Astronomy Assignment #6

Your Name______

Your Class Meeting Time ______

This assignment is due on Monday24 March 2014

Submit this cover sheet with your assignment.

Complete the assigned problems from the text listed below and address the Instructor Assigned Topic. Mathematical problems may be hand written. Write out the problem, show your work in solving the problem and state your answer in a complete sentence. Failure to complete all three of these tasks will result in less than full credit awarded. The Instructor assigned topic must be typed.

Read Chapter 10 section 8 Solar System Formation and answer the following Review Questions:

1.  What observed facts does the Condensation Model of the solar system formation explain?

2.  From what did the solar system form?

3.  Why are the inner terrestrial planets small and rocky while the outer jovian planets are large and gaseous?

4.  Why does a disk form in the collapsing cloud?

5.  What role do dust particles play in planet formation?

6.  If the disk was moving so quickly, how did it create big enough clumps to make planets?

7.  What drove out the rest of the nebula after the planets formed?

8.  Why are the planet interiors made of layers of increasing density closer to their cores?

9.  How do we test the Condensation Model of the solar system?

Instructor Assigned Topic:

1.  This assignment will ask you to write a two paragraph quantitative description of the properties of the Average Terrestrial and Jovian Planets. The paragraphs must have a parallel structure (quantitatively when possible) summarizing the following properties of the Average Terrestrial and Jovian planet: distance from the Sun in Astronomical Units, density in g/cm3, mass in Earth masses, radius in Earth radii, nature of the surface, principle composition and depth (shallow or deep)* of the atmosphere, number of natural satellites, rotation period in days (Ignore negative signs) and strength of the magnetic field.

The information can be obtained from the text Appendix (See Planetary Tables). Information not in this location may be found in the chapters covering each planet or through the Internet at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/.

Each paragraph should describe the average Terrestrial or Jovian planet using the known properties of the planets in our Solar System as a guide. Describe the average Terrestrial and Jovian planet and give the range of their characteristics. You will find it helpful to complete the table on the other side of this page before constructing the summary paragraphs.

*Note: A shallow atmosphere is any atmosphere whose depth is much smaller than the radius of the planet. Shallow atmospheres are characterized by weak vertical winds and poorly transport heat away from the planet. A deep atmosphere is any atmosphere whose depth is about the same as the radius of the planet. Deep atmospheres are characterized by strong vertical winds and efficiently transport heat away from the planet.

2.  Create a written summary of the Condensation Model (a.k.a. The Solar Nebula Theory) following the points A through J in section 10.8.2

Table of Planetary Properties

Property / Mercury / Venus / Earth / Mars / Average
Terrestrial Planet / Jupiter / Saturn / Uranus / Neptune / Average
Jovian Planet
Distance from the Sun in A.U. / 1.0
Density in gm/cm3 / 5.5
Mass in Earth masses / 1.0
Radius in Earth radii / 1.0
Nature of the surface / Rocky, active volcanoes, plate tectonics, ¾ covered by water, Ice at the poles
Depth (Shallow or Deep) and composition of the atmosphere / Shallow,
N2 & O2
80% & 20%
Number of natural satellites / 1
Rotation Period / 1 day
Magnetic Field Strength / 1.0

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