Transcript Today - Issaquah Connect

Building a Scale Model
of the Solar System
(and Beyond)
Lesson 11
(Thank you to Mr. Burgard for sharing.)
Bouncy balls
Buttons
Fishing
Bobbers
Lentils or Split Peas
Blue Marbles
Wood Beads
Paper Sun
Ping Pong
Balls
Candy
White Beads
Procedure
1. Determine which of the objects should represent each
planet – keeping in mind size comparison for each planet.
2. Record your choices on your data table.
=?
Procedure
1. Decide how far apart the objects would be if
they really represented the scaled objects in the
solar system.
2. Measure distances (cm) from the Sun to each
planet.
3. Record your data in the data table.
4. Explain your reasoning.
5. Be prepared to present and defend your
decisions to the class.
Discuss your thinking…
• What influenced your decisions about planet
sizes and order?
• What influenced your decisions about
distance?
Best Answers
(According to Your Book)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Mercury – Lentil/Split Pea
DO NOT
CHANGE
Venus – Blue Marble
YOUR
Earth - Blue Marble
ANSWERS!
Mars – Candy
Jupiter – Bouncy/Racquet Ball
Saturn – Red and White Bobber
Uranus - White Bead
Neptune - White Bead
DISTANCE NOT TO SCALE!!!!!
How’d you do size-wise?
• If you had the first 4 as smaller objects
(Mercury as the smallest) and the second 4 as
larger objects (Jupiter as the largest) you were
on track.
• This is typical because we see planets to scale
on posters, in books and in diagrams.
• Here are a few to scale models that compare
the planets (and some stars) side by side.
Terrestrial (Inner) Planets
And the Jovian (Outer) Planets
The Sun is huge!
The Sun is tiny!
The Sun is SUPER tiny!!!
How’d you do distance-wise?
• Thoughts or questions from the
Solar System walk?
• Why were you so far off with your
model?
• 1 AU = the average distance from
the Earth to the Sun.
(A little less than 1,500,000 km)
Scale of the Average Distance of
the Planets to the Sun:
Planet
Average Distance
to the Sun (AU)
Mercury
0.39
Venus
0.72
Earth
1.00
Mars
1.52
Jupiter
5.20
Saturn
9.54
Uranus
19.18
Neptune
30.06
Pluto
39.53
Average Distance
to the Sun (cm)
If the Earth were
the size of a
peppercorn . . .
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
The Solar system also includes…
The Kuiper Belt
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
And is surrounded by…..
the Oort Cloud
If the Earth were
the size of a
peppercorn . . .
Closest Star
Destination
Distance
Time
(Light-years)
At light Speed
Proxima Centauri
4.2 light years
4.2 years
Andromeda Galaxy
2,200,000
2,200,000 years
1 light year is about 5.5 trillion miles.
If the Earth were
the size of a
peppercorn . . .
Our Solar System is a
subsystem of…
The Milky Way Galaxy
Clever.
The Milky Way
Destination
Distance
Time
(Light-years)
At light Speed
Proxima Centauri
4.2 light years
4.2 years
Center of Milky Way
38,000 light years
38,000 years
Andromeda Galaxy
2,200,000
2,200,000 years
1 light year is about 5.5 trillion miles.
Closest Galaxy
Destination
Distance
Time
(Light-years)
At light Speed
Proxima Centauri
4.2
4.2 years
Center of Milky Way
38,000
38,000 years
Andromeda Galaxy
2,200,000 light years
2,200,000 years
1 light year is about 5.5 trillion miles.
A Small Slice of our Universe
The Hubble
Deep Field
View
(About 1/24 millionth
of the sky which is
equivalent in angular
size to a 65 mm tennis
ball at a distance of
100 meters.)
Feel Small?
(We are.)
Planet Sizes
for the demo today
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Our scale: 1 inch = 60,000 Km (100,000 mi)
Mercury – .03 inches (1 mm)
Venus – .08 inches (2 mm)
Earth - .08 inches (2 mm)
Mars – .04 inches (1 mm)
Jupiter – .9 inches (2 cm)
Saturn – .7 inches (1.7 cm)
Uranus - .3 inches (.7 cm)
Neptune - .3 inches (.7 cm)
Planet Distances
for the demo today
Our scale: 1 inch = 60,000 Km (100,000 mi)
• Mercury – 360 in (30 ft)
• Venus – 684 in (57 ft)
• Earth - 930 in (77 ft)
• Mars – 1440 in (120 ft)
• Jupiter – 4, 860 in (405 ft.)
• Saturn – 8, 892 inches (741 ft)
• Uranus – 17, 856 inches (1488 ft) ~ ¼ mile
• Neptune - 27, 972 inches (2331 ft) ~ ½ mile
Some other galaxies: