring elements in science and technology.
 Examine and describe recurring patterns that form the basis of biological
classification, chemical periodicity, geological order and astronomical order.
Lesson Notes
The Planets: An Overview
 The terrestrial planets are planets that are small and rocky—Mercury, Venus,
Earth, and Mars.
 The Jovian planets are the huge gas giants—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and
Neptune.
 Pluto does not fit into either the Jovian or the terrestrial category.
Orbits of the Planets
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Size is the most obvious difference between the terrestrial and Jovian planets.
Density, chemical makeup, and rate of rotation are other ways in which the two
groups of planets differ.
Planet Data
The Interiors of the Planets
The substances that make up the planets are divided into three groups: gases, rocks, and
ices.
The Atmosphere of the Planets
The Jovian planets have very thick atmospheres of hydrogen, helium, methane, and
ammonia.
By contrast, the terrestrial planets, including Earth, have meager atmospheres at best.
Scale of the Planets
Formation of the Solar System
Nebular Theory
• A nebula is a cloud of gas and/or dust in space.
• According to the nebular theory, the sun and planets formed from a rotating disk of
dust and gases.
Planetesimals
• Planetesimals are small, irregularly shaped bodies formed by colliding matter.
Formation of the Universe
Planetary Composition, Distance from the Sun, and Melting Point