Name:___________________date:________period:___
SOLAR SYSTEM SCALE MODEL
TABLE 1. Major objects in the solar system and their sizes
#
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
OBJECT
Sun (Sol)
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
EQUATORIAL
RADIUS
(km)
EQUATORIAL
DIAMETER
(km)
EQUATORIAL
DIAMETER
(Earths)
EQUATORIAL
DIAMETER
(Sun as a
basketball)
EQUATORIAL
DIAMETER
(Earth as a
peppercorn)
scale:
scale:
scale:
scale:
695,000
2,439
6,052
6,378
3,397
71,490
60,268
25,559
25,269
1,160
TABLE 2. Major objects in the solar system and their distances from the Sun
#
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
OBJECT
Sun (Sol)
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
MEAN
DISTANCE
FROM SUN
(km)
0
58,000,000
108,000,000
150,000,000
228,000,000
778,000,000
1,427,000,000
2,871,000,000
4,497,000,000
5,913,000,000
MEAN
DISTANCE
FROM SUN
(AU)
MEAN
DISTANCE
FROM SUN
(Solar system as
a large poster)
MEAN
DISTANCE
FROM SUN
(Solar system as
a football field)
MEAN
DISTANCE
FROM SUN
(Solar system as
a city)
scale:
scale:
scale:
scale:
SOLAR SYSTEM SCALE MODEL
OBJECTIVES
- Create a scale model of major objects in the solar system, showing the correct relative sizes and distances from the sun.
“Tell it like it is.”
- Understand scale models and practice the steps required to build one.
- Experience the difficulty of creating an accurate scale model.
- Compare the actual sizes of objects in the solar system to the actual distances between the objects.
- Compare and relate the true size and position of the earth to the rest of the solar system. “Put it in its place.”
- Compare and relate the true size and position of the solar system relative to the rest of the universe.
- Relate the distances between objects in the solar system to the amount of time required to travel between them.
- Relate the formation of the solar system to its present characteristics.
INSTRUCTIONS
A. Calculate the correct sizes to use for models of the objects in the solar system.
B. Calculate the correct distances to use between the models of the objects in the solar system.
C. Find or make an object with the correct diameter to represent each object in the solar system.
D. Take the models of the objects in the solar system and space them apart by the correct distances.
E. Compare your results with other students. Edit your models by making any necessary corrections.
F. Carefully observe and analyze your scale models. Sketch some diagrams showing the details of your models.
G. Use the scale models created by your class to answer the questions below. Write your answers on separate paper.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What does the abbreviation A.U. stand for? What is the size of one A.U.?
2. True or False: The sizes of the planets are very small compared to the distances between them.
3. Compare the distance between the Sun and Earth to the distance between the Sun and Pluto. Be as specific as possible.
What inferences can you make based on this comparison?
4. Are the distances between the planets’ orbits spaced equally as you move outward from the Sun? Explain.
5. Is there any general trend in the distances between the planets’ orbits as you move outward from the Sun? If so,
describe the trend.
6. Is there any general correlation between a planet’s size and its distance from the Sun? If so, describe the correlation.
7. Imagine you have a rocket that travels at a velocity of 50,000 km/hr. Pick any two planets and calculate how long it
would take you to get from the first planet’s orbit to the second planet’s orbit. How long would that same trip take if
you traveled in a high-powered race car at a velocity of 300 km/hr? How long would that same trip take if you traveled
on a bicycle moving at a velocity of 20 km/hr? How long would that same trip take if you walked at a steady pace of 5
km/hr? What general conclusion can you make based on these calculations?
8. Use the distance between each planet and the Sun to calculate the circumference (C) of each orbit. Compare the
circumference of at least 3 other planets’ orbits to the circumference of Earth’s orbit.
9. Name the two smallest planets and the two largest planets in our solar system.
10. True or False: Jupiter is nearly as large as the Sun.
11. How many times larger is the diameter of the largest planet than the diameter of the smallest planet?
12. How many times larger is the diameter of the Sun than the diameter of Jupiter?
13. Compare the size of Earth to the sizes of the other planets in our solar system. Where does Earth fall in the range of
planet sizes? How many planets are smaller? How many planets are larger?
14. Form a hypothesis to explain why the outer planets are generally larger than the inner planets.
15. Use the actual diameter (D)of each object in the solar system to calculate its actual circumference (C), its actual
volume (V), and its actual surface area (SA).
16. Make a few calculations to compare the diameter (D), circumference (C), volume (V), and surface area (SA) of at
least 3 other planets to the characteristics of Earth. Be as specific as possible.
Teacher Info
Dbbal=9in (23cm), or 9.4in (24cm)
Dpeppercorn= .08in (0.2cm) (2mm)
Note: 1 Inch = 2.54 cm, 1 Feet = 30.48 cm, 1 Feet = 12 Inch
Football Field = 100 yds
Poster = 50 cm
CityMap =