Our Sun and Planets

The Scale of Things

This activity will allow you to create a scale model of the distances the planets are from the sun.

 

Materials:

Background Information:

For interplanetary distances we use the Astronomical Unit (AU), a handy ruler that corresponds to the mean average distance between the Sun and Earth: about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. The Astronomical Unit is useful within our solar system to help us comprehend the distances involved.

Go to the NASA website and click on each planet to complete the chart below on the average distances of the planets to the sun in astronomical units. Then convert this information to the earth having 1 AU = 10 cm in the second column. Take note of the variations in diameters of the planets. This will come in handy when you are drawing your planets later. You may want to print out this page to have a hard copy of the chart work from later. To go to the website click here.

Object

Distance from the Sun  (AU)

Conversion with Earth = 10cm

Sun

 

 

Mercury

 

 

Venus

 

 

Earth

 

 

Mars

 

 

Jupiter

 

 

Saturn

 

 

Uranus

 

 

Neptune

 

 

Pluto

 

 

 Procedure:

  1. On one end of your paper, draw the Sun.

    2.  

  2. Use your meter tape/stick and the second column above (1 AU = 10cm) to measure the distance from the Sun to Mercury. Draw and label Mercury.

    3.  

  3. Use your meter tape/stick and the second column above (1 AU = 10cm) to measure the distance from the Sun to Venus. Draw and label Venus.

    4.  

  4. Use your meter tape/stick and the second column above (1 AU = 10cm) to measure the distance from the Sun to Earth. Draw and label the Earth.

    5.  

  5. Use your meter tape/stick and the second column above (1 AU = 10cm) to measure the distance from the Sun to Mars. Draw and label Mars.

    6.  

  6. Use your meter tape/stick and the second column above (1 AU = 10cm) to measure the distance from the Sun to Jupiter. Draw and label Jupiter. (Watch the change in diameters here.)

    7.  

  7. Use your meter tape/stick and the second column above (1 AU = 10cm) to measure the distance from the Sun to Saturn. Draw and label Saturn.

    8.  

  8. Use your meter tape/stick and the second column above (1 AU = 10cm) to measure the distance from the Sun to Uranus. Draw and label Uranus.

    9.  

  9. Use your meter tape/stick and the second column above (1 AU = 10cm) to measure the distance from the Sun to Neptune. Draw and label Neptune.

    10.  

  10. Use your meter tape/stick and the second column above (1 AU = 10cm) to measure the distance from the Sun to Pluto. Draw and label Pluto. (Watch the change in diameters again!)

 

Questions:

  1. What are the similarities among the first four planets? What is the collective name for these planets?

    2.  

  2. What are the similarities/differences of the remaining planets? What is the collective name for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune?

    3.  

  3. What do you notice between Mars and Jupiter? What inhabits this space?

 

 

Bring to class:

  1. Adding machine paper with the planets drawn.
  2. The chart of information with the AU distances/conversions logged on it.
  3. Your answers to the three questions from the end of the exercise.