Formation of the Solar System Lab Report
Student Name: [Your Name Here]
Date: [Insert Date Here]
Directions:
In this experiment, you will learn about how gravity works in a solar system and how planets orbit around a star.
Question
How do a star's mass and a planet's location within a solar system affect planetary orbits?
Research
Pre-lab Questions:
-
Describe the law of gravitation.
The law of gravitation says that everything with mass attracts everything else with mass. The bigger something is (like a star), the stronger its pull on other things (like planets). This is why planets orbit around stars. -
What is a habitable zone?
A habitable zone, or “Goldilocks zone,” is the area around a star where it’s not too hot and not too cold for liquid water to exist. This is important because liquid water is essential for life as we know it.
Hypothesis
Create your hypotheses. Orbital locations range from 1 (closest to the sun) to 8 (farthest from the sun.)
In trial one, if I place planets in positions 3, 4, 5, and 6 when the mass of the sun is 1X, at least one planet will fall into the habitable zone.
In trial two, if I place planets in positions 1, 2, 7, and 8 when the mass of the sun is 1X, at least one planet will fall into the habitable zone.
In trial one, if I place planets in positions 3, 4, 5, and 6 when the mass of the sun is 3X, at least one planet will fall into the habitable zone.
In trial two, if I place planets in positions 1, 2, 7, and 8 when the mass of the sun is 3X, at least one planet will fall into the habitable zone.
Data Collection
Data Table for Sun Mass 1X
| Trial | Objective | Planet 1 | Planet 2 | Planet 3 | Planet 4 |
|--------|------------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
| Sun's mass 1X | Trial 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Successful orbit? | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| | In the habitable zone? (Red rings) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Trial | Objective | Planet 1 | Planet 2 | Planet 3 | Planet 4 | |--------|------------------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Sun's mass 1X | Trial 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | | | Successful orbit? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | | | In the habitable zone? (Red rings) | Yes | No | No | No |
Data Table for Sun Mass 3X
| Trial | Objective | Planet 1 | Planet 2 | Planet 3 | Planet 4 |
|--------|------------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
| Sun's mass 3X | Trial 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Successful orbit? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| | In the habitable zone? (Red rings) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Trial | Objective | Planet 1 | Planet 2 | Planet 3 | Planet 4 | |--------|------------------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Sun's mass 3X | Trial 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | | | Successful orbit? | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | | | In the habitable zone? (Red rings) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Conclusion
-
Summarize what you investigated and observed in this lab using two to three sentences.
In this lab, I investigated how the mass of a star affects the orbits of planets. I observed that with a heavier star, more planets were able to stay in orbit and a few of them fell into the habitable zone. -
What are the independent variables (what you control) and dependent variable (what changes because of the independent variable) of your activity?
Independent Variable: The mass of the sun
Dependent Variable: The orbits and positions of the planets -
You completed three terraforming trials. Describe how the sun's mass affects planets in a solar system. Use the data you recorded to support your conclusions.
When the sun had a mass of 1X, only a few planets were in stable orbits and only one or two ended up in the habitable zone. But when the mass increased to 3X, all the planets were in stable orbits, and more were in the habitable zone. So, a bigger sun helps planets stay in orbit. -
In this simulation, the planets' masses were identical. Do you think if the planets' masses were different, it would affect the results? Why or why not?
Yes, if the planets were different masses, it might affect their orbits. Heavier planets could have more gravity, which could change how they interact with the sun and each other. -
How does this simulation demonstrate the law of universal gravitation?
This simulation shows that larger masses like the sun attract smaller masses like the planets. It helped me see how stronger gravity affects the orbit of planets. -
It is the year 2085, and the world population has grown at an alarming rate. As a space explorer, you have been sent on a terraforming mission into space. Your mission is to search for a habitable planet for humans to colonize in addition to planet Earth. You found a planet you believe would be habitable and now need to report back your findings. Describe the new planet and why it would be perfect for maintaining human life.
I found a planet called Zeta that is located in the habitable zone of a 3X mass sun. It has liquid water, a breathable atmosphere, and temperatures that are just right. With plenty of resources like plants and minerals, it could support human life and help us become a multi-planet species!
End of Report