Question

1. In detail and in your own words, describe the motion of each of the following objects in the solar system. Remember to write in complete sentences. Draw a sketch that shows how each object moves around the sun. You may draw your sketches by hand or you may use the Paint program on your computer. (15 points each)

a. The planets (include 2 ways planets move)
b. Moons (include 2 ways moons move)
c. Comets (What is the shape of their orbit? Around what object do they orbit?)
d. Asteroids (Where do they orbit? Around what object do they orbit?)
2. In your own words, explain each of the following measures. Include estimations that compare these units of measurement to distances you are more familiar with, such as miles or kilometers. (You do not need to include a measurement for light year. Just make sure you explain in detail what a light year is.) (15 points each)
a. Astronomical Unit (AU) (Include a specific number and a unit.)
b. Light Year
c. Speed of Light (Include a specific number and unit.)
3. List the planets in our solar system in order from closest to the sun to furthest away from the sun. Make sure you have this information memorized. (15 points)
4. In your own words, name and describe the force that keeps the planets orbiting around the sun, moons orbiting around planets, etc. What TWO factors affect the strength of this force? (15 points)
5. How does distance from the sun affect a planet's orbit period? How does distance from the sun affect a planet's orbit velocity? (10 points)
6. Planets A and B are orbiting around the sun. Planet A has a longer orbit period than planet B. Which planet is closer to the sun? (10 points)
7. Planets C and D are orbiting around the sun. Planet C has a slower orbit velocity than planet D. Which planet is closer to the sun? (10 points)


WORTH 100 POINTS

Answer 1

1.The planets orbit the Sun, roughly in the same plane. The Solar System moves through the galaxy with about a 60° angle between the galactic plane and the planetary orbital plane. The Sun appears to move up-and-down and in-and-out with respect to the rest of the galaxy as it revolves around the Milky Way.
2.A:Astronomical Unit.a unit of measurement equal to 149.6 million kilometers, the mean distance from the center of the earth to the center of the sun.
B:Light Year.A unit of astronomical distance equivalent to the distance that light travels in one year, which is 9.4607 × 1012 km (nearly 6 trillion miles).
C:The Speed of Light.The speed of light in vacuum, commonly denoted c, is a universal physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its exact value is defined as 299792458 metres per second.
3.In order of distance from the sun they are; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Pluto, which until recently was considered to be the farthest planet, is now classified as a dwarf planet.
4.Gravity is the primary force that controls the orbit of the planets around the sun. While each planet has its own gravity based on the size of the planet and the speed at which it travels, orbit is based on the gravity of the sun.
5.A planet farther from the Sun not only has a longer path than a closer planet, but it also travels slower, since the Sun's gravitational pull on it is weaker. Therefore, the larger a planet's orbit, the longer the planet takes to complete it.
6.If Planet A has a longer orbital period then Plant B. Then that means Plant B is closer to the sun.
7.If Planet C has a slower orbit velocity then according to Kepler's law Planet D is closer to the sun. This is because the further it is from the sun, the weaker the gravitational pull, which means the orbit is slower.