Gizmo Solar System Explorer 2022 - All Answers are Correct

Gizmo Solar System Explorer 2022 - All Answers are Correct Vocabulary: astronomical unit, dwarf planet, eccentricity, ellipse, gas giant, Kepler’s laws, orbit, orbital radius, period, planet, solar system, terrestrial planet Gizmo Warm-up The Solar System Explorer Gizmo shows a model of the solar system. All of the distances, but not the sizes of the planets, are shown to scale. To begin, turn on Show orbital paths and click Play ( ). You are looking at the four inner planets. 1. In which direction do planets go around the Sun, clockwise or counterclockwise? 2. An orbit is the path of a body around another body. 3. Click Pause ( ). You can see the name of each planet by holding your cursor over the planet. What is the order of the eight planets, starting from the Sun? Click the “zoom out” button ( ) to see the outer planets and Pluto, which is classified as a dwarf planet. Activity A: Classifying planets Get the Gizmo ready: ● Click Reset ( ). Planets Classification 4. Gather data: Select Mercury from the Solar system menu at left. Turn on Additional data. In the table below, record Mercury’s Mass, Mean radius, and Density. Then repeat for each of the other planets as well as the dwarf planet Pluto. Include units. Planet Mass (×1023 kg) Mean radius (km) Density (g/cm3) Mercury 3.3×1023 kg 2440 km 5.427 g/cm3 Venus 48.7×1023 kg 6052 km 5.243 g/cm3 Earth 59.7×1023 kg 6378 km 5.515 g/cm3 Mars 6.4×1023 kg 3397 km 3.933 g/cm3 Jupiter 18,990×1023 kg 71490 km 1.326 g/cm3 Saturn 5680×1023 kg 60270 km 0.687 g/cm3 Uranus 869×1023 kg 25560 km 1.270 g/cm3 Neptune 1020×1023 kg 24760 km 1.638 g/cm3 Pluto (dwarf planet) .1×1023 kg 1195 km 1.750 g/cm3 5. Analyze: What patterns do you notice in your data table? 6. Summarize: Compare the masses, radii, and densities of the terrestrial planets and the gas giants. A. What do the terrestrial planets have in common? they are all low in mass but high in density B. the gas giants have in common? they are all high in mass but low in density 7. Extend your thinking: 8. Think and discuss: Why do you think the inner planets are small and dense, while the outer planets are gas giants? Activity B: Planetary orbits Get the Gizmo ready: ● Click Reset. ● Click the “zoom in” button ( ) several times to zoom in as far as possible. Introduction: Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) was a German astronomer who spent years poring over a vast store of planetary data compiled by his predecessor, Tycho Brahe. After many incorrect theories and other setbacks, Kepler at last determined the beautifully simple physical laws that govern orbiting bodies. These rules are now known as Kepler’s laws. Kepler’s laws: Rules to describe the size and shape of planetary orbits? 9. Observe: Select Mercury from the Solar system menu. Look at Mercury’s orbit.