Questions and Answers
The terrestrial planets do not include:
What is the name for the cloud of interstellar gas and dust that condensed to form the entire solar system, including the sun and planets?
Solar nebula
A _____ is an object that may one day become a _____ if it survives its journey through Earth's atmosphere.
meteoroid, meteorite
What are the names of the four inner planets?
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This is a minor planet that's made up of metal and/or rock:
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What is the correct order of the planets, starting with the nearest to the sun?
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This is a small icy body that orbits in the solar system and develops a tail of gas as it approaches the sun:
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What are the Jovian planets?
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What is the theory that posits that the planets and sun in the solar system formed from the solar nebula called?
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The sun and planets formed from the same ball of gas and dust.
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What is the hypothesis that states that our solar system formed from a sudden and improbable event?
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What is the implication of the solar nebula theory?
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How does Venus rotate?
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How does Uranus rotate?
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Why are the orbits of the planets in the same plane?
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What is one possible hypothesis for the odd rotation of Venus?
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Why do the planets all revolve in the same direction?
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What is the best scientific approximation for the age of our solar system?
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The time it takes for half the atoms of a radioactive sample to decay is known as a:
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What can we conclude about the Earth and moon if everything in our solar system formed from the solar nebula?
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If a radioactive element called XYZ-80 has a half-life of 5 million years and only 25% remains, how many years have passed?
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What are isotopes?
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The ice line was located in between which planets in the solar nebula?
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Where would you expect metals to condense?
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What is the uncompressed density of a planet?
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What is the process of forming solid particles from the solar nebula known as?
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The solar nebula has basically the same composition throughout but the condensate that formed in any one region depended on the local temperature.
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What is the process that describes the formation of solid particles from the solar nebula?
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In order for planetesimals to form, what must occur first?
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What is a protoplanet?
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What is the process of solid particles sticking to one another to form a larger particle called?
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Which of these is an early solar system body of small to medium size that combines with other planetesimals to form protoplanets?
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What is known as the settling and separation of material based on density?
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Study Notes
Terrestrial and Jovian Planets
- Terrestrial planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars; rocky surfaces and closer to the sun.
- Jovian planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune; gas giants with thick atmospheres.
Solar System Formation
- Cosmic origins traced to the solar nebula, a cloud of interstellar gas and dust.
- Solar nebular theory suggests the sun and planets formed from this same solar nebula.
- A catastrophic hypothesis posits that a sudden event, like a star collision, could initiate solar system formation.
Planetary Characteristics and Dynamics
- Orbital arrangement of planets lies in the same plane due to their formation in a rotating disk of gas.
- Venus rotates clockwise, while Uranus has a unique side-on rotation.
- The ice line is situated between Mars and Jupiter, impacting the formation of different materials.
Planet Formation Processes
- Formation processes include condensation (solid particle formation) and accretion (sticking of particles to create larger bodies).
- Planetesimals are early solar system bodies assembling into protoplanets.
- The uncompressed density indicates a planet's density under the assumption of no gravitational compression.
Age and Composition of the Solar System
- The solar system is approximately 4.6 billion years old.
- Isotopes are variations of elements, with the same proton count but different neutron numbers.
- It is presumed that Earth and the Moon have similar ages, formed from the same material.
Half-Life and Radioactive Decay
- Half-life refers to the time required for half of a radioactive substance to decay.
- Example scenario: If 25% of a radioactive isotope remains, 10 million years have passed, given a 5 million-year half-life.
Density and Materials in the Solar System
- Metals condensed closer to the sun during the formation of the solar system.
- Variations in element condensates were affected by local temperatures in the solar nebula.
Miscellaneous
- Meteoroids can become meteorites if they survive Earth's atmosphere.
- The process of solid material separation according to density is essential for understanding planetary formation.
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