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Objectives – Describe and compare the components of the Solar System; Identify the role gravity plays in the
structure of the Solar System.
Name ______________________________________________________________
How the Solar System Works Worksheet
1. In our Solar System, things move, spin, and circle through space.
a. True
b. False
2. Which of the following is not a part of our Solar System?
a. Asteroids
b. Comets
c. Gravity
d. Lots of space
e. Moons and rings
f. Planets
g. Pulsars
h. Sun
3. The Sun’s ___________________ holds the Solar System together.
a. gravity
b. magnetism
c. magic
d. inertia
4. A contracting nebula formed the Sun.
a. True
b. False
5. Leftover gas and dust from the Sun became…
a. another star.
b. protostars.
c. planets.
6. Gravity is…
a. the force that keeps things moving in certain ways.
b. the force that pulls one object to another.
1
Objectives – Describe and compare the components of the Solar System; Identify the role gravity plays in the
structure of the Solar System.
7. Without gravity, there would be no Solar System.
a. True
b. False
8. If there were no gravity, what would happen to the planets?
a. They would be pulled into the Sun.
b. They would continue to revolve around the Sun.
c. They would fall away from the Sun.
d. They wouldn’t move.
9. Bigger objects have weaker pull.
a. True
b. False
10. The Sun has ______________% of the Solar System’s total mass. (Enter a
number)
11. A second force called _________________ keeps the planets from falling into the
Sun.
a. gravity
b. magnetism
c. magic
d. inertia
12. Inertia keeps things moving in a certain way.
a. True
b. False
13. _________________ tries to move planets in a straight line. _________________
keeps them in orbit. (There are two answers to this question. Be sure to enter
both answers in your clicker!)
a. gravity
b. inertia
b. magnetism
d. strong force
2
Objectives – Describe and compare the components of the Solar System; Identify the role gravity plays in the
structure of the Solar System.
14. Planets _________________ because the original nebula spun.
a. revolve
b. spin
15. The Sun is made mostly of which gas?
a. Oxygen
b. Methane
c. Helium
d. Hydrogen
16. The four inner planets are called…
a. gas giants.
b. icy worlds.
c. rocky worlds.
d. asteroids.
17. The inner rocky planets…
a. are small.
b. have crusts of rock.
c. are denser than the outer gas giants are.
d. all appear Earth-like.
e. All of the above.
18. Gas Giants are different from Rocky Planets in which of the following ways?
a. Gas Giants are denser than rocky planets.
b. Gas Giants have poisonous atmospheres.
c. Gas Giants weigh less than rocky planets.
19. The sunlight that reaches Neptune is about ____________ times dimmer than
Earth. (Enter a number)
20. This world was called a planet in the video, but since 2006 has been classified as a
dwarf planet.
a. Mars
b. Mercury
c. Neptune
d. Pluto
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Objectives – Describe and compare the components of the Solar System; Identify the role gravity plays in the
structure of the Solar System.
21. Pluto shares its orbit with thousands of…
a. Kuiper Belt objects.
b. comets.
c. asteroids.
d. Oort Cloud objects.
22. Most asteroids are found between the orbits of which planets? (There are two
answers to this question. Be sure to enter both answers in your clicker!)
a. Earth
b. Jupiter
c. Mars
d. Mercury
e. Neptune
f. Saturn
g. Uranus
h. Venus
23. Which of the following are additional parts to the Solar System?
a. Comets
b. Heliopause
c. Oort Cloud
d. All of the above.
24. The word terrestrial refers to which of the following?
a. Sun
b. Earth
c. Moon
d. Rocky Planets
25. The Solar System is part of which galaxy?
a. M51
b. Milky Way
c. Sombrero
d. Pinwheel
4
Objectives – Describe and compare the components of the Solar System; Identify the role gravity plays in the
structure of the Solar System.
How the Solar System Works Worksheet
1. In our Solar System, things move, spin, and circle through space.
a. True
b. False
a. True (2 choices)
2. Which of the following is not a part of our Solar System?
a. Asteroids
b. Comets
c. Gravity
d. Lots of space
e. Moons and rings
f. Planets
g. Pulsars
h. Sun
g. Pulsars (8 choices)
3. The Sun’s ___________________ holds the Solar System together.
a. gravity
b. magnetism
c. magic
d. inertia
a. gravity
4. A contracting nebula formed the Sun.
a. True
b. False
a. True
5. Leftover gas and dust from the Sun became…
a. another star.
b. protostars.
c. planets.
c. planets. (3 choices)
5
Objectives – Describe and compare the components of the Solar System; Identify the role gravity plays in the
structure of the Solar System.
6. Gravity is…
a. the force that keeps things moving in certain ways.
b. the force that pulls one object to another.
b. the force that pulls one object to another. (2 choices)
7. Without gravity, there would be no Solar System.
a. True
b. False
a. True (2 choices)
8. If there were no gravity, what would happen to the planets?
a. They would be pulled into the Sun.
b. They would continue to revolve around the Sun.
c. They would fall away from the Sun.
d. They wouldn’t move.
c. They would fall away from the Sun.
9. Bigger objects have weaker pull.
a. True
b. False
b. False (2 choices)
10. The Sun has ______________% of the Solar System’s total mass. (Enter a
number)
99
6
Objectives – Describe and compare the components of the Solar System; Identify the role gravity plays in the
structure of the Solar System.
11. A second force called _________________ keeps the planets from falling into the
Sun.
a. gravity
b. magnetism
c. magic
d. inertia
d. inertia
12. Inertia keeps things moving in a certain way.
a. True
b. False
a. True (2 choices)
13. _________________ tries to move planets in a straight line. _________________
keeps them in orbit. (There are two answers to this question. Be sure to enter
both answers in your clicker!)
a. gravity
b. inertia
b. magnetism
d. strong force
a. gravity; b. inertia
14. Planets _________________ because the original nebula spun.
a. revolve
b. spin
b. spin (2 choices)
15. The Sun is made mostly of which gas?
a. Oxygen
b. Methane
c. Helium
d. Hydrogen
d. Hydrogen
7
Objectives – Describe and compare the components of the Solar System; Identify the role gravity plays in the
structure of the Solar System.
16. The four inner planets are called…
a. gas giants.
b. icy worlds.
c. rocky worlds.
d. asteroids.
c. rocky worlds
17. The inner rocky planets…
a. are small.
b. have crusts of rock.
c. are denser than the outer gas giants are.
d. all appear Earth-like.
e. All of the above.
e. All of the above (5 choices)
18. Gas Giants are different from Rocky Planets in which of the following ways?
a. Gas Giants are denser than rocky planets.
b. Gas Giants have poisonous atmospheres.
c. Gas Giants weigh less than rocky planets.
b. Gas Giants have poisonous atmospheres. (3 choices)
19. The sunlight that reaches Neptune is about ____________ times dimmer than
Earth. (Enter a number)
1000
20. This world was called a planet in the video, but since 2006 has been classified as a
dwarf planet.
a. Mars
b. Mercury
c. Neptune
d. Pluto
d. Pluto
8
Objectives – Describe and compare the components of the Solar System; Identify the role gravity plays in the
structure of the Solar System.
21. Pluto shares its orbit with thousands of…
a. Kuiper Belt objects.
b. comets.
c. asteroids.
d. Oort Cloud objects.
a. Kuiper Belt objects.
22. Most asteroids are found between the orbits of which planets? (There are two
answers to this question. Be sure to enter both answers in your clicker!)
a. Earth
b. Jupiter
c. Mars
d. Mercury
e. Neptune
f. Saturn
g. Uranus
h. Venus
a. Earth; b. Jupiter (8 choices)
23. Which of the following are additional parts to the Solar System?
a. Comets
b. Heliopause
c. Oort Cloud
d. All of the above.
d. All of the above
24. The word terrestrial refers to which of the following?
a. Sun
b. Earth
c. Moon
d. Rocky Planets
b. Earth
25. The Solar System is part of which galaxy?
a. M51
b. Milky Way
c. Sombrero
d. Pinwheel
b. Milky Way
9
Objectives – Describe and compare the components of the Solar System; Identify the role gravity plays in the
structure of the Solar System.
How the Solar System Works Worksheet – Scoring
Guide
24-25 – 4
23 – 3.5
19-22 – 3
17-18 – 2.5
14-16 – 2
12-13 – 1.5
10-11 – 1
1-9 – .5
0–0
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