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* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
HOW BIG IS YOUR SOLAR SYSTEM? The vastness of our solar system is difficult to imagine. The distance from the sun to Pluto, the farthest the planet (now known as a dwarf planet), is 5,914,000,000 km. Imagine what size paper you would need to draw a model to represent such a great distance! In this investigation, you will construct a scale model of our solar system. Objective When you completed the investigation, you should be able to 1. calculate the relative distance of each planet from the sun in order to create a scale model of our solar system. Materials resources meter stick compass scissors paper colored pencils glue Activity 1: Making a Scale Model of the Solar System Procedures 1. Predict why models of the solar system displayed in classrooms are usually inaccurate. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 2. Brainstorm and list ideas and information you need to construct an accurate model of our solar system. 3. Record the actual distance and diameter of the sun and planets in Chart 1, “Scale Model of the Solar System,” using resources. Pg 1 4. Calculate the scale distance and diameter for the sun and each planet using the scale 1 cm equals 10,000 km. Record your calculations on Chart 1. CHART 1 SCALE MODEL OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM PLANET ACTUAL DISTANCE FROM THE SUN (km) SCALE DISTANCE FROM THE SUN (cm) ACTUAL DIAMETER (km) SCALE DIAMETER (cm) Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto Activity 2: Comparing Planet Size 5. Draw a scale model of each planet using the calculation from Chart 1. Pg 2 6. Label your scale model. Note: Some planets will be very small and difficult to draw and label. Those planets should be glued to an index card and then labeled 7. Cut out and label the planets. 8. Compare the scale model of the sun to the planets you have constructed. Record your observations. 9. Compare the sizes of the inner and outer planets. Record your observations. 10. Examine the scale model of the sun and Earth. Estimate how many model earths would fit across the diameter of the model sun. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Activity 3: Determining a New Scale for Distance 11. Review the distances from the sun recorded on Chart 2, “Distances from the Sun.” 12. Brainstorm with your group why you would have difficulties constructing a model of the solar system on a 1meter piece of paper using the scale from Chart 1. Justify your answer using information from this investigation. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 13. Determine a new scale that will allow the model to fit on a 1m piece of paper. Record your scale. Scale for Distance from the Sun: 1cm = _____________km 14. Complete Chart 2, “Distances from the Sun,” using your new scale. Pg 3 CHART 2 DISTANCES FROM THE SUN PLANET ACTUAL DISTANCE FROM THE SUN (km) CALCULATIONS SCALE DISTANCE FROM THE SUN (cm) Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto 15. Construct a solar system model of the solar system using the scale distances from Chart 2 on the 1meter paper. Pg 4 Analysis 1. Explain why it is necessary to make a scale model showing the sizes of the planets. Justify your response with evidence from the investigation. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 2. Describe how the distances separating the inner planets compare to the distances separating the outer planets. Justify your response with evidence from the investigation. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 3. Explain why models of the solar system displayed in classrooms are inaccurate. Justify your response with evidence from the investigation. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Pg 5 _______________________________________________________________________ Pg 6