06.01 Formation of Solar System Guided Notes
Objectives:
In this lesson, we will:
- Compare old ideas about the solar system.
- Learn about why gravity is important.
- Understand how gravity helps shape and move celestial objects.
Big Ideas:
Key Questions and Terms | Notes
---|---
What is the geocentric model? | This is the ancient idea that Earth is at the center of the universe and everything else revolves around it.
What is the heliocentric model? | This is the idea that the Sun is at the center, and the Earth and other planets revolve around it.
What observations and questions were asked that the geocentric model could not explain? | It couldn’t explain how planets moved in loops or why some stars and planets seemed to move differently.
Why is the heliocentric model not correct? | It’s more accurate, but isn’t perfect since it doesn't explain everything about the universe.
What parts of the geocentric model were incorporated into the heliocentric model? | Some of the ways planets moved and their positions were kept but adjusted for the Sun being the center.
What are the two main factors that affect gravity’s influence? | Mass (how heavy something is) and distance (how far apart things are).
What is Newton’s law of universal gravitation? | It says that everything with mass pulls on everything else, and the bigger it is or the closer it is, the stronger the pull.
The three things to remember about gravitational forces in space are: | 1. Everything with mass has gravity. 2. Gravity gets weaker with distance. 3. Bigger objects have stronger gravity.
What happens to the leftover gas molecules and dust particles from a star’s formation? | They can stick together to form planets, moons, and other space stuff.
How is our solar system organized? | The Sun is in the center, with planets, moons, asteroids, and comets orbiting around it.
Formation of the Solar System Video:
Key Questions and Terms | Notes
---|---
Describe how the sun formed within our solar system. | It formed from a big cloud of gas and dust that collapsed under its own gravity.
What percentage of the starting matter in our solar system went into the formation of our sun? | About 99% of that matter.
How does gravity form the spheres that will become planets within our solar system? | Gravity pulls bits of gas and dust together to form round shapes as they clump together.
Why are rocky planets closer to the sun and gas planets farther away? | The heat from the Sun made the inner planets rocky because lighter gases couldn’t form there. Farther out, it's cooler, so gas giants could form.
What astronomical objects were formed from the "leftovers" of the solar system? | Moons, asteroids, and comets came from the leftover materials.
Continued-Page 5
What is the difference between revolution and rotation? | Revolution is when a planet goes around the Sun, and rotation is when it spins on its own axis like Earth does.
How does a planet’s motion affect its length of day and year? | A planet's rotation speed decides how long a day is, while how far it travels around the Sun decides a year’s length.
How does gravity affect the orbital period of a planet? | The stronger the gravity from the Sun, the faster a planet will orbit, and the closer it is, the shorter the orbit time.