EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE

Week 2
Learning Essential Topics

Learning Outcomes:
1. State the different hypotheses explaining the origin of the solar system
2. Cite the profile the other members of the solar system
3. Illustrate the parts of the sun and the phases of the moon
4. Discuss the cycle of the stars
5. Explain the current information on the solar system

The Planets of the Solar System

Planets are classified into two groups: the Terrestrial and the Jovian. The four planets closest to
the sun are MERCURY, VENUS, EARTH, and MARS. Each has solid mineral-containing crust
and earth like composition, which is why they are called Terrestrial. The Jovian planets are
JUPITER, SATURN, URANUS and NEPTUNE. The term Jovian came from Jupiter, describing
the other gas giants in the solar system as Jupiter-like. Pluto is included in either category
because of its distance and small size.
The Inner Planets of the Solar System
1. MERCURY- is the planet closest to the Sun. Because of its closeness, it takes 88 earth days
to make one revolution. Thus 1 year in mercury last only 88 earth-days. It rotates only three
times for each two revolutions around the sun. Because of its small size and weak gravitational
field, it holds very little atmosphere. Its day temperature is 315 C and the night temperature drop
to -149 C.
2. VENUS- Is the brightest planet in the solar system. It is often the first star-like object to
appear after the sun goes down hence, it is often called the “Evening Star”, during March and
April or the “Morning Star” during September and October. Venus most closely resembles the
earth with respect to the size, density and distance from the sun. A difference between the two
is how they rotate. Venus takes 243 Earth days to make one revolution. It rotates in a direction
of the earth’s rotation. Regarded as an Earth’s twin. It has been very active volcanically. Venus
has a diameter of 12, 112 kilometers with a relative mass of 0.82 of the Earth. Radar mapping
reveals a surface similar to earth and mars. It has plateaus and mountains but less craters and
valleys. The surface temperature can reach 480 C and the atmosphere consist of carbon
monoxide. Numerous angular rocks and soil composition is similar to basalt found on earth.
3. EARTH- Ours is the Blue Planet, with more water surface than land. Temperatures and
extremes of day and night are conducive to life. The insulating properties of our atmosphere and
our high rotational rate ensure a brief and small lowering of temperature. According to the big
bang theory all of the energy and matter of the universe was compressed into hot and dense
state which condensed into stars and galaxies. It was in the Milky Way that Planet Earth and the
rest of the solar system took form.
4. MARS- Mars is a little more than half the Earth’s size; its mass is about 1/9 that of the Earth
and it has core, mantle and crust as well as a thin atmosphere. It takes 2 earth-years to orbit the
sun. Its atmosphere is about 95% carbon dioxide. With only 0.15 percent Oxygen. Its
temperature at the equator is from 30 degree Celsius in the day to -130 degree Celsius at night.
Scientist found evidence that there were once lakes in some Martian craters but now it is dry
and desolated planet.
Mars has two small moons- Phobos, the Inner and Deimos, the outer.
PHOBOS - orbits in the same easterly direction with that of Mars at a distance of almost 6000
kilometers in a period of 7.5 Hours.
DEIMOS – is half the size of Phobos and orbits Mars in 30.3 hours at a distance of 20,000
kilometers.
OUR OUTER PLANETS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
5. JUPITER – Is the largest planet of the solar system. It has a mass 318 time that of the Earth
and an average density of 1.34g/cm3. The diameter is 143,000 kilometers hence, it is called “the
Giant Planet”. It appears to be covered with alternating bands of multicolored clouds parallel to
the equator. It rotates once in less than 10 hours. Its core is about 20 times more massive than
the Earth’s core and compose of Iron, Nickel, and other minerals. Surface temperature is about
the same day and night. Sixteen moons orbits Jupiter. Among the four largest moons
discovered by Galileo in 1610. Lo and Europa are about the size of the moon.
6. SATURN- has a mean diameter which is nearly 10 times that of the Earth. It is composed of
hydrogen and helium. Saturn’s ring lie in a plane coincident with Saturn’s equator. It has four
major rings consist of three bands. The innermost ring is about 12,000 kilometers from the
surface. The middle ring is the brightest. Saturn has some 23 moons beyond its ring. The
largest is Titan which is 1.6 larger than our moon. It revolves once each 16 days and has a
methane atmosphere. Its surface temperature is -170 degree Celsius. Its other moon, Lapetus
is very bright and the other side is dark.
7. Uranus- has a diameter of 47,000 kilometers and a mass that is 14.6 times that of the Earth.
It was discovered by William Herschel in 1781. Its atmosphere has hydrogen and Methane. Its
temperature is -170°C in 1977, It has discovered that Uranus that it is also surrounded by rings.
It has at least 17 moons. Uranus axis is tilted 98 degrees to perpendicular of its orbital plane. It
is a cold planet.
8. Neptune- Neptune and Uranus are like twins, similar in size and appear green due to
methane in their atmospheres. Urbans Leverrier and S.C. Adams predicted the position of
Neptune. Neptune’s diameter is about 3.9 times that of the Earth. Its mass is 17 times greater
and its means density is about a third of the Earth. Its atmosphere is mainly hydrogen and
helium with some methane and ammonia. Neptune has at least 8 moons, in addition to ring
system. The largest moon is TRITON, which orbits Neptune in 5.9 days. It has bright polar caps
and geyser of nitrogen. A smaller moon is NEREID, it takes nearly a year to orbit Neptune.
9. PLUTO- is not anymore included in the solar system as a planet because of its size and
distance from the sun. Whereas of the planetary orbits are circular, Pluto is the most elliptical its
orbit is so eccentric and at times closer to the sun than Neptune. Pluto is smaller than our moon.
 EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE
Learner’s Activity Sheet
A. Rearrange the planets based on their distance from the Sun. write the numbers 1-8, with 1 as the
nearest, etc. and 8 as the farthest.

__________a. Saturn
__________b. Earth
__________c. Mercury
__________d. Neptune
__________e. Mars
__________f. Venus
__________g. Jupiter
__________h. Uranus

B. Rearrange the Planets based on their sizes from biggest to smallest. Write the numbers from 1-8.

__________a. Earth
__________b. Mercury
__________c. Jupiter
__________d. Neptune
__________e. Venus
__________f. Uranus
__________g. Mars
__________h. Saturn

C. Match column A with Column B. write the letter of the correct answer on the blank before each
number.

A B
________1. The red planet a. Jupiter
________2. The ringed planet b. Venus
________3. Earth’s twin sister c. Neptune
________4. Derived from the Greek Deity of heaven d. Saturn
________5. Largest planet e. Mercury
________6. Smallest planet f. Uranus
________7. The evening star g. Earth
________8. Fastest planet h. Mars
________9. Only inhabited planet
________10. Fourth largest planet
Performance Task
D. Make a planetarium or solar system model out of recycled materials.
 EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE
WEEK 1
Essential Topic

Learning Outcomes:
1. State the different hypotheses explaining the origin of the Universe
2. Prove that the Universe is expanding
3. Formulate own theory about the origin of the Universe

ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE

Cosmology is the study of the universe, including its properties, structure, and evolution. The universe
began 10-15 billion years ago, when a primordial explosion called the Big Band occurred. The first three
minutes after, great quantities of hydrogen, and helium were created, spanning apart at great speeds.
About 3 million years later huge clouds, stretching 500 million light years across, began to condense.
After about 200 million years, these condensations formed the first galaxies – the birthplace of the stars
and of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. The universe today is the remnant of the Big Bang.
The Big Bang marked the birth of the Universe all matter and space were created instantaneously.

In 1930, the American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble showed that the universe is expanding. The
space formed by the Big Bang was filled by intense, extremely energetic high frequency radiation
called the primeval fireball. Radiation from the dying embers of the primeval fireball now permeates all
of space in the form of microwaves, which continuously stretch out more and more as the universe
expands.

*CREATIONIST THEORY

This theory states that God, the Supreme Being created the whole universe out of nothing. The
proof can be read in the Holy Bible stipulating that God created the heavens and the earth including
man.

*OSCILLATING UNIVERSE THEORY

This theory was proposed by a Russian- born US cosmologist George Gamow who helped
explain the Big Bang theory. He said that the expansion of the universe will eventually come to a halt
then it collapses up to the time that the universe will return to its original form and another Big Bang will
occur. This process will happen as a cycle.

*STEADY- STATE THEORY

This theory states that the universe has always been the same since the beginning and will
remain in its present state until eternity. It further claims that new galaxies appear as a result of the
drifting apart of other galaxies.

*OUR EXPANNDING UNIVERSE

The Universe or sometimes called cosmos is still expanding in a Doppler red shift in the light we
receive. The red shift also called cosmological red shift shows an increasing distance between us and
other galaxies in the universe. Red shifted galaxy light shows not only that the universe is expanding but
also that is expanding more slowly. Every bit of matter in the primordial explosion is attracted by gravity
toward every bit of matter, resulting in a continues slowing down of the expansion.

Cosmologist subscribe to the oscillating theory of the universe. If the expansion rate is less than
the escape speed, the expansion will continue, come to a stop and fall back in on itself. Now being on its
way, the universe will continue its outward expansion for 35 billion years and come to rest.

The fundamental difference between the Big Bang and ordinary explosion is that with the big
bang there was no space for the explosion to go into – space itself is exploding. The universe does not
“exist” in space or in time: rather both space and time exist within the universe. Without the universe
there would be no space and time.
ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
In 1796 Marquis de Laplace, a French astronomer proposed the nebular hypothesis:

a.) That the solar system evolved from a slowly rotating gaseous cloud.

b.) As it cooled by radiation and contracted, it rotated faster and faster, causing the gas to take a disk-
like form.

c.) At a certain speed the gravitational attraction could no longer hold the outer material to the central
mass, and it broke into a ring. This material condensed and formed a planet.

d.) The process continued, forming planets at various distances from the sun. The moons around the
planets were formed by the same process.

About 1900, theorist proposed the passing of another star close to the sun, producing great tidal
bulges on the sun. The passing star gave the material its whirling motion. The condensation of this
material ripped from the sun formed the planets.

Gravitational energy is converted to heat energy causing the internal temperature to

dramatically rise. The dust grains broke up into molecules and extremely energetic atomic particles.
Materials such as iron and nickel and rock- forming elements like silicon, calcium and sodium formed
metallic and rocky clamps that orbited the sun. Repeated collisions caused these masses to coalesce into
the four inner planets- Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. At the same time, the larger outer planets-
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune were temperature, the material from which these planets formed
ammonia, and methane. Because of its distance and size Pluto is now not qualified as a planet.
 EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE
Learner’s Activity Sheet

A. Identify what is described in each statement. Write your answer on the blank before each number.

_______________________1. The study of the entire universe.

_______________________2. The widely accepted theory about the origin of the universe.

_______________________3. This theory states that the universe has always been the same and will
continue to be the same forever.

_______________________4. This theory suggest that the universe expanded from the small ball and is
still expanding.

_______________________5. The other term of the universe.

B. Answer the following:

1. How did the universe start based on the creationist Theory?

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2. Why is the Big Bang Theory is the most accepted theory about the origin of the universe?

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Performance Task
3. Research on the other theory about the origin of the universe. Summarize their main assumptions.
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