Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

Pupil Worksheet

Week 15 Topic 11.1

Spec. refs 11.1, 11.6

1. Which planet in the Solar System orbits closest to the Sun?

Choose from:

Mars Mercury Venus

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

2. The image shows an artist’s impression of one of the giant planets in the Solar System.

Which planet is this?

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

3. Which planet in the Solar System has the largest mass?

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

© Mickledore Publishing 2017
 Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

4. Which dwarf planet orbits closest to the Sun?

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

5. Which of the following is not classified by astronomers as a Small Solar System

Object (SSSO)?

x A asteroid

x B comet

x C meteorite

x D Trans-Neptunian Object
(1)

Questions 6 - 9. The table (taken from GCSE (9-1) Astronomy: A Guide for Pupils and
Teachers 5th edition) shows some data for the planets in the Solar System.

diameter mass /
planet T/°C atmosphere rings ? moons
/1000 km Earth mass
Mercury 4.9 0.055 170 tenuous x 0
Venus 12.1 0.82 470 dense CO2 x 0
Earth 12.8 1.00 15 N2, O2 & H2O x 1: the Moon
Mars 6.9 0.11 -50 thin CO2 x 2
Jupiter 143 318 -150 H2 & He  >60
Saturn 121 95 -180 H2 & He  >60
Uranus 51 15 -210 H2 & He  >25
Neptune 50 17 -220 H2 & He  >12

6. What is the diameter of Saturn? Choose from:

121 km 12 100 km 1.21 x 105 km

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

7. Which planet in the Solar System has the hottest surface?

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

© Mickledore Publishing 2017
 Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

8. Which planet in the Solar System has the lowest density?

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

9. Which two planets in the Solar System have atmospheres that are largely comprised of
carbon dioxide?

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2)

10. Which planet orbits closest to the Kuiper Belt?

Choose from:

Neptune Saturn Uranus

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

11. Which one of the following pupils is correct?

Dougie: Most dwarf planets are Farah: Most dwarf planets are
located between the orbits of located outside the orbit of the
the planets Saturn and Uranus. planet Neptune.

(1)

12. Which of the following dwarf planets orbits the Sun in the Asteroid Belt?

x A Ceres

x B Eris

x C Makemake

x D Quaoar
(1)

Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

© Mickledore Publishing 2017
 Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

13. Which is the largest inferior planet?

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

14. Which one of the following pupils is correct?

Faraz: All the gas giant planets Nina: Only two of the gas giants
in the Solar System have large in the Solar System have large
numbers of satellites. numbers of satellites.

(1)

Solutions
1. Mercury (1 mark)
2. Jupiter (1)
3. Jupiter (1)
4. Ceres (1)
5. C (1)
6. 1.21 x 105 km (1)
7. Venus (1)
8. Saturn (1)
9. Venus (1) and Mars (1)
10. Neptune (1)
11. Farah (1)
12. A (1)
13. Venus (1)
14. Faraz (1)

Your score: / 15

Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

© Mickledore Publishing 2017