Question

The Sun is approximately ten times the size of the planet Jupiter.
If a basketball with a diameter of about 24 cm is used to represent the Sun, which of the following should be used to represent Jupiter?

A softball with a diameter of 8.9 cm

A marble with a diameter of 2.5 cm

A tennis ball with a diameter of 6.5 cm

A golf ball with a diameter of 4.2 cm

Answer 1

To represent the size of Jupiter in relation to the basketball representing the Sun, we first need to determine the scale of the representation.

If the basketball has a diameter of 24 cm and represents the Sun, which is about 10 times larger than Jupiter, then we can calculate the diameter that should represent Jupiter.

Diameter of Jupiter = Diameter of Sun / 10
Diameter of Jupiter = 24 cm / 10 = 2.4 cm

Now, let's compare this size to the options given:

- A softball with a diameter of 8.9 cm (too large)
- A marble with a diameter of 2.5 cm (very close)
- A tennis ball with a diameter of 6.5 cm (too large)
- A golf ball with a diameter of 4.2 cm (too large)

The best option to represent Jupiter, given the closest diameter to 2.4 cm, is:

**A marble with a diameter of 2.5 cm.**