Exploring the Solar System Chapter 2
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Questions and Answers

What is the largest object in the solar system?

  • The Sun (correct)
  • The Moon
  • Jupiter
  • The Earth

    • What is the purpose of the Sun's gravity in the solar system?

  • To hold the planets in place (correct)
  • To make the Moon orbit the Earth
  • To change the shape of the Moon
  • To create asteroids and comets

    • How many planets are there in the solar system?

  • 9
  • 8 (correct)
  • 7
  • 6

    • What is the Moon's orbiting period around the Earth?

    <p>7 days (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who was the first person to walk on the Moon?

    <p>Neil Armstrong (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the different shapes of the Moon?

    <p>Phases of the Moon (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids are found?

    <p>The Main Asteroid Belt (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a comet like?

    <p>A dirty snowball (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens when a comet approaches the Sun?

    <p>The heat causes the ice to vaporize (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is unique about Mars compared to the other terrestrial planets?

    <p>It is the fourth planet from the Sun (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do terrestrial planets have in common?

    <p>They are primarily composed of silicate rocks or metals (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which planet is known for having the densest atmosphere among the rocky bodies in the Solar System?

    <p>Venus (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is unique about Earth among the terrestrial planets?

    <p>It is the only one sustaining liquid surface water (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic do terrestrial planets have in common?

    <p>They have a solid surface (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Mercury named after?

    <p>The Roman god of commerce and communication (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What percentage of Earth's crust is covered in water?

    <p>70.8% (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason for Mars' orange-red color?

    <p>It is covered in iron(III) oxide dust (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main characteristic of Jovian planets?

    <p>They are large and made mostly of gases (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Jovian planets?

    <p>They are denser than terrestrial planets (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Jupiter's mass relative to the other planets in the Solar System?

    <p>More than two and a half times the mass of all the other planets (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the composition of Uranus?

    <p>Mostly water, ammonia, and methane in a supercritical phase (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which planet is the densest giant planet?

    <p>Neptune (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relative size of Saturn compared to Earth?

    <p>About nine-and-a-half times the radius of Earth (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many times more massive is Neptune than Earth?

    <p>17 times (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of Atiras asteroids?

    <p>They have much smaller orbits than that of the Earth's and never cross our path. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to a comet when it approaches the Sun?

    <p>The heat causes the ice to vaporize, creating a glowing coma. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the Kuiper Belt?

    <p>A circumstellar disc in the outer Solar System. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between the asteroid belt and the Kuiper Belt?

    <p>The Kuiper Belt is 20 times as wide and 20–200 times as massive as the asteroid belt. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the origin of comets?

    <p>They originate from the outer regions of the solar system. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the composition of a comet's nucleus?

    <p>Ice, dust, and rocky material. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of studying comets?

    <p>To understand the formation of the universe. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of Amor asteroids?

    <p>They have orbits larger than Earth's but often come very close to our home planet. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main characteristic that distinguishes a dwarf planet from a planet?

    <p>Its inability to clear the neighborhood around its orbit (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a dwarf planet?

    <p>Has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the location of the asteroid belt in our solar system?

    <p>Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the shape of the dwarf planet Haumea?

    <p>Oval-shaped (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which dwarf planet is located in the Kuiper belt?

    <p>Pluto (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the size of Eris compared to the Earth's Moon?

    <p>Smaller (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of asteroids?

    <p>They are small and rocky (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many dwarf planets are there in our solar system?

    <p>Five (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Exploring the Solar System

    • Our Solar System is a system of planets and other objects that orbit the Sun, comprising 8 planets, many moons, asteroids, comets, meteoroids, and tiny particles of rocks and dust.

    Formation of the Solar System

    • The Sun is the largest object in the Solar System, making up about 99% of the system's mass, and holds everything in place by its gravity.

    Planets

    • A planet is an astronomical body that orbits a star or stellar remnant.
    • There are 8 planets in the Solar System, divided into two categories: terrestrial planets and jovian planets.
    • The 4 terrestrial planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, whereas the 4 jovian planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

    Moon

    • The Moon is the Earth's closest neighbor in the sky, taking 7 days to complete its orbit around the Earth.
    • The Moon has no life due to the lack of air and water, and its surface features mountains and large bowl-shaped depressions called craters.
    • Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

    Phases of the Moon

    • The Moon appears to change shape every night due to its phases, which are:
      • New Moon
      • Waxing Crescent
      • First Quarter
      • Waxing Gibbous
      • Full Moon
      • Waning Gibbous
      • Last Quarter
      • Waning Crescent

    Asteroids

    • Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the Sun, found mainly in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
    • Asteroids are classified into four groups: Apollo, Atens, Atiras, and Amor.

    Comets

    • Comets are celestial objects consisting of a nucleus made of ice, dust, and rocky material, and are like "dirty snowballs" traveling through space.
    • When a comet approaches the Sun, the heat causes the ice to vaporize, creating a glowing coma (a cloud of gas and dust) around the nucleus.
    • Comets originate from the outer regions of the Solar System and provide valuable insights into the early formation of our universe.

    Terrestrial Planets

    • Terrestrial planets are composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals and have a compact, rocky surface.
    • Characteristics of terrestrial planets include:
      • Solid surface
      • Core containing heavy elements
      • Higher overall density
      • Fewer moons
      • Closer to the Sun
    • The four terrestrial planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

    Jovian Planets

    • Jovian planets are larger in size and mass, and do not have solid surfaces.
    • Characteristics of jovian planets include:
      • Less dense than terrestrial planets
      • Composed of gases
      • Many moons and strong gravitational pull
      • Rings
    • The four jovian planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

    Dwarf Planets

    • Dwarf planets are celestial bodies that orbit the Sun, have enough mass to assume a nearly round shape, but have not cleared the neighborhood around their orbit.
    • There are five dwarf planets in our Solar System: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.

    Kuiper Belt

    • The Kuiper Belt is a circumstellar disc in the outer Solar System, extending from the orbit of Neptune to approximately 50 astronomical units from the Sun.
    • It is similar to the asteroid belt but is far larger and more massive.

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    Description

    This quiz covers the basics of the solar system, including the planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other objects that orbit the sun. Learn about the formation of the solar system and the characteristics of the planets.

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