Chapter 27 – The Planets Study Guide
1. Why is Venus’ surface hotter than Mercury’s? Venus has a thick carbon dioxide
atmosphere that traps the sun's heat
2. The largest known volcano in the solar system is on Mars.
3. The planets with the lowest density are the Jovian planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
Neptune
4. Characteristics of Jovian planets include: Low density,
Large in size/diameter, and mostly gas, light elements
5. Characteristics of Terrestial planets include: Rocky surface,
High density, and smaller in size/diameter than the gas planets
6. Oberon, Ariel and Miranda are three of the largest moons of Uranus
7. Saturn’s moon Titan is unusual because it has a substantial atmosphere
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8. Where do comets spend most of their time? far beyond Neptune's orbit
9. The planets with ring systems include: Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, and Neptune
10. Halley’s Comet returns to the inner solar system every 76 years.
11. Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through comet debris
12. Mercury has more impact craters than Earth because Mercury has no atmosphere.
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13. Using the diagram below, show how a comet’s tail would look at points A, B, C, and D.
14. The largest moon/satellite in the solar system is Jupiter’s moon, Ganymede
Know the difference/definition of the following:
Meteor : Light made by a meteoroid as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere
Meteorite : A large meteoroid that survives Earth’s atmosphere and strikes Earth’s surface.
Meteoroid: Rock or icy fragment traveling in space.
Asteroid : Solid rock-like object that orbits the sun within the Asteroid Belt (between Mars
and Jupiter).
Comet: “Dirty Snowball” large ball of icy dirt, orbits the sun and spends most of the time
way beyond Neptune in the Kuiper Belt and even farther Oort Cloud. Comets have a
nucleus, head (coma) and tail. The tail is blown away from the sun by the sun’s solar winds.
Starting with the Sun (our star), list the planets in order, include the Asteroid Belt, dwarf planet
Pluto, and Oort Cloud.
SUN: _________________, __________________, ______________________,
_______________, ___________________, ____________________, _________________,
____________________, _____________________, _________________, _______________
There will be SOL questions on this test 
SOL Review
1)
3) Which of these planets has the
smallest diameter and the greatest
average density?
F Neptune
G Jupiter
H Saturn
J Mercury
4) Which of these planets travels around
the Sun in less time than it takes Earth to
complete one revolution?
F Mars
G Saturn
H Mercury
J Uranus
Why does a comet’s tail point away from
the Sun?
A The solar wind blows the tail away from
the Sun.
B It is being pulled by a nearby black hole.
C The Moon’s light only shines on part of
the comet.
D The comet’s tail is following the path of
Jupiter.
2) Rocky objects, measuring millimeters
to kilometers in diameter, generallyorbit
the Sun in a region located between —
A Mercury and Venus
B Earth and Mars
C Mars and Jupiter
D Neptune and Pluto
5. In addition to Earth’s orbit, which
planets’ orbits are shown?
F Mars and Jupiter
G Jupiter and Saturn
H Venus and Mars
J Mercury and Venus
6)
9) The hypothesis for the cause of the
dinosaurs’ extinction that has the most
scientific support links their extinction to —
F a long drought
G the appearance of man
H the increase in numbers of mammals
J a large object from space hitting the Earth
Which planet has the shortest day?
F Mercury
G Venus
H Jupiter _
J Saturn
7)
Gas and dust in interstellar nebulae can form
F stars _
G comets
H meteors
J asteroids
8)
10) The numerous rocks orbiting the sun
between Jupiter and Mars are —
F comets
G asteroids _
H meteorites
J satellites
11) Periodically, there are spectacular meteor
showers on Earth. These showers usually
occur because the Earth’s orbit passes
through the remains of —
F a star
G a comet _
H solar flares
J the rings of Saturn
12)
When Venus passes between the Earth
and the sun, it is visible as a tiny black
dot on the sun’s bright disk. Why is
Mars never visible in this same way?
F The orbit of Mars is more eccentric than
that of Venus.
G The orbit of Mars is outside that of the
Earth’s orbit. _
H Mars is too small to be seen against the
backdrop of the sun.
J Mars shines too brightly to be visible
against the sun.
13) Photographs of the surface of Mars reveal
the presence of sand dunes that shift over
time. These dunes demonstrate the presence
of what phenomenon on Mars?
17) Orbital velocity is the average speed of a
planet moving through space in its orbit
around the sun. Which of the following
planets has the fastest orbital velocity?
F Precipitation
G Winds _
H Magnetic pole reversals
J Plate tectonics
A Mercury _
B Jupiter
C Mars
D Pluto
14) Which dwarf planet in the solar system
has an orbit so eccentric that it crosses the
orbit of another planet?
18.
A Mars
B Mercury
C Jupiter
D Pluto
15) Which planet is often called “Earth’s
twin” because it is similar in mass and
diameter to the Earth?
F Mars
G Mercury
H Venus _
J Pluto
16) Saturn’s volume is 762 times the volume
of Earth, and yet its mass is only about 95
times that of Earth’s mass. This is due to
Saturn’s —
F low density _
G temperature
H thousands of rings
J distance from the sun
19) If matter from Saturn would float in
water, while matter from Earth would sink in
water, which of the following is true?
F Saturn is smaller than Earth.
G Saturn is smaller than the sun.
H. Saturn has a lower density than Earth
J. Saturn has a higher density than Earth.
20.