Overview
Properties and Motions of Objects in the Solar System
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Objectives
- Compare properties of objects in the solar system.
- Compare motions of objects in the solar system.
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Table 1: Solar System Data
| Table 2: Planetary Surface Temperatures | |
| Planet | Surface Temperature ˚K |
| Mercury | 440 |
| Venus | 737 |
| Earth | 288 |
| Mars | 210 |
| Jupiter | 129 |
| Saturn | 97 |
| Uranus | 58 |
| Neptune | 58 |
| Table 3: Other useful parameters | |
| Materials | Density |
| Air | 0.0012 g/cm³ |
| Water or Ice | 1.0 g/cm³ |
| Typical Rocks | 3.0 g/cm³ |
| Metal (at high pressure) | 10.0 g/cm³ |
Study the solar system data tables 1 and 2.These tables provide information scientists believe to be true about the planets in the solar system.By looking at the data in these tables you should be able to find some patterns, similarities, and differences among the planets in our solar system.
Questions:
1. Use three physical properties (diameter, mass, density, surface temperature, etc.) of the planets in the solar system to group them into general categories or in general ways.
2. Write any general statements (more than one (1)) you can draw from your study of the properties that could be cited as patterns in the solar system.
3.Which planet would float in water? ___________________________________________________
(Hint: Less dense objects float in denser fluids, the density of water= 1g/cm³)
4. How long is a day on Jupiter? ____________, 5. on Venus? _____________, 6. on Mars? ____________
7. How many Earth years go by before one Mars year has passed? _________________
8. Which two planets account for 90% of the total mass of all of the planets?
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9. Refer to Table 2. Which planet seems unusually hot considering its distance from the sun? ___________________
10. By looking at the data, suggest a reason for this extreme hot temperature.
11. Table 3 provides information about the density of common materials found on Earth.Compare the densities of metal, rock, ice, and gas to the average planetary densities in Table 1.What can you guess about the composition of each of the planets?Answer this by filling out Table 4.(Hint: You can answer in terms of mostly metal, rock, ice, gas; or combinations of these.)
Table 4
| Planet | Deduced Composition |
| Mercury | |
| Venus | |
| Earth | |
| Mars | |
| Jupiter | |
| Saturn | |
| Uranus | |
| Neptune |
Sometimes graphs can give you a different perspective about data that reading a table cannot.In this activity you will graph selected data.
12. Using the data in Table 1 and Table 2 make a three-line graph for each of the sets of data listed below.Please also see the Lab 10 Graph to Accompany Planets Lab to complete this question.
Please submit graph as an image file such as JPG, GIF, or PNG. Thank you!
Use a different color or symbols for each line.
- Average Density (g/cm˚) vs. Mean Distance from Sun (miles)
- Surface Temperature (˚K) vs. Mean Distance from Sun (miles)
- Period of Revolution (years) vs. Mean Distance from Sun (miles)
Using your graph answer the following question:
13. What does each line tell you?(This answer should be more than just the obvious of what data you just graphed. You need to explain what you graphed.)
14. What trends becomes more clear or obvious?(list more than one (1) trend)
15. What stands out as a result of graphing the data?