LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

SCIENCE 6

Study the illustration of the planet order and sizes in our solar system
below.
1. Identify all the 8 planets, outward from the sun (left to right).
2. Describe their appearance, sizes and apparent distances from the sun.
3. Then, Answer the questions below it.

The Solar System

https://dribbble.com/shots/2767392-Solar-System-greyscale-illustration

The planets are heavenly bodies that revolve around the sun. They do not
have light in themselves but get their light from the sun. The planets are spherical
and have different sizes. As each planet rotate on its axis it also travels around the
sun in elliptical path called its orbit. Each planet has its own orbit.
Questions to answer:

1. Which planet is nearest to the sun? ________________Which is the farthest?

___________________

2. What is the exact location of the asteroid belt in the solar system?
______________________

3. What planet is the smallest? __________________ Which is the largest?

_____________________

4. Do you think Venus can be inhabited? _________ Why?

DISCUSSION

The planets in our solar system are divided into two groups. These are
the inner and the outer planets. The inner planets are the four planets closer to the
sun, they are called terrestrial planets. The outer planets are those farther from the
sun, they are called Jovian planets.

The Characteristics of Eight Planets

Terrestrial Planets

Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are the four inner planets. They are called terrestrial
planets because, like the Earth, these planets are made mostly of rocks and have few
or no moons.

Mercury

https://astronomy.com/news/2012/03/

Mercury: The closest planet to the Sun

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. It has an average distance of 58
million km from the Sun and an equatorial diameter of 4880 km. It revolves around
the Sun in a period of 88 Earth days and rotates slowly on its axis once in 59 Earth
days.
 Because of its nearness to the Sun, Mercury has a very high daytime
temperature reaching its hottest temperature at 430 degree Celsius (430°C) and
very low nighttime temperature dropping to a very cold -180 degree Celsius.
Slightly larger than Earth's moon, it is the smallest planet in the solar system. Its
surface is full of craters. It has no moon or rings around it.

Venus

https://cosmosmagazine.com

Venus: Earth’s twin planet

Venus is the second nearest planet to the Sun and has an average distance of
108 million km from it. It has almost the same size and density as the Earth. It is a
rocky planet and has an equatorial diameter of 12 104 km. It has mountains, craters
and volcanoes on its surface.

Its atmosphere is made up mostly of carbon dioxide which has a surface

temperature that arises to more than 470 degree Celsius. The thick atmosphere
traps heat in a runaway greenhouse effect, making it the hottest planet in our solar
system with surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead. The thick layer of
clouds in Venus’ atmosphere reflect sunlight very well, making it the brightest
object in the sky next to the moon, as seen from Earth. It is often called Evening
Star or Morning Star.

Venus rotates from east to west once every 243 Earth days and revolves around
the sun for 225 Earth days. Like Mercury, it has no moon and ring around it.
Earth

https://pixabay.com/illustrations
Earth: the only planet to sustain life

Earth is the only planet in the solar system that can sustain life. It is known as the
blue planet because it looks blue as seen from the outer space.

Earth has an average distance of 149 million km from the Sun and has an
equatorial diameter of 12 756 km.

About 70% of the Earth is covered by water and about 30% by land. It’s
atmosphere is made mostly of 77% nitrogen gas and 21% oxygen with traces of
argon, carbon dioxide and water. The presence of gases like oxygen and carbon
dioxide is the distinct characteristics of Earth that make it habitable. Oxygen gas is
used by plants, animals and human beings to burn food to produce energy. Carbon
dioxide is used by plants to make food for the animals and human beings.

The average surface temperature of planet Earth is 15°C. This temperature is

another distinctive characteristic that makes Earth habitable. It allows water to exist
in three forms, namely, ice, liquid and vapor. It is also very important in
maintaining a climate that allows life to exist on Earth.
 It takes 365 ¼ days for the Earth to complete its revolution and 24 hours to
complete its rotation. The Earth has only one moon that revolves around it every
27.3 days.

Mars

Mars is called the red planet. It looks red because of the presence of iron on
its surface. Mars has an equatorial distance of 6 788 km. Its average distance from
the Sun is 227 million km.

Mars has a very thin atmosphere which consists largely of carbon dioxide
and a percentage of other gases.

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/146296687883800906
Mars: The Rusty Planet
It has an average surface temperature of -63ªC. It is also known for its
volcanoes. It has one of the largest volcanoes in the solar system, the Olympus
Mons.

Mars takes 687 Earth days to complete its revolution. Like Earth, it takes 24
days to complete its rotation. Mars has two moons.

Jovian Planets
 The outer planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are called Jovian
planets because, like Jupiter, these planets are large and gaseous. (Jove is another
name for the Roman god
Jupiter)

Jupiter

Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system. It is bigger and heavier than all
other planets combined. It has an equatorial diameter of 142 984 km. Its average
distance from the Sun is 774 million km.

https://hubblesite.org/image/3756/news/20-jupiter

Jupiter, the biggest planet in the solar system

Jupiter is covered with thick clouds. There is no solid ground on Jupiter. It is
called a gas giant planet which is made up mostly of hydrogen helium rather than
rocks and metals as Earth. The average surface temperature at the top of its clouds
can reach about 149°C.
Jupiter takes 12 Earth years to complete one revolution and 10 hours to complete
its rotation. It has a huge storm in its atmosphere called as great red spot. Jupiter
has 50 moons (with an additional of 17 moons recently discovered and currently
being confirmed). One of its moons, Ganymede, is the largest in the solar system.
Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun, which has an average distance of 1.4
billion km. from it and is the farthest planet visible to the naked eye. Saturn has an
equatorial diameter of 120 536 km. It takes 10.7 Earth hours for Saturn to complete
a rotation and 29 Earth years to complete a revolution.

https://hubblesite.org/image/4213/gallery

Saturn with the beautiful rings around it

Saturn is a cold planet. The temperature at the top of the Saturn’s clouds can reach
about -176°C. Like Jupiter, Saturn is also a gas giant without a solid surface. It is
composed mostly of hydrogen and helium.
There are 53 known moons surrounding Saturn. Its largest moon is Titan. It is the
second largest moon in the solar system.

Uranus
 https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/454/hubbles-uranus

Uranus: the only planet that rotates on its side

Uranus is the seventh planet of the solar system and is the first planet discovered
by means of a telescope. Its average distance from the Sun is 2.9 billion km. It is
four times bigger than the Earth. Its diameter is 50 800 km.
This planet is considered an ice giant because it is mostly made up of frozen water,
methane and ammonia. Its atmosphere is made mostly of hydrogen and helium.
Astronomers believe that these gases give the planet its bluish-green color. Its
average surface temperature can reach -215°C.
Uranus is the only planet that rotates on its side. It takes 17 hours to
complete its rotation and 84 Earth year to complete its revolution. Its equatorial
diameter is 51 118 km.
Uranus has 11 rings around it. The rings are dark, narrow, and widely spaced. The
planet has 27moons. Titania is the largest moon of Uranus.
Neptune

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/611/neptune

Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and is the first planet to be
discovered using mathematical calculations before confirmed by a telescope. Its
average distance from the Sun is 4.5 billion km. Neptune’s rotation lasts about 16
Earth hours. It completes one revolution around the Sun every 165 Earth days.
This planet also has no solid surface. It is a gas giant with a surface temperature of
-214°C, mostly the same as Uranus. Its equatorial diameter is 49 532 km. Neptune
and Uranus are called twin planets because they have about the same size and
mass. They also both look blue green because of methane gas in their atmosphere.
Neptune has 6 dark rings made up of very fine particles. It has 13 moons, the
largest of which is called Triton.

I. A. Read each sentence carefully. Choose the letter of the correct answer
and write it in your notebook.

1. Which of the following is a terrestrial planet?

 A. Neptune C. Earth
B. Uranus D. Jupiter
2. Which is the hottest planet in our solar system?
A. Mercury C. Mars
B. Venus D. Jupiter

3. Why do planets have different periods of revolution around the Sun?

A. Some of them have no atmosphere.
B. They differ in sizes and color.
C. They have different distances from the Sun.
D. They have the same number of moons and rings.

4. Which planets are correctly grouped and classified?

A. Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, Uranus
B. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Mercury
C. Mercury, Mars, Earth, Jupiter
D. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

5. Which is the only planet that can sustain life?

A. Earth C. Mars
B. Jupiter D. Venus

6. Why is Mars called a “red planet”? The presence of ________. A.

hydrogen in the atmosphere.
B. iron on its surface.
C. oxygen in the atmosphere.
D. rocks and metals in the core of the planet.

7. What is the most ringed planet?

 A. Neptune C. Saturn
b. Jupiter D. Venus

8. Which is considered as the brightest object in the sky next to the moon?
A. Neptune C. Saturn
b. Jupiter D. Venus

9. Why is earth called a blue planet? It is because of the _____.

A. presence of oxygen in the atmosphere. C. sunlight
b. abundance of water D. distance

10. Which planet was first discovered by a telescope?

A. Neptune C. Saturn
b. Jupiter D. Uranus