Question

Be sure to label each planet with its name, and then cut them out. Place the planets in order based on their average distance from the Sun. Now, compare the sizes of the planets. What relationship do you observe between a planet's size and its proximity to the Sun?

A. Larger planets are closer to the Sun
B. Smaller planets are closer to the Sun
C. There is no consistent relationship between size and distance from the Sun
D. The question cannot be answered based on the information provided.

Answer 1

The correct response to the relationship between a planet's size and its proximity to the Sun is B, where smaller planets are closer to the Sun, and the larger jovian planets are farther away.

Step-by-step explanation:

The relationship between a planet's size and its proximity to the Sun is that the largest planets in the solar system, which are the four jovian planets, are actually farther from the Sun. These include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. In contrast, the smaller planets, known as the terrestrial planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars—are closer to the Sun.

When placing the planets in order based on their average distance from the Sun, we find that starting with the closest, the order is Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. This order reveals that option B ('Smaller planets are closer to the Sun') is the most accurate when describing the relationship between a planet's size and its proximity to the Sun. The four outer planets are much larger than the inner planets but are at significantly greater distances from the Sun.