Science HW Solar System

87D

1. What makes up our solar system?

Our solar system is made up of the Sun, eight planets, and countless smaller bodies such as
dwarf planets, asteroids, and comets.

2. From what did the solar system form?

The solar system formed from a giant cloud of gas and dust called a nebula. Over time,
gravity caused the nebula to collapse and form a disk. In the center of the disk, the Sun
formed. The remaining gas and dust coalesced to form the planets and other objects in our
solar system.

3. When was the solar system formed?

Scientists estimate that the solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago.

Building Vocabulary

4. dwarf planet - A dwarf planet is an object that orbits the Sun, is spherical, but has not
cleared the area of its orbit.

5. astronomical unit - An astronomical unit (AU) is a unit of distance used to measure

distances within the solar system. It is equal to the average distance between the Earth and
the Sun, about 93 million miles.

6. solar system - The solar system is the gravitationally bound system of the Sun and the
objects that orbit it.

7. planetesimal - A planetesimal is a small body that combined with like bodies to form all
the other objects in our solar system.

8. planet - A planet is an object that orbits the Sun, is round, and has cleared the area of its
orbit.

87E
Question 1: Could planet A possibly support human life? Explain.

Answer: Planet A could possibly support human life, but it would require some adaptation.
The planet has a mass and gravity that are similar to Earth's, and it has a day length that is
within the range that humans could tolerate. However, the planet's atmosphere would need to
be thicker and have more oxygen than Earth's atmosphere in order to support human life.

Question 2: Could planet B possibly support human life? Explain.

Answer: Planet B is too small to support human life. It has a mass that is only 0.38 times
Earth's mass, which means that it would not have enough gravity to hold on to an
atmosphere. Additionally, the planet's day length is very long, which would make it difficult
for humans to adapt.

Question 3: Could planet C possibly support human life? Explain.

Answer: Planet C is too large to support human life. It has a mass that is 2.5 times Earth's
mass, which means that it would have much stronger gravity than Earth. Humans could not
stand on Planet C for very long without experiencing health problems. Additionally, the
planet's day length is very short, which would also be harmful to humans.

Question 4: If Mars were located in Earth's orbit, could it support human life? Explain.

Answer: Mars could potentially support human life if it were located in Earth's orbit. Mars
has a mass that is about 0.11 times Earth's mass, so it would have slightly weaker gravity than
Earth. This would make it easier for humans to walk and move around on Mars. Additionally,
Mars has a day length that is about 24.6 hours, which is similar to Earth's day length.

However, Mars would still need to have a thicker atmosphere and more oxygen in order to
support human life. Additionally, Mars would need to be protected from harmful radiation
from the Sun. If these conditions could be met, then Mars could potentially be a habitable
planet for humans.