Name Maia Toribio Date 1/10/22 Period 6

Solar System Unit Study Guide: Parts 1-5

Part 1: Solar System Origin
1. Describe the currently accepted hypothesis for the origin of our solar system.
The Nebular Hypothesis, first proposed in 1755 by Immanuel Kant. 4.6 billion years ago the solar
system formed from the gravitational collapse of a giant molecular cloud.

2. Using the terms coalesce and planetesimal, describe how the planets formed.
The cloud started to rotate, and particles began to coalesce. As the cloud rotated faster, it
flattened, planetesimals were formed.

Part 1: The Planets

3. Name the planets in order from closest to the sun to furthest away.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

4. Describe the processes of internal differentiation, volcanism, cratering, and outgassing and what each
produces for terrestrial planets.
❖ Terrestrial planets seem to have experienced a similar early history, with extensive
volcanism, cratering, and internal differentiation.
❖ Each has a metallic core and a silicate mantle crust as a product of internal differentiation.
❖ Evidence of continuing lava flows and impacts.
❖ Outgassing produced an atmosphere as light gasses from the interior rose to the surface
during volcanism.

5. Compare and contrast the outer planets considering their ring systems, composition, size, and
satellites.
➢ The 4 inner planets are terrestrial(rocky) planets with their satellites.
➢ The 4 outer planets are gas/ice giants and with satellites.
➢ Only the 4 outer planets have a ring system.
➢ They are also much larger in diameter and their orbital revolution periods are much longer
and faster.
Part 2: Meteoroids, Meteors, & Meteorites (The 3Ms)
6. Label the diagram below appropriately. Double-click the image and then double-click each text box to state
if the box labels a meteor, meteoroid, or meteorite:

7. How can studying meteorites provide insights into the origins of our solar system?
Meteorites are ancient pieces of the celestial planet (some of them were formed billions of years
ago). We can learn about the early conditions of the solar system and the meteorite origin.

Part 3: Dwarf Planets

8. How are dwarf planets different from planets?
Has not cleared its neighborhood, it's not a satellite.

9. What does it mean to “clear your neighborhood”? How does an object do this?
There are no satellites on the planet’s orbital path around the sun. An object does this because it
is by becoming gravitationally dominant.

10. What was the main reason for Pluto’s reclassification from planet to dwarf planet?
Because Pluto was one of the trillions of planets that are in the Kuiper Belt.
Part 4: Comets
11. State all the parts of a comet that are visible at each given point in its orbit according to the diagram below:

a As it moves away from the

sun, its tail becomes smaller.
(1988)

b Eventually, the tail dissipates

when far enough away from
the sun.
(1996)

c Nucleus traveling through

space.
(2016/2036)

d As the comet approaches

the sun, gasses begin to
vaporize and the coma
becomes visible.
(2056)

e When the comet is closer to

the sun, a tail is formed.
(2061)

f Tail is at its longest point as

it passes closest to the sun.
(1986)

Part 5: Orbital Motion & Kepler’s Laws

12. Why do the revolution periods of the planets increase as the distance from the sun increases?

The planet is revolving around the sun and if the planet from the sun is far. The planet takes long
periods of time to revolve around the sun. It also travels around the sun slower because of its
distance the sun’s gravitational pull is weaker.

13. What is the force responsible for the movement of the planets?

Gravitational force.

a. What object is the main source of this force in our solar system? Why?

The sun because it is pulling the planet by its gravitational force.

14. Complete the table using the formula 𝑒 = 𝑑/𝐿. Round all answers to the thousandths place.

Length of the Major Distance Between Foci

Object Eccentricity
Axis (AU) (AU)
 Uynuj
22.015 1.739 0.079
(Planet)
Retnuh
7.629 0.885 0.116
(Planet)
Otia
0.764 0.008 0.010
(Planet)
Unamiak
25.821 22.903 0.887
(Comet)
Nesahc
88.210 38.636 0.438
(Dwarf Planet)
Nahte
5.074 2.661 0.524
(Meteoroid)

15. Using the table above:

a. Which object has the least eccentric orbit? How do you know?

Otia 0.010, because when the number is closer to 0, this means the orbit of the circle is
more like a circle.

b. Which object has the most eccentric orbit? How do you know?

Unamiak 0.887, because the closer an eccentricity is to 1, the orbit of the circle is more
elongated.

c. Describe the relationship between “e” and “d”.

E= eccentricity which is the measure of how not like a circle an orbit is.
D= distance between foci
16. What does Kepler’s First Law of Planetary Motion state?

Law of Ellipses
The planet’s orbit about the sun is ellipse.

17. Using the picture on the right, answer the following questions:
a. Earth’s orbit has an eccentricity of about 0.017.
Knowing this, what’s wrong with the picture?

It is wrong because when the eccentricity is

closer to 1 the more a circle is.

b. Even with this error, this picture still represents which

of Kepler’s Laws of planetary motion? What does this
law state?
 Kepler’s 3rd Law of Motion.
❖ The period of a planet’s orbit squared is
proportional to its average distance
from the sun cubed.

18. What can be said about a planet’s velocity when it is at perihelion and when it’s at aphelion?

❖ -Perihelion is the point at which a planet is closest to the suns in its orbit : Planet moves
the fastest
❖ -Aphelion is the point at which a planet is furthest from the sun in its orbit. : Planet moves
the slowest

19. Using Kepler’s 3rd Law of Planetary Motion, fill in the missing information. Remember that units are
important and show your work process!
a. Mercury - Orbital Period: 88 Earth Days; Distance from the Sun: _______________ AU

88 Earth days= 0.2410 Earth years

0.2410²=0.058081
Cube root symbol 0.058081=0.723
0.723³=0.377933067
0.377933067=around 0.387

0.387 AU

b. Jupiter - Orbital Period: _______________ Earth Years; Distance from the Sun: 5.2 AU

5.2x5.2 x 5.2= 140.6

11.86 x 11.86 = 140.6
Around 12 years

12 Earth Years

c. Mars - Orbital Period: 1.88 Earth Years; Distance from the Sun _______________ AU

1.5 AU