Transcript Handout 27

Handout 27-3
The Inner Planets
1

The planets closest to the sun are called
the ____________________.

inner planets
2

Name the four inner planets
Mercury
 Venus
 Earth
 Mars

3

The inner planets are also called
______________________ because they
are like Earth.

terrestrial planets
4
Describe the composition of the inner planets.

Made mostly of solid rock with metallic cores.
5
Bowl-shaped depressions called
_______________________ formed on
the surfaces of inner planets when the
planets collided with other objects in
space.

impacts craters
Mercury
6
Mercury, the closest planet to the sun,
circles the sun every
 B: 88 days

7
Mercury rotates on its axis once every
 C: 59 days

8
Mercury’s surface features a long line of
cliffs and
 B: a large number of craters

9
The absence of a dense atmosphere and
Mercury’s slow rotation contribute to
 D: a large daily temperature range

VENUS
Phases of Venus seen from Earth
10
How long is the orbital period of Venus,
the second planet from the sun?
 225 days

11
How often does Venus rotate?
 Once every 243 days

12
The planet that Venus most resembles in
mass, size, and density is
________________________.
 Earth

13
Venus’s atmospheric pressure is about
___________ times the pressure on Earth.
 90

14
What two factors cause the high
temperatures on Venus?
 It is close to the sun
 High amount of carbon dioxide in its
atmosphere

15
What percentage of the atmosphere on
Venus is composed of carbon dioxide?
 96%

16
Venus appears to be very bright in the
night sky because drops of
_________________________ form a
cloud layer that reflects sunlight.
 Sulfur dioxide

17
Why is Venus commonly referred to as the
evening star or morning star?
 It is usually visible from Earth only in the
morning or early evening.

18


The surface of Venus is composed of
which two types of rock?
Basalt and granite
19

19. Magellan
 B:
a U.S. satellite that collected data about Venus
20

volcano

C. a landform commonly found on Venus
21

Maat Mons

A. the highest volcano on Venus
Earth
22

Earth is the ________________ planet
from the sun.

third (rock from the sun)
23

The orbital period of Earth is
______________ days.

365 1/4
24

Earth completes one
__________________ on its axis every
day.

rotation
25

How many moons does Earth have?

one
26

Over the last ______________ years,
Earth’s continents separated from a single
landmass and drifted to their present.

250 million
27
What two factors have caused the surface
of Earth to keep changing?
 Weathering and erosion

28
Why is Earth the only planet on which
water exists in a liquid state?
 Earth’s unique atmosphere
 Distance from sun allows water to exist in
the liquid state

29
How was Earth able to maintain the
moderate temperatures that were
necessary to support life?
 The oceans and atmosphere help Earth to
have moderate temperatures.

30
What three elements does Earth have in
the proper combination necessary to
support life?
 Water, oxygen, and temperature

Mars
31

Mars is the ____________________
planet from the sun.

fourth
32

How long is Mars’s orbital period?

687 days
33

How often does Mars rotate on its axis?

Every 24 hours and 37 minutes
34
Why are Mars’s seasons similar to
Earth’s?
 Its axis tilts at nearly the same angle as
Earth’s.

35
Mars is believed to have been geologically
active because of its massive volcanoes
and a system of deep ________________
on its surface.
 canyons

36
One of the many major volcanic regions
on Mars is called ___________________.
 Tharis Montes

37
The largest volcano on Mars is
___________________________, which
is three times the height of Mount Everest.
 Olympus Mons

38
Why do scientists think that Martian
volcanoes have grown so large?
 Mars does not have tectonic plates

39
Two seismic wave-producing geological
events called _______________________
indicate that volcanoes on Mars may still
be active.
 mars quakes

The End