Final Answer:
Scaling plays a crucial role in accurately representing models of our solar system. The correct answer is (c) Facilitates accurate representation of distances.
Step-by-step explanation:
Option (c) "Facilitates accurate representation of distances" is the correct choice. When scientists create models of the solar system, they need to capture both the sizes of celestial bodies and the vast distances between them. Enlarging the planets (option a) may improve visibility, but it alone doesn't ensure accurate representation. Similarly, including more details (option b) is valuable but doesn't address the core challenge of portraying the immense distances between celestial bodies. Therefore, scaling is essential to maintain proportional relationships between objects in the model.
To illustrate, consider the Earth-Mars distance, which averages about 225 million kilometers. In a scaled-down model, representing this vast space accurately is a challenge. For instance, if we shrink the Earth to the size of a pea, maintaining the correct distance would require placing the pea over 25 meters away from a scaled-down model of Mars. Without proper scaling, such distances would be impractical to represent accurately. Hence, scaling ensures that models not only showcase the sizes of planets but also maintain realistic spatial relationships, allowing scientists to communicate the true scale of our solar system.