Comparing the Planets (continued)Team K
Comparing the PlanetsTeam K
Before You Start
The four rocky planets in our solar system (Earth, Mars, Mercury, and Venus) are known as the inner planets. The other four planets in our solar system (Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, and Uranus) are known as the outer planets, or gas giants. The table below gives some information about the planets in our solar system.
Planet / Distance from Sun (million km) / Mass(1024 kg) / Axial Tilt (degrees) / Days for
1 Orbit of Sun
Earth / 150 / 5.9736 / 23.44 / 365
Jupiter / 778 / 1,898.6 / 3.13 / 4,332
Mars / 228 / 0.64185 / 25.19 / 687
Mercury / 58 / 0.3302 / 0.01 / 88
Neptune / 4,504 / 102.43 / 28.32 / 60,200
Saturn / 1,429 / 568.46 / 26.73 / 10,760
Uranus / 2,871 / 86.832 / 97.77 / 30,700
Venus / 108 / 4.8685 / 177.4 / 225
Activity
As a volunteer at a science and math camp, you plan for the campers to build a model that will show the differences between the planets in our solar system. The answers to the questions below will help the campers make their model of our solar system.
1.In each write < or > to make the inequality true.
a.Distance from Sunb.Axial Tiltc.Mass
2.List the masses of the planets in order from least to greatest.
______
3.List the planets in order from greatest axial tilt to least axial tilt.
______
4.Of all 8 planets in our solar system, which planet…
a.is closest to the sun?b.is furthest from the sun?
______
c.takes the longest to orbit the sun?d.takes the shortest to orbit the sun?
______
You also plan for the campers to act out how the inner planets orbit the Sun. To help you prepare for this activity, graph the data related to distances from the Sun and the length of orbits on a coordinate plane.
5.In the first row of the table, write the distances from the Sun to each of the inner planets in order from least to greatest. In the second row of the table, write the number of days it takes the planet to orbit the sun.
Distance from Sun (million km)Number of Days
6.Graph the data in the table from Question 5. Graph distance from the sun on the x-axis and the number of days on the y-axis.
7.Quick ReportUse your results from this activity to complete the report below. Write the name of the planet in each cell.
Distance from Sun (million km) / Mass(1024 kg) / Axial Tilt (degrees) / Days for
1 Orbit of Sun
Greatest
Least
8.ReflectExplain how you used each skill in this activity.
a.comparing and ordering whole numbers
______
b.comparing and ordering decimals
______
c.graphing in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane
______
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1.a. b. c.
2.0.3302, 0.64185, 4.8685, 5.9736, 86.832, 102.43, 568.46, 1,898.6
3.Venus, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, Mars, Earth, Jupiter, Mercury
4.a. Mercury b. Neptune c. Neptune d.Mercury
5.
Distance from Sun (million km) / 58 / 108 / 150 / 228Number of Days / 88 / 225 / 365 / 687
6.
7.
Distance from Sun (million km) / Mass(1024 kg) / Axial Tilt (degrees) / Days for
1 Orbit of Sun
Greatest / Neptune / Jupiter / Venus / Neptune
Least / Mercury / Mercury / Mercury / Mercury
8.Answers may vary. Sample answers are given.
a.I compared whole numbers when I wrote the inequality symbol comparing the distances from the Sun to Uranus and the Sun to Saturn. I ordered whole numbers to answer Question 4 and to complete the first row of the table in Question 5.
b.I compared decimals when I wrote the inequality symbol comparing the axial tilt of Earth and Neptune and the masses of Mars and Mercury. I ordered decimals when I listed the planets’ masses and the planets’ axial tilts in Questions 2 and 3.
c.I graphed in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane in Question 6.
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