Planets

Question 1

Inner Planets

Answer 1

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

Question 2

Outer Planets

Answer 2

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Question 3

Mercury’s period of revolution

Answer 3

88 days

Question 4

Which planet has the hottest surface of any planet?

Answer 4

Venus

Question 5

Why is Mars red?

Answer 5

because of the iron in the soil

Question 6

Name the largest planet

Answer 6

Jupiter

Question 7

What is the Great Red Spot?

Answer 7

the storm system on Jupiter that is 400 years old

Question 8

What is the 2nd largest planet?

Answer 8

Saturn

Question 9

What color does Uranus appear?

Answer 9

blue green

Question 10

Which planet’s axis is tilted on its side?

Answer 10

Uranus

Question 11

Which planet has the great dark spot?

Answer 11

Neptune

Question 12

Which planet rotates in the opposite direction from the Earth?

Answer 12

Venus

Question 13

What are the gas giants?

Answer 13

the outer planets are called gas giants because they have a deep, massive atmosphere

Question 14

What are terrestrial planets?

Answer 14

the inner planets are terrestrial planets because they are dense and rocky

Question 15

the amount of time an object takes to rotate

Answer 15

period of rotation

Question 16

the amount of time an object takes to revolve around the sun once

Answer 16

period of revolution

Question 17

the counter-clockwise spin of a planet or moon as seen from its north pole

Answer 17

prograde rotation

Question 18

the clockwise spin of a planet or moon as seen from its north pole

Answer 18

retrograde rotation

Question 19

the average distance between the Earth and the sun

Answer 19

astronomical unit (approx. 150 million km) symbol is AU

Question 20

Kepler’s 3 Laws of Planetary Motion

Answer 20

1- the orbit of every planet is an ellipse with the sun at its focus
2- Planets move faster when they are closer to the sun than when farther away
3- Calculation: relationship between how long a planet’s rotation is and its distance from the sun

Question 21

the spin of a body on its axis

Answer 21

rotation

Question 22

the path that a body follows as it travels around another body in space

Answer 22

orbit

Question 23

the motion of a body that travels around another body in space

Answer 23

revolution

Question 24

cooler, dark spots on the photosphere of the sun that have a strong magnetic field

Answer 24

sunspots

Question 25

sunspot cycle

Answer 25

11 years

Question 26

regions of extremely high temps and brightness that develop on the sun's surface

Answer 26

solar flares

Question 27

linked to climate change

Answer 27

sun spots

Question 28

can interrupt radio communications

Answer 28

solar flares

Question 29

Which planet is most like Earth's twin?

Answer 29

Venus

Question 30

Scientists believe that the water on Mars now exists as:

Answer 30

two polar icecaps

Question 31

List 3 differences between and 3 similarities of Venus and Earth

Answer 31

Differences: 1- direction of rotation, 2- Venus' atmosphere is made of carbon dioxide and some destructive acids, 3 the greenhouse effect traps heat causing Venus' surface temp to be very high. Similarities: 1- similar in size, 2- both have volcanoes, 3- Venus' gravity is 91% of Earth's

Question 32

What are some characteristics of Earth that make it suitable for life?

Answer 32

Earth is warm enough to keep most of its water from freezing and cool enough to keep it from evaporating.

Question 33

Why is the surface temp of Venus higher than the surface temps of other planets in our solar system?

Answer 33

The high carbon dioxide content of the air on Venus causes a greenhouse effect, trapping heat and raising the surface temp.

Question 34

What are Saturn's rings made of?

Answer 34

icy particles

Question 35

Which outer planets have rings?

Answer 35

all of them

Question 36

Why does Jupiter give off more energy into space than it receives from the sun?

Answer 36

Jupiter's interior is very hot

Question 37

What is unusual about Pluto's moon Charon?

Answer 37

Charon is more than half the size of Pluto, making it the largest satellite relative to its planet in the solar system.

Question 38

The many colors of Jupiter's atmosphere are probably caused by what in the atmosphere?

Answer 38

organic compounds

Question 39

a large cloud of gas and dust in interstellar space. a region in space where stars are born or where stars explode at the end of their lives

Answer 39

nebula

Question 40

the cloud of gas and dust that formed our solar system

Answer 40

solar nebula

Question 41

the process by which two or more low-mass nuclei join together (fuse) to form another nucleus

Answer 41

nuclear fusion