ES Chapter 28 Our Solar System Study Guide
English scientist (1) ? developed an understanding of gravity by observing the motion of the (2) ?, the orbits of the planets, and the (3) ? of falling objects on Earth. He learned that two bodies attract each other with a (4) ? that depends on their (5) ? and the (6) ? between the bodies. This is called the law of (7) ?. He also determined that each planet orbits a point between itself and the Sun. That point is called the (8) ?.
1. Issac Newton 2. Moon 3. Acceleration 4. Force 5. Masses 6. Distance 7. Universal Gravitation 8. Center of Mass
Jupiter spins once on its axis in a little less than...
10 Hours
Low, warm, dark-colored, sinking clouds in Jupiter's atmosphere are known as...
Belts
Elements in Jupiter's atmosphere remain in...
Both gas and liquid forms.
The atmosphere of Venus is mostly...
Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen
Many astronomers hypothesize that Saturn's rings were formed from...
Debris left over from collisions of asteroids and other objects.
Believed to be the first large planet to develop.
Jupiter
The form of hydrogen that has properties of both a liquid and a metal is...
Liquid Metallic Hydrogen
Observations of Mercury suggest that it was originally much larger, with a mantle and crust similar to that of...
Mercury
The closet planet to the Sun is...
Mercury
Radar measurements show that the surface of Venus is very hot and that it is...
Rotates Slowly
The ringlets and open gaps in Saturn's rings are caused by the gravitational effects of...
Saturn's Moons
Average distance of a planet to the Sun.
Semimajor Axis
The four inner planets of our solar system are...
Terrestrial Planets
T or F: Pluto is not classified as a terrestrial planet because of its low density and small size, among other things.
True
T or F: Pluto's properties more closely resemble those of the gas giants' large moons than of the other planets.
True
T or F: The rotational axis of Uranus is tipped over so far that the north pole almost lies in its orbital plane.
True
T or F: Triton has nitrogen geysers and a thin atmosphere.
True
T or F: Until 1994, Neptune had a persistent storm, the Great Dark Spot, with characteristics similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot.
True
T or F: Uranus was discovered accidentally in 1781.
True
T or F: Mars is referred to as the red planet as a result of its high iron content and reddish appearance.
Ture
The brightest planet in Earth's nighttime sky is...
Venus
Saturn's average density is lower than that of...
Water
What is a meteor shower?
When Earth crosses the trail of a comet, particles left in the trail burn up in Earth's upper atmosphere producing bright streaks of light called a meteor shower.
Force that pulls matter together.
Gravity
What is Jupiter's Great Red Spot?
An Atmospheric Storm
Unit of measure that is the average distance between the Sun and Earth (1.4960 x 10^8 km).
Astronomical Unit
Venus's spin is an example of...
Retrograde Rotation
Galileo discovered Jupiter's...
Rings
One day on Venus is equal to how many days on Earth?
243 Days
What percentage of all planetary matter in the solar system is in Jupiter's mass?
70%
What is a periodic comet?
A comet that orbits the Sun and repeatedly return to the inner solar system.
Defines a planet's elliptical orbit as the ratio of the distance between the foci and the length of the major axis.
Eccentricity
Oval shape centered on two points instead of one point.
Ellipse
T or F: Like Earth's Moon, Pluto has no atmosphere.
False
T or F: Most of Uranus's atmosphere is composed of helium and hydrogen, which causes its atmosphere to reflect blue light back into space.
False
T or F: Neptune's largest moon, Triton, has a retrograde orbit, which means it orbits like every other satellite in the solar system.
False
T or F: Only Earth has a greenhouse effect.
False
T or F: Pluto has three moons: Charon, Nix, and Hydra.
False
T or F: Pluto is larger than Earth and is made of ice.
False
T or F: Saturn is the only planet with rings.
False
T or F: The Sun formed outside the rotating interstellar cloud.
False
T or F: The orbit of Pluto is a perfect circle.
False
T or F: The southern hemisphere of Mars is dominated by sparsely cratered plains.
False
T or F: Today, we are certain that Uranus has no moons and 15 rings.
False
T or F: Uranus has a large, solid core that extends almost to the planet's surface.
False
T or F: Uranus's tilt and its great distance from the Sun result in seasons on Uranus that last about 21 Earth years.
False
Nicolaus Copernicus's model of the solar system in which the planets orbit the Sun.
Heliocentric
Main element in early interstellar clouds.
Hydrogen
Jupiter's four moons are composed of...
Ice and Rock
Lacking in satellites because of proximity to the Sun.
Inner Planets
Gas and dust from which stars and planets form.
Interstellar Cloud
Which of Jupiter's largest moons is almost completely molten inside?
Io
What happens when a comet comes within 3 AU of the Sun?
It begins to evaporate.
T or F: Neptune's six rings are composed of microscopic dust particles.
True
Objects that collided and merged to form other various objects in the solar systems.
Planetesimal
Solid bodies hundreds of kilometers in diameter that merged to form the planets.
Planetesimals
Motion of a planet moving in the opposite direction of the normal direction of planetary motion as observed from Earth.
Retrograde
The surface of Mercury is similar to the surface of...
The Moon
How many times bigger than Mercury is Earth?
Three Times
Saturn's largest moon is named...
Titan
T or F: A large meteorite will cause an impact crater when it collides with Earth.
True
T or F: A meteor is a meteoroid that by passes Earth's atmosphere.
True
T or F: A meteoroid is a broken fragment of an asteroid or other interplanetary material.
True
T or F: Asteroids are thought to be planetesimals that never formed planets.
True
T or F: Earth's atmosphere is moderately dense and is composed of 78% oxygen and 21% nitrogen.
True
T or F: Earth's distance from the Sun and its nearly circular orbit allow water to exist on its surface as a solid, liquid, and gas.
True
T or F: Mar's atmosphere is similar to that of Venus, and it has a strong greenhouse effect.
True
T or F: Most asteroids are located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt.
True
T or F: Neptune has a cloud-streaked atmosphere like Jupiter.
True
