Transcript Formation of the Solar System

Formation of the Solar System
Carin Miranda
SMS
6-1
2008
A Solar System is Born
• The solar system is composed
of the sun, Earth, 7 other
planets, and other cosmic
bodies.
• Solar Nebula-dust and gas
that clump together to form
interstellar clouds.
What Holds it All Together
• Gravity pulls it together.
• Pressure pushes it apart.
• Because of these two
forces nebula remain
stable.
From Planetesimals to Planets
• Solar Nebula begins to collapse.
• It rotates, flattens, and gets warmer in the
center.
• Bits of dust and gas begin sticking
together forming planetesimals.
• Small planetesimals begin bumping into
larger planetesimals and they combine.
• Remaining dust and gas is eventually
removed leaving the planets.
Planets
• Outer plants are made of gas
(except for Pluto which is no
longer a planet).
• Inner planets are made mostly
of rocky material because the
heat from the sun.
Craters and Comets
• Collisions with smaller
planetesimals and other cosmic
bodies have left the inner planets
with many craters.
• If the planetesimal is icy we call it
a comet.
Planetary Motion
• The solar system is 4.6 billion
years old.
• Rotation-Spinning on axis. 24
hours.
• Revolution-the motion of a planet
around the sun. 365 days.
• Orbit- the PATH around the sun.
Newton’s law of Universal
Gravitation
• Every object in the universe attracts every
other object in the universe with a force
dependent on its mass and the square of
the distance between them.
• Example if you move objects twice as far
apart the gravitational attraction between
them will decrease by a factor of 2 X 2=4.
What Keeps Objects Being Pulled by
Gravity from Crashing Into Each Other?
The Sun
•
•
•
•
It is a star.
The Center of our Solar System.
Gives us light and warmth.
Made of gas
Layers of the Sun
• Corona-sun’s outer atmosphere. Only visible
during a total solar eclipse.
• Chromosphere-below the corona. Only visible
during a total solar eclipse.
• Photosphere-Visible layer of the sun.
• Convective zone-Gases circulate in convective
currents.
• Radiative zone-very dense region below the
convective zone.
• Core-center of the sun. Where the sun’s energy
is produced.
Layers of the Sun
Energy Production
• Burning for 4.6 billion years.
• Nuclear Fusion- Process by
which two or more nuclei
join together.
• Energy is released.
Activity on the Sun’s Surface
• Sunspots-cool dark spots
on the sun.
• Solar Flares-giant storms
on the surface of the
sun.
The Earth Takes Shape
• Gravity gives planets their
spherical shape.
• Heat causes part of the
interior of Earth to remain
molten.
Layers of the Earth
• Heavier elements sank into the
core. It is in the center of the
Earth.
• The mantle forms the middle layer
• Less dense objects rose to the
outer layer forming the crust.
Layers of the Earth
Earth’s Atmosphere
• Today the atmosphere is 21%
oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and 1% argon.
• Early in Earth’s history the planet may
have been molten.
• Impacts with comets brought
elements such as carbon, hydrogen,
nitrogen, and even water.