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ES 14.2 Solar System
Terms associated with Earth's Solar System
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| an explanation for a pattern or behavior in nature based on observations (it may be modified or discarded if it does not explain new discoveries) | scientific theory |
| collection of gases and dust from which the solar system theoretically formed | interstellar cloud |
| force caused by (or associated with) the presence of matter... its the force that caused the interstellar cloud to collapse into the solar sytem | gravity |
| process by which a star produces energy by combining hydrogen atoms to form helium (and eventually heavier) atoms | nuclear fusion |
| gravitationally-formed small lumps of matter that eventually combine to form planets | planetesimals |
| the planets (ex: Jupiter) which are large but composed primarily of volatile (easily vaporized) materials | gas giants |
| the planets (ex: Earth) which are more rocky, having been formed from materials with relatively high melting points | terrestrial planets |
| failed model of the universe (solar system) which placed Earth at the center with all other objects orbiting it (suggested by Ptolemy & Aristotle) | geocentric model |
| sun-centered model of the universe (solar system) first proposed by Copernicus | heliocentric model |
| greatest pre-telescope observer and recorder of data concerning motion of the planets ('wanderers') through the stars | Tycho Brahe |
| first person to use a telescope to study astronomy, he discovered 4 of Jupiter's moons | Galileo Galilei |
| astronomer and mathematician who devised 3 laws of planetary motion after (stealing and) studying the data collected by Brahe | Johannes Kepler |
| the orbits of planets are ellipses with the Sun at one of the two foci | Kepler's 1st Law of Planetary Motion |
| closest point to the Sun along a planet's orbit | perihelion |
| farthest point from the Sun along a planet's orbit | aphelion |
| measures how much the shape of an ellipse differs from a circle | eccentricity |
| eccentricity of a circle | zero (0) |
| equation for calculating eccentricity | E = distance between foci ÷ length of major axis |
| average distance from Earth to the Sun when used as a unit of distance measurement | astronomical unit (A.U.) |
| an imaginary line from a planet to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal amounts of time as the planet orbits | Kepler's 2nd Law of Planetary Motion |
| point along a planet's orbit where its orbital speed is fastest | perihelion |
| point along a planet's orbit where its orbital speed is slowest | aphelion |
| the size of a planet's orbit (a) determines its orbital period (P), OR a^2=P^3 | Kepler's 3rd Law of Planetary Motion |
| he devised the Law of Universal Gravitation, a math law that measures the gravitational attraction between any two objects in the universe | Isaac Newton |
| gravitational attraction between two objects is _?_ proportional to the masses of the attracting bodies | directly |
| gravitational attraction between two objects is _?_ proportional to the (square of the) distance between the attracting bodies | inversely |
| gradual accumulation of matter from grains to particles to planetesimals to planets | accretion |
Created by:
goakley
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