SNC1PL Solar System Scale Model

SNC1PL Solar System Scale Model

Modelling Distances within the Solar System

1)  Tape 5 sheets of blank paper together end to end. Make sure the tape is all on one side.

2)  Measure out 130 cm on the long sheet and draw a line in the middle of the paper as shown below, starting from the right side.

3)  Use the table below to show where each planet is relative to the Sun.

Planet / Distance from the Sun
Mercury / 0.1 cm
Venus / 2.7 cm
Earth / 3.75 cm
Mars / 5.6 cm
Jupiter / 19.5 cm
Saturn / 35.6 cm
Uranus / 71.5 cm
Neptune / 110 cm

4)  Measure each distance from the left side of the line and place a dark point for each planet.

5)  Use the remaining space on the left side to represent the Sun as shown below.

6)  You may draw orbit lines to show the orbital paths of each planet.

Calculations

You can use your model to calculate actual distances in space.

On your model: 1 cm = 40 881 818.18 km = 0.273 Astronomical Units

1)  Calculate the distance between the following planets in AU:

a.  Mercury and Mars:

b.  Mars and Jupiter:

c.  Jupiter and Neptune

d.  The Sun and Neptune

2)  Calculate the distance between the following planets in km:

a.  Mercury and Venus:

b.  Mercury and Mars:

c.  Jupiter and Neptune:

3)  Do the distances you calculated represent the closest distances between planet or the furthest distances between planets?

4)  What is one way that this model is inaccurate?

SNC1PL Modelling Sizes within the Solar System

1) Fill in the table below.

Planet / Diameter in km / Diameter compared to Earth / Scaled diameter (multiply diameter by 1.3)
Mercury / 4878 / 4878 km / 12750 km
= 0.385 / 0.385 x 1.3 cm
= 0.5 cm
Venus / 12 104
Earth / 12 750
Mars / 6 787
Jupiter / 142 800
Saturn without rings / 120 660
Uranus / 50 800
Neptune / 48 600

2) Use construction paper, coloured pencils, markers, crayons and scissors to make your planets. Use figure 3 on page 306 to help decide what each planet should look like.

3) Position each planet along the orbital lines so they do not overlap.

4) Label each planet clearly.

5) Fill in the table below.

Planet / Calculated scale radius
(diameter / 2) / Calculated scale volume
(4πr3)
3
Mercury / 0.5 cm = 0.25 cm
2 / 4 x π x 0.25cm 3 = 0.065 cm3
3
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune

a.  How many Earth's would fit inside Jupiter?

b.  Could you fit all of the other planets inside Jupiter? Explain your answer with a calculation.

c.  What is the scaled volume of all the terrestrial planets together?

d.  What is the scale volume of all the gas giants together?

e.  Put the planets in order from smallest volume to largest volume.