Astronomy Lesson 4

7/28/2019 Astronomy Lesson 4

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Grade 6/Astronomy

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SOLAR SYSTEM

DISTANCES

Overview:Students create a model of the solar system to scale, showing the relativedistance between the planets.


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EXPLORATION 4:

SOLAR SYSTEM DISTANCES

Time:2 sessions, 45 minutes each

Key Vocabulary:Astronomical Unit (A.U.)Scalemeter

Materials:

For each group of 4 students: meter tape or stick* roll of adding machine paper at

least 39 1/2 meters long* pencil colored pencils or crayons copy of Solar System

Distances Model directions*

For each student: copy of Solar System

Distances Calculations recordsheet*

*Included in the kit

Note:

In Everyday Mathematics, Grade 6,

Projects 1-5 (teachers guide Journal1, pages 349-371) deal with many ofthe concepts taught in this and other

Explorations. These Projects can beused to supplement and reinforce the

science concepts being taught here.

National Standards:Nine planets of very different size, compositionand surface features move around the sun innearly circular orbits. Some planets have avariety of moons and even flat rings of rocksand ice particles

Organize information in simple tables andgraphs and identify relationships they reveal.

Background:Distances in the universe are vast. Appropriateunits of measurement must be used in comparingthese distances. Small units of measurement, suchas inches, would create such large numbers thatthey would be hard to use if one were going tomeasure these distances. For example, most of uswould not want to measure the distance toFairbanks in inches.

In the solar system, even the kilometer or mile isinconveniently small to use as a unit. One way

scientists measure the distance between planets isto use the distance from the Earth to the sun as thestandard unit of measurement. This distance iscalled an Astronomical Unit, or 1 A.U. It is equal toapproximately 150,000,000 kilometers or93,000,000 miles.

Since it is about 110,000,000 kilometers from thesun to Venus, that distance is about 110,000,000 150,000,000 = 0.7 A.U. Mars, on the other hand, isabout 230,000,000 kilometers from the sun so we

would calculate its distance as being about230,000,000 150,000,000 = 1.5 A.U.

In this Exploration we will be looking for the patternsthat exist in the distances of the planets from thesun. These patterns are important because theyhelp us better understand the formation of our solarsystem. In addition they will be applying the idea of


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Preparation:Make copies of Solar SystemDistances Calculations and Solar

System Distances Model.

Cut strips of adding machine tape

approximately 40 meters long foreach group.

Scale to help them model the solar system. Theywill also look at the Structure of the solar systemusing the distances of planets from the sun andfrom each other.Procedure:1. Review units of measurement and the

importance of using the appropriate unit forthe given task.

2. Ask students to estimate how long they thinkone meter is. Then estimate how far 100meters is.

3. Explain to the class that they are going tobuild a scale model of the solar system.

Review what the word scale means.

4. Introduce the concept of an AstronomicalUnit. Using a scale of 1 A.U. = 1 meter,practice a few calculations as a group eitheron the board or on the overhead. Use theformula:

__ A.U. x 1 meter = actual distance in meterson scale model

Remind students that there are 100centimeters in a meter and that this will helpmake their calculations easier.

Do several examples so students have aclear understanding of the process.

Examples:0.73 A.U. x 1 meter = 0.73 meters or 73 centimeters

on the model

4 A.U. x 1 meter = 4 meters on the model

21.6 A.U. x 1 meter = 21.6 meters on the model

5. Hand out copies of the student worksheets.Have students work with a partner to do thecalculations. Each student should have theirown calculation page that can be attached in


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Name

Date

Solar System Distances

Calculations

For this activity, you are going to make a scale diagram of thedistances from the sun for each planet.

Use a scale of 1 A.U. = 1 meter. Calculate the number of meters youneed to represent each distance given.

Planet Distance from the Sunin Astronomical Units

(A.U.)Number of Meters

Needed on the DiagramMercury 0.39Venus 0.72Earth 1.00Mars 1.52Jupiter 5.21Saturn 9.54Uranus 19.19Neptune 30.06Pluto 39.50


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Names of Group Members

Date

Solar System Distances

Model

Materials: adding machine tapemeter tapepencilcolored pencils or crayonscalculations for distances

Using the information from Solar System Distances Calculationspage, follow these steps to create your model.

1. Draw a dark line across the end of the roll of adding machinetape and label it SUN.

2. Unroll the adding machine tape a little and measure from theSUN line the number of meters you have marked in the spaceon Solar System Distances Calculations page for Mercury.

3. Draw an easily seen dot at that point and label it MERCURY.

4. Continue to do this for each planet.

When you have finished, re-roll your adding machine tape and secureyour model with a rubber band or paper clip so that it can be easilyhandled. Roll so that the SUN is on the outside of the roll. Be surethe names of each member of your group is on the roll where it canbe seen.

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Astronomy Lesson 4