Physical

Science
11
Science – Grade 11
Quarter 4 – Module – 3: Concepts of the Solar System!
First Edition, 2020

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 Physical
Science
11
Quarter 4
Self-Learning Module 3
Concepts of the Solar System
Introductory Message

For the Facilitator:

Welcome to the Physical Science Grade 11 Self-Learning Module 3 on

Concepts of the Solar System!

This Self-Learning Module was collaboratively designed, developed and

reviewed by educators from the Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its
Officer-in-Charge Schools Division Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A.
Agustin, in partnership with the City Government of Pasig through its mayor,
Honorable Victor Ma. Regis N. Sotto. The writers utilized the standards set by the K
to 12 Curriculum using the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) in
developing this instructional resource.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners in guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs, namely: Communication,
Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Character while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
For the Learner:

Welcome to the Physical Science Grade 11 Self-Learning Module 3 on

Concepts of the Solar System!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You
will be enabled to process the contents of the learning material while being an active
learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectations - This points to the set of knowledge and skills

that you will learn after completing the module.

Pretest - This measures your prior knowledge about the lesson

at hand.

Recap - This part of the module provides a review of concepts

and skills that you already know about a previous lesson.

Lesson - This section discusses the topic in the module.

Activities - This is a set of activities that you need to perform.

Wrap-Up - This section summarizes the concepts and

application of the lesson.

Valuing - This part integrates a desirable moral value in the

lesson.

Posttest - This part measures how much you have learned

from the entire module.
 EXPECTATIONS

After going through this module, you will be able to:

1. illustrate the distinctions among Ptolemy, Copernicus and Tycho Brahe’s
ancient astronomical models;
2. relate Tycho Brahe’s innovation and extensive collection of astronomical data
(naked-eye astronomy) with Kepler’s laws of planetary motion;
3. explain Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion.

PRETEST

Direction: Choose the letter of the correct answer.

1. He believes that Earth revolves around the Sun rather than the Sun moving
around Earth.
a. Tycho Brahe c. Nicholas Copernicus
b. Johannes Kepler d. Plato

2. Which of the following statement/s describes Kepler’s law of planetary motion

Each planet moves in an orbit that has shape
of an ellipse, with the Sun located at one focus.
Imaginary line between the Sun and a planet
moves over equal areas of the ellipse during equal
time intervals.
Earth either remains at rest or continues to
move at a constant velocity unless it is acted upon
a. I onlyby an external force. c. I, II and IV
b. II and IV d. I, II and III
the square of the period of a planet’s orbit is
proportional
3. It goes through the apparent to the cube
position of Mars ofagainst
that planets semimajor
the background of stars.
a. epicycle axis, or . c. equilibrium
b. retrograde motion d. law of motion

4. The point at which an orbit comes closest to the Sun is called ___________.
a. aphelion c. axis
b. focus d. perihelion
5. The point at which an orbit is farthest from the Sun is called _____________.
a. aphelion c. axis
b. focus d. perihelion

RECAP

Let us have a recap! You have learned about astronomical phenomena before the
advent of telescope. Can you still remember that lesson? Let’s have a simple activity
to refresh your mind. Match column A with column B.
Column A Column B
_________1. Before meridian A. Annular
_________2. After meridian B. Penumbra
_________3. Uniform time average C. Umbra
_________4. complete/full shadow D. Ante meridiem
_________5. partial shadow
E. Post Meridiem
F. Mean solar time.
G. gnomon

LESSON
If you observe the daily motion of the Sun and Moon and the nightly
motion of the Moon and stars over a period of time, you can easily convince
yourself that all the heavenly bodies revolve around a fixed, motionless
Earth.
Over time, the planets appear to move across the background of stars,
sometimes slowing, then reversing their direction in a loop before resuming
their normal motion. This retrograde, or reverse, motion for the planet Mars
is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+retrogade+motion&docid=607993646360574362&mid=D589-
6C32A75B57E3617BD5896C32A75B57E3617B&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

The apparent position of Mars against the background of stars as it goes

through retrograde motion. Each position is observed approximately
two weeks after the previous position.
To explain the occasional retrograde motion of the planets with this model, later
Greek astronomers had to modify it by assuming a secondary motion of the planets.
THE GEOCENTRIC MODEL
Early Greek astronomers and philosophers had attempted to explain the
observed motions of the Sun, Moon, and stars with a geometric model, a model of
perfect geometrical spheres with attached celestial bodies orbiting around a fixed
Earth in perfect circles. Aristotle looks at the sky and notices that all objects rise
and set. He concludes that the Earth must be the center of the universe and thus
the center of these observed astronomical bodies. This becomes known as the
geocentric model. He explains the backward motion of some planets as epicycles
or small-circular orbit centered on the surface of the sphere as it turned around
Earth

Figure 2 Ptolemaic System

Figure 2 shows the combined motion of the movement of the planet around
the epicycle as the sphere turned resulted in a loop with retrograde motion. Thus,
the earlier model of the solar system, modified with epicycles, was able to explain all
that was known about the movement of the stars and planets at that time.
A version of this explanation of retrograde motion ― perfectly circular epicycle
motion on perfectly spherical turning spheres ―was published by Ptolemy in the
second century A.D. and this geocentric model came to be known as the Ptolemaic
system.
THE HELIOCENTRIC MODEL
The idea that Earth revolves around the Sun rather than the Sun moving
around Earth was proposed by a Polish astronomer, Nicolas Copernicus, in a book
published in 1543. In Copernicus’ model, each planet moved around the Sun in
perfect circles at different distances, moving at faster speeds in orbits closer to the
Sun, when viewed from a moving Earth, the other planets would appear to undergo
retrograde motion because of the combined motions of Earth and the planets.
The Copernican system of a heliocentric, or Sun-centered, solar system
provided a simpler explanation for retrograde motion than the Ptolemaic system, but
it was only an alternative way to consider the solar system. The Copernican system
offered no compelling reasons why the alternative Ptolemaic system should be
rejected. Furthermore, clear-cut evidence for rejecting the Ptolemaic
system would have to await the detailed measurements of planetary
motions made by Tycho Brahe and analysis of those measurements by Johannes
Kepler.
Tycho Brahe was a Danish nobleman who constructed highly accurate
observatories for his time, which was before the telescope.

Figure 3 The heliocentric system explanation of retrograde motion

Brahe spent about twenty years (1576-1597) making systematic,

uninterrupted measurements of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars. His skilled
observations resulted in the first precise, continuous record of planetary position. In
1600, Brahe hired a young German, Johannes Kepler, as an assistant. When Brahe
died in 1601, Kepler was promoted to Brahe’s position and was given access to the
vast collection of observation records. Kepler spent the next 25 years analyzing the
data to find out if planets follow circular paths or if they followed the paths of
epicycles.
Today, his findings are called Kepler’s laws of planetary motion. Kepler’s
first law states that each planet moves in an orbit that has the shape of an ellipse,
with the Sun located at one focus (Figure 4).
Kepler’s First Law- The Law of Ellipses
 Fig. 4
How does an ellipse look like? Try
making one yourself….

Fig.5
Kepler’s second law states that an imaginary line between the Sun and a
planet moves over equal areas of the ellipse during equal time intervals (Figure 6).
Kepler’s Second Law- The Law of Equal Areas

Fig. 6
Could they really be equal? Think of ways to prove this…..
 Fig.7

This means that the orbital velocity of a planet varies with where the planet’s
orbit is. Since the distance from the focus to a given position varies around the
ellipse. The point at which an orbit comes closest to the Sun is called the perihelion,
and the point at which an orbit is farthest from the Sun is called the aphelion.

Kepler’s third law states that the square of the orbital periods of the planets
is directly proportional to the cube of that planets semi-major axis, or 𝑡 2 ∝ 𝑑3 . Thus,
as the orbit’s radius increases, so does the period for a planet to orbit the sun.

Kepler’s Third Law- The Law of Harmonies

Fig. 8
Direct relationship between the orbital period and the semi major axis.

Can you tell how the orbital period is harmonized with the axis?
_________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITIES

Activity 1: Dichotomous Response

Direction: choose between Geocentric and Heliocentric Model and encircle your
answers.

Aristotle Tycho Brahe Nicholas Johannes Ptolemy

Copernicus Kepler

Geocentric Geocentric Geocentric Geocentric Geocentric

Heliocentric Heliocentric Heliocentric Heliocentric Heliocentric

Activity 2: Kepler’s Law of Planetary Motion

Direction: Complete the table of the characteristics of the development contributed
by the ancient Greek philosopher’s model of the Earth and the Universe.

Model Kepler’s States that…

 First Law

Second Law

Third Law

Activity 3: Checkboxes
Direction: Check the best answer from the statement given.

States Ptolemaic Copernican Retrograde Kepler’s Tycho

System System motion First Brahe
Law

The Sun is located at

one focus of the
ellipse
Venus as a morning
and evening star.

First precise
uninterrupted
measurements of the
Sun, Moon, Planet
and stars.

Sun-centered solar
system

Reverse motion for the

planet Mars

WRAP-UP

Heliocentric versus Geocentric: What is the difference between

the two models?

1. What does geocentric and heliocentric models says about the

universe?
2. Why did early astronomers believe in the geocentric model?
3. Who are the developers of heliocentric model?

VALUING

Your Universe Model and Your Inspirations

 Early astronomers developed the model of the Universe based on its movement
through the Geocentric model and Heliocentric model. Tycho Brahe’s measurements
of Sun, Moon, planets and stars are based on his skilled observation of planetary
position. Johannes Kepler also created three planetary laws and explained the
planetary movements.
Choose among the different astronomical models and draw a model of your
own Universe. Consider who or what will represent as the sun, moon, planets, stars,

ME AND MY UNIVERSE

_____________________ ‘s Model

etc. Give three (3) to five (5) influential persons or things you consider with great
impact in your life. Explain how they contribute or can motivate you to keep your
wheels on turning.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

This __________’s model states that:

POSTTEST
Read very carefully the following statements and choose the best answer from the
given choices.

1. What model describes perfect geometrical spheres with attached celestial bodies
orbiting around a fixed Earth in perfect circles.
 a. retrograde model c. heliocentric model
b. Pytolemy’s model d. geocentric model

2. A Polish astronomer who proposed the idea that Earth revolves around the Sun
rather than the Sun moving around Earth.

a. Tycho Brahe c. Nicholas Copernicus

b. Johannes Kepler d. Aristotle

3. Kepler spent the next _____ years analyzing the data to find out if planets follow
circular paths or if they followed the paths of epicycles.

a. 29.5 c. 27.6
b. 27 d. 25

4. States that an imaginary line between the Sun and a planet moves over equal
areas of the ellipse during equal time intervals.

a. Kepler’s First Law of Planetary motion

b. Kepler’s Second Law of Planetary motion
c. Kepler’s Third Law of Planetary motion
d. All of the above

5. Kepler’s third law states that the square of the period of a planet’s orbit is
proportional to the cube of that planet's semimajor axis or _________?

a. 𝑡 2 ∝ 𝑑3 c. 𝑡 3 ∝ 𝑑2

b. ∜𝛽 ∝ 𝑑3 d. ∜𝛽 ∝ 𝑡 2
Pre-test
C
C
B
D
A
Activity 1
Geocentric
Heliocentric
Heliocentric
Heliocentric
Geocentric
Activity 2
Kepler’s first law states that each planet moves in an orbit that has
the shape of an ellipse, with the Sun located at one focus
Kepler’s second law states that an imaginary line between the Sun
and a planet moves over equal areas of the ellipse during equal time
intervals
Kepler’s third law states that the square of the pened of a planet’s
orbit is proportional to the cube of that planets semimajor axis, or
Activity 3
Wrap-up
Answers may vary
Posttest
1. D
2. C
3. D
4. B
5. A
KEY TO CORRECTION
 References
Geocentric Model - lcps.org. (n.d.).
https://www.lcps.org/cms/lib4/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/15490/Mo
dels%20of%20the%20Solar%20System.pptx.

Tillery, B. W. (2012). Earth in Space. In Physical Science (Ninth edition ed., pp.
413-432). 1221 Avenue of America, New York, North America: McGraw-Hill
Companies.