Name: ________________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

Student Activity 2
How to Find an Exoplanet

Instructions
1. Form groups of two or three. Ensure that one
person in your group has an Android
smartphone. Your teacher will explain how to
download a free light meter app that has a
graphical display.
2. Run the app and identify the light sensor on
the front of your smartphone by waving your
hand across the phone. You should see a dip in
the light curve as you do so. As a test, try
producing a light curve similar to the one in
Figure 1.
3. You will be modelling the transit method for
discovering exoplanets using the materials
shown in Figure 2(a). The flashlight represents
Figure 1 Sample light curve produced by smartphone app
a star, and the Styrofoam balls represent
exoplanets.
4. Carefully insert the wooden skewer into the large Styrofoam ball as shown, and then set up the apparatus as
shown in Figure 2(b). The distance between the flashlight and the smartphone should be approximately 50
cm. The distance between the Styrofoam ball and the flashlight should be approximately 10 cm for each
simulation.
5. Aim the flashlight toward the smartphone and adjust the flashlight up or down so that the smartphone
receives most of the light.

Figure 2(a) Use these materials to model the transit method for finding exoplanets. (b) Set up your model as shown here.

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Name: ________________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

6. Effect of Planet Size on Light Curve: Using your model, simulate the transit of an exoplanet to test
the effect that planet size has on the light curves produced.
(a) Predict: Sketch the two curves that you think will result from each planet size below. Focus on
showing how the two curves will differ and how they will be the same. Sketch your curves in the
space provided.

(b) Observe: Conduct your simulation, first using the large ball. Move the ball slowly across the face of the
flashlight, keeping the ball about 10 cm from the flashlight. Repeat the simulation several times,
recording your data. Then repeat with the smaller ball. Sketch your results in the space provided.

(c) Explain your observations below. Why did you observe differences between the pairs of light curves?
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Name: ________________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

7. Effect of Planet Speed on Light Curve: Using your model, test the effect that planet speed has on the light
curves produced. Record your predictions, observations, and explanation below.
(a) Predict: Sketch the two curves that you think will result from each exoplanet speed—slow and fast.

(b) Observe: Conduct your simulation using the large ball. Run the simulation as described in Step 6(b) on the
previous page, using a slow speed and then a fast speed. Sketch your results in the space provided.

(c) Explain your observations below. Why did you observe differences between the pairs of light curves?
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Summarize Your Learning

1. How well do your models match real exoplanets orbiting around real stars? Bring the light curves
your group produced to your teacher. Your teacher will share with you some light curves produced
by exoplanets for comparison. How accurate were your simulations?
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2. Working individually, summarize what you have learned from the simulations by circling the option
that best completes each of the following sentences.
(a) Exoplanets that are large produce large dips/small dips/no dips in the light curve.
(b) Exoplanets that are small produce large dips/small dips/no dips in the light curve.
(c) Exoplanets that orbit slowly produce narrow dips/wide dips/no dips in the light curve.
(d) Exoplanets that orbit quickly produce narrow dips/wide dips/no dips in the light curve.

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Name: ________________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

Post-Activity Assessment
Answer the following questions to check your understanding of the transit method for detecting exoplanets.
1. The diagram on the right represents
an exoplanet that is transiting across a
large star. Each black circle represents the
position of the exoplanet at a certain time
as it passes across the star, moving from
left to right. Beginning at (a) and ending at
(i), sketch the light curve that you expect to
be produced by this transit.

2. Below are two models of light curves caused by two individual exoplanets, A and B, transiting across a
single star.

(a) What can you conclude about the size of each exoplanet? Explain your reasoning.
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(b) How do the speeds of the two exoplanets compare? Explain your reasoning.
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Extension: What are you wondering about?

3. When you think about exoplanets, what do you still wonder about? In the space below, record a question
that you have after completing this activity. For example, scientists have long wondered, “Could there be
life on any of the exoplanets?” Use this question or create your own. Then, either in class or at home,
research online by reading an article you find interesting, watching a video, or both. Then, at the beginning
of your next class, share informally with others what you learned by answering your question.
My Question:
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