UNIT 1: THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM

LESSON 1.3: NEBULAR THEORY

WORKSHEET NO.1.3

Name: Jonathan Paul A. Sevilla Date: Sep. 12, 2022

Grade and Section: 11-LEEUWENHOEK Rating: _______________________

Instruction: Answer each of the questions in one to two short sentences.

1. According to the nebular theory, how did the solar system form?
- This theory suggests that the solar system was formed from nebulous material where a
cloud of gas and dust became a disk that formed the Sun and the other planets. Gravity
collapses in the center, creating the Sun and the remaining material turned into the
planets we know today.

2. What are the three major stages of planet formation and how do they happen?
- The first stage is the collapsing of the cloud that makes a nebula faster. It starts to spin
slowly and with an axis rotation of 1 light year, gravity makes this cloud rotate faster
and shrink. The next stage is where a protoplanetary disk forms, where silicates and iron
compounds condense near the Sun while ice and gas condense far from the Sun. The
last step is the growth of the planets, where dust and grains form clumps and create
small celestial bodies called planetesimals.

3. What is the reason why terrestrial is rocky while the Jovian is gaseous?
- It is related to how the planets formed. Planets near the sun are formed due to the
characteristics of rocks, silicates and metals. Forming near the sun would lead to a
composition full of rocks which is why terrestrial planets are rocky. Jovian planets
formed far from the Sun, where gases and ice clump, which is why they are gaseous.

4. What should be the composition of the materials in the core, mantle, and crust based on the
nebular theory?
- According to the theory, the core must be metallic and composed of iron. The mantle
should be composed of silicate, rich in magnesium. The crust is made out of silica, with
lesser amounts of iron and magnesium.

5. What happens to a nebula when it spins faster? Why?

- In the event where a nebule spins faster, it conserves angular momentum. This is caused
by torque and change in temperature and pressure from its environment. Other
celestial bodies like stars, clouds, and other nebula may trigger a spin in the nebula.
6. What is the reason why surface particles of Saturn are used to disprove the nebular theory?
- It is because dust and gas will accumulate and bulk on its rings, making the planet dull.
Saturn’s rings are also very thin making the theory questionable.

7. Suppose the fate of the sun to become a white dwarf happens soon, how will it affect the
conditions on Earth?
- Other planets away from the Sun will continue going around the Sun but Earth may
survive but the planet would not be habitable. The planet’s life would freeze to death
when the Sun becomes a white dwarf.