Solar System Distance Model
Goal:
To compare & appreciate the great distances between the sun and planets in our solar system.
Problem:
How can a model be designed that will show the characteristics of and relative distances between
and among the sun and planets of our solar system?
Hypothesis: A physical model of the solar system distances can be scaled to a practical size for classroom use.
Materials:
Meter stick, 4 meters of adding machine tape, colored pencils, pencil, classroom resources.
Objective:
Make a table of scaled distances that will represent planetary distances to be used in a model.
Make a model of the distances between the sun and planets.
Awards:
Extra credit points will be given for the best three models.
First place = 4 points to each team member
Second place = 3 points to each team member
Third place = 2 points to each team member
Criteria:
You can also use classroom
textbooks for pics and other
planetary characteristics.
Standards for the winning models: FYI--could become assigned duties for certain team members
-Accurate measurements from the sun to each planet,
-Neat and appropriately colored (use pictures in textbooks available in the classroom),
-Correct portrayal & details of the planets (moons, rings, spots, rotational orientations).
Background info: Instead of the actual mileage to each planet, scientists came up another way of expressing
distances in the solar system, the astronomical unit. One A.U. is the distance that Earth is
from the Sun (93 million miles). All other planetary distances are fractions or multiples of
Earth’s distance.
Getting started: Determine a useable scale for classroom use. See Planetary Data Table on pg. 3.
What math needs to be done to find out how far a planet is from the Sun for our scaled distances?
Let’s do Earth as an example of how to work this problem out.
Two scaled distance choices:
Planet:
Actual
Distance
From the Sun
Earth
1.00 AU
Let 1 AU = 10 cm
Converted
Distance
From the Sun
= ___10____ cm
or
Let 1 AU = 2 m
Planet:
Actual
Distance
From the Sun
Earth
1.00 AU
10 cm
Math) 1.00 AU x ---------- = 10 cm away
1 AU
from the Sun
Converted
Distance
From the Sun
= __2 m___ m
2m
Math) 1.00 AU x ------- = 2 m away
1 AU
from the Sun
What other planet would be good to do in order to figure out what scale would work best? (hint: materials list)
_____
____ AU
Math)
= _________ cm
_____
____ AU
Math)
So, which scale will be better for classroom use: 10 cm or 2 m per A.U.?
= _________ m
Data table:
First, which scale are we using?
Planet
Distance from
the Sun (km)
Distance from
the Sun (A.U.)
Mercury
5.80 x 107 km
0.39 AU
Venus
1.08 x 108 km
0.72 AU
Earth
Mars
1.50 x 108 km
1.00 AU
(150 million km)
(93 million miles)
2.28 x 108 km
1.25 AU
Jupiter
7.80 x 108 km
5.20 AU
Saturn
1.43 x 109 km
9.54 AU
Uranus
2.88 x 109 km
19.19 AU
Neptune
4.51 x 109 km
30.06 AU
Pluto
5.92 x 109 km
39.48 AU
Scaled distances
(1 AU = 10 cm)
Scaled distances
(1 AU = 2 m)
1 AU x 10 cm / AU
1 AU x 2 m / AU
= 10 cm away
= 2 meters away
The Plan:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Plan out the steps to take and who will be doing what jobs (measuring, coloring, adding the details).
Make a table of distances you will be using.
Begin your project once you have received your adding machine paper.
Determine whether your project meets the criteria and successfully demonstrates what is needed.
Answer the Conclusions questions below.
Conclusion questions:
1. Explain the math and how you determined your scale of distances. _______________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Was it possible to work with your scale? ___________________________________________________
Why wasn’t your alternative scale workable? _______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. How much paper would have been needed to construct a model with a scale distance of 1 AU = 2 m ?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Challenge question: Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Sun, is about 270,000 AU from the Sun.
How much paper would be needed in order to include this star on your model?
_____________________________
Planetary Data Table
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Average
Distance (AUs)
.39
.72
1.00
1.25
5.20
9.54
19.19
30.06
39.48
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Mass
(Earth = 1)
.0553
.815
1
.107
317.8
95.2
14.5
17.1
.0021
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Rotational
Period
58.647 days
-243* days
23 h 56 m
24 h 37 m
9 hr 50 min
10 hr 15 min
-17* hours
16 hours
-6.39* days
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Diameter
(Earth = 1)
.383
.949
1
.533
11.2
9.45
4.01
3.88
.187
Orbital
Period
87.97 days
224.7 days
365.26 days
687 days
11.9 years
29.5 years
84 years
164.8 years
247.7 years
Semi-Major
Orbital
*Orbital
Axis (AUs) Eccentricity
Period=
0.4
0.207
*Semi Major
Revolution =
Axis is the
time to go
0.7
0.007
distance
from
around
the Sun
1
0.017
one “end” of
1.5
0.093
the orbit to the
*Orbital
5
0.05
other, the long Eccentricity is
10
0.056
way… think
how close to a
“diameter”
circle the orbit
20
0.05
is in shape…0=
30
0.01
a perfect circle
40
0.25
Volume
(Earth = 1)
.0562
.857
1
.151
1321
764
63.1
57.7
.0066
Density
Gravity
(Water = 1) (Earth = 1)
5.43
.38
5.24
.9
5.52
1
3.9
.38
1.3
2.5
.7
1.1
1.2
.9
1.6
1.1
1.8
.06
# of Moons
*= this planet
rotates in the
direction opposite
that it orbits the
Sun…giving the
negative value
0
0
1
2
~66
~62
~27
~13
~3
Rings?
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
unknown
Surface Temperatures
(Fahrenheit degrees)
+600 to +800 daytime, -300 nighttime
+850 to +890
+40 to +90 day, a little less at night
+80 to -210, -70 average
-250 cloud tops, warmer below
-300 in the atmosphere, -202 below atm.
-350 within the planet’s clouds
-370 within the planet’s clouds
-370 to -410 (varies with location in
orbit)
Atmosphere
(Earth = 1)
Composition of
Atmosphere
Magnetic
Field
(Earth = 1)
Internal Structure and Composition
"none"
100
1
.01
Very Large
Very Large
Very Large
Very Large
"none"
solar wind, impacts,
outgassing
96% CO2, 4% nitrogen
80% nitrogen, 20% oxygen
95% CO2, 3% nitrogen
90% hydrogen, 10% helium
90% hydrogen, 10% helium
90% hydrogen, 10% helium
90% hydrogen, 10% helium
temporary nitrogen, methane
.01
none
1
.001
14
.7
.7
.4
none?
rocky mantle, large metal core
rocky mantle, average metal core
rocky mantle, average metal core
rocky mantle, small metal core
liquid hydrogen and helium
liquid hydrogen and helium
liquid hydrogen and helium, water
water, liquid hydrogen and helium
dirty ice, rock