Based on the table of "Factors that Make a Planet Habitable" make a comparison of the three planets namely Venus,

Earth and Mars.

Let’s see if the other planet other than Earth is habitable to live.
Factors that make a Not Enough of the Just Right Too Much of the Factor Situation in the Solar System
Planet Habitable Factor
Temperature Low temperatures Life seems limited to a At about 125oC, protein Surface: Only Earth’s surface is
Influences how quickly cause chemicals to temperature range of and carbohydrate in this temperature range. Sub-
atoms & molecules react slowly, which minus 15oC to 115oC. molecules and genetic surface: The interior of the solid
move interferes with the In this range, liquid material (e.g., DNA and planets & moons may be in this
reactions necessary for water can still exist RNA) start to break temperature range.
life. Also low under certain apart. Also, high
temperatures freeze conditions. temperatures quickly
water, making liquid evaporate water.
water unavailable.
Water The chemicals a cell Water is regularly Too much water is not a Surface: Only Earth’s surface
Dissolves & transports needs for energy & available. Life can go problem, as long as it is has water, though Mars once
chemicals within and to growth are not dormant between wet not so toxic that it had surface water and still has
and from a cell dissolved or periods, but, eventually, interferes with the water ice in its polar ice caps.
transported to the cell water needs to be chemistry of life Sub-surface: Mars & some
available. moons have deposits of
underground ice, which might
melt to produce water
Atmosphere Small planets and Earth & Venus are the Venus’s atmosphere is Of the solid planets & moons,
Traps heat, shields the moons have insufficient right size to hold a 100 times thicker than only Earth, Venus, & Titan have
surface from harmful gravity to hold an sufficient-sized Earth’s. It is made significant atmospheres. Mars’
radiation, and provides atmosphere. The gas atmosphere. Earth’s almost entirely of atmosphere is about 1/100th
chemicals needed for molecules escape to atmosphere is about greenhouse gasses, that of Earth’s, too small for
life, such as nitrogen space, leaving the 100 miles thick. It keeps making the surface too significant insulation or
and carbon dioxide. planet or moon without the surface warm & hot for life. The four shielding.
an insulating blanket or protects it from giant planets are
a protective shield. radiation & small- to completely made of
medium-sized gas.
meteorites.
Energy When there is too little With a steady input of Light energy is a Surface: The inner planets get
Organisms use light or sunlight or too few of either light or chemical problem if it makes a too much sunlight for life. The
chemical energy to run the chemicals that energy, cells can run the planet too hot or if outer planets get too little. Sub-
their life processes. provide energy to cells, chemical reactions there are too many surface: Most solid planets &
such as iron or sulfur, necessary for life. harmful rays, such as moons have energy-rich
organisms die. ultraviolet. Too many chemicals.
energy rich chemicals is
not a problem
Nutrients Without chemicals to All solid planets & Too many nutrients are Surface: Earth has a water cycle,
Used to build and make proteins & moons have the same not a problem. an atmosphere, and volcanoes
maintain an organism’s carbohydrates, general chemical However, too active a to circulate nutrients. Venus,
body. organisms cannot grow. makeup, so nutrients circulation system, such Titan, Io, and Mars have
Planets without systems are present. Those with as the constant nutrients and ways to circulate
to deliver nutrients to a water cycle or volcanism on Jupiter’s them to organisms. Sub-
its organisms (e.g., a volcanic activity can moon, Io, or the surface: Any planet or moon
water cycle or volcanic transport and replenish churning atmospheres with sub-surface water or
activity) cannot support the chemicals required of the gas planets, molten rock can circulate and
life. Also, when by living organisms. interferes with an replenish nutrients for
nutrients are spread so organism’s ability to get organisms.
thin that they are hard enough nutrients.
to obtain, such as on a
gas planet, life cannot
exist

NAME:________________________________________SCORE: ________________________________
SECTION:______________________________________ ACTIVITY #1 DATE: _____________________
Based on your observation put a slash ( / ) if it’s applicable on the planet and write your conclusion below.

VENUS EARTH MARS

Situation in the Solar

Situation in the Solar

Situation in the Solar

Factors that
Not Enough of the

Not Enough of the

Not Enough of the

Too Much of the

Too Much of the

Too Much of the

make a Planet

Just Right

Just Right

Just Right
System

System

System
Habitable
Factor

Factor

Factor

Factor

Factor

Factor
Temperature

Water

Atmosphere

Energy

Nutrients

CONCLUSION/S
__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

NAME:___________________________________________________ SCORE: ________________________________

SECTION:_________________________________________________ ACTIVITY # 2 DATE: ___________________

 ENERGY FLOW AMONG SUBSYSTEMS
It is said to be in a steady state. Because of the
complexity of the earth/atmosphere system, the
great number of pathways available to the
energy and the variety of short and long-term
storage facilities that exist, it may never actually
reach that condition. Major excursions away
from a steady state in the past may be
represented by such events as the Ice Ages, but
in most cases the responses to change are less
obvious. Changes in one element in the system,
tending to produce instability, are countered by
changes in other elements which attempt to restore balance. This tendency for the components of the
environment to achieve some degree of balance has long been recognized by geographers, and referred to as
environmental equilibrium.

The balance is never complete, however. Rather, it is a dynamic equilibrium which involves a continuing
series of mutual adjustments among the elements that make up the environment. The rate, nature and extent
of the adjustments required will vary with the amount of disequilibrium introduced into the system, but in
every environment, there will be periods when relative stability can be maintained with only minor
adjustments. This inherent stability of the environment tends to dampen the impact of changes even as they
happen, and any detrimental effects that they produce may go unnoticed. At other times, the equilibrium is so
disturbed that stability is lost, and major responses are required to restore the balance.

Many environmentalists view the present environmental deterioration as the result of human
interference in the system at a level which has pushed the stabilizing mechanisms to their limits, and perhaps
beyond.

ACTIVITY: Develop a more abstract diagram of the site that highlights the flow of energy and matter among the
four components of the Earth system. The investigation concludes sharing their diagrams and creating a single
class diagram to represent your study site.

To annotate means to describe with short notes. Work with a partner or in small groups to annotate your study
site photograph in the following way.

1. Writing directly on the photograph of your study site, label the four major components of the study site
system: atmosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere, and biosphere.
2. Using the list of interconnections you developed in the previous activity, write short descriptions of the
interconnections among the components of the system that you can see in your photograph. Follow these
guidelines:
• Use phrases or short sentences with verbs.
• Make sure you are describing connections or relationships between components of the system, just as in the
list of interconnections.
• Write as clearly as possible. Remember that other students must be able to understand your work.
• If you run out of space for your annotations, put a number next to the feature in the photograph that you're
writing about, draw a small circle around the number so that it will be easy to see, and write the annotations
on a separate piece of paper. Attach the piece of paper to your photograph• If your photograph does not show
important features that you know about at the study site, you can include them in your annotations in the
same way as suggested above.
Based on your photograph annotations, answer the following question:
Heat is one way that energy is transferred from one place to another. What happens during the day at your
local study site when the sun is shining?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________