STUDY ISLAND WORKSHEET…………OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
Earth, Sun & Moon System
1. Day and night are caused by
A. the rotation of the Sun on its axis.
B. the Earth completing a full orbit around the Sun.
C. the Sun completing a full orbit around the Earth.
D. the rotation of Earth on its axis.
Solar System
2. While observing a planet through a telescope, a scientist observes a natural satellite orbiting the planet. What
is the best classification for this satellite?
A. asteroid
B. comet
C. moon
D. planet
Solar System
3. Which of the following is true about the solar system?
A. All of the planets have moons.
B. Earth is the only planet that has a moon.
C. Most of the planets have moons.
D. None of the planets have moons.
Solar System
4. Which of the following is a discovery that supports the theory that there was once, or may still be, liquid
water on planets other than Earth?
A. There are river-like channels and rocks with an eroded appearance on Mars.
B. Life is present on Saturn and Mars, so therefore water must exist on those planets.
C. There are large ponds and lakes present on the surface of Mars.
D. Jupiter experiences daily rainfall and has several small rivers.
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Earth, Sun & Moon System
5.
The figure above shows the Earth at two different positions in its orbit around the Sun. If Texas is in the
Northern Hemisphere, which is the top half of the Earth, which position corresponds to summer in Texas?
A. position A
B. both position A and position B
C. position B
D. neither position A nor position B
Earth, Sun & Moon System
6. The Earth has four main seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. From the list below, select the cause(s) for
the changes in seasons on Earth.
I. The Earth rotates.
II. The Earth revolves around the Sun.
III. The Earth's axis is tilted.
A. III only
B. II only
C. II and III only
D. I only
Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
7. A major benefit of the ozone layer is that it absorbs _______, which can be harmful to living organisms on
Earth.
A. water vapor
B. ultraviolet light
C. carbon dioxide
D. acid rain
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Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
8.
Which of the following reasons for the absence of life on the gas giants is a direct result of their distances from
the Sun?
A. Their gravities are too strong.
B. They have no solid surfaces.
C. Their atmospheres have too little oxygen.
D. They are too cold to support life.
Solar System
9. Modern technology has allowed scientists to view many features found on the planet Mars, including
volcanoes, channels, valleys, and gullies.
These images are courtesy of NASA.
These features are
A. proof that Mars was formed by the Big Bang.
B. evidence of geologic activity on Mars.
C. proof that life once existed on Mars.
D. evidence that Mars was once one of Earth's moons.
Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
10. Earth appears to be the only body in the solar system that can support life. Which of the following are
unique characteristics of the Earth that allow life to exist?
A. the composition of Earth's atmosphere
B. Earth's distance from the Sun
C. the presence of water
D. all of these
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Earth, Sun & Moon System
11. The phases of the Moon are caused in part by
A. the Moon orbiting the Earth.
B. different amounts of the Moon's lit surface being visible from Earth.
C. different parts of the Moon being lit by the Sun.
D. all of these
Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
12. How do the planets Earth and Mercury compare with respect to atmospheres?
A. Mercury's atmosphere has more nitrogen than Earth's.
B. Mercury's atmosphere is much thinner and less dense than Earth's.
C. Earth's atmosphere is much thinner and less dense than Mercury's.
D. Their atmospheres are identical.
Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
13. The planet Venus is similar to Earth in size and is the closest planet to Earth. It is a hard, rocky planet like
Earth.
No one can live on Venus because it has sulfuric acid clouds and high levels of ______, which traps heat in the
atmosphere and causes the temperature on Venus to average about 854°F.
A. methane
B. nitrogen
C. oxygen
D. carbon dioxide
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Earth, Sun & Moon System
14.
The image above shows the positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun during a
A. solar eclipse, in which the Moon casts a shadow on the Earth.
B. solar eclipse, in which the Earth casts a shadow on the Moon.
C. lunar eclipse, in which the Earth casts a shadow on the Moon.
D. lunar eclipse, in which the Moon casts a shadow on the Earth.
Solar System
15. Suppose an astronomer discovers a large, spherical-shaped body orbiting the Sun. The body is composed
mostly of rock, and there are no other bodies sharing its orbit.
What is the best way to categorize this body?
A. asteroid
B. planet
C. moon
D. comet
Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
16. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Earth is the only place in our solar system where greenhouse gases affect the temperature.
B. Earth is the only place in our solar system where water can be found as a gas, liquid, and solid.
C. Earth is the only place in our solar system where active volcanoes can be found.
D. Earth is the only place in our solar system where oxygen can be found in the atmosphere.
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Solar System
17.
Planet Temperature
Mercury
100 - 700 K
Venus
735 K
Earth
287 K
Mars
227 K
Jupiter
112 - 165 K
Saturn
84 - 134 K
Uranus
53 - 76 K
Neptune
55 - 72 K
The chart above shows the average surface temperature or temperature range for each of the eight planets.
What conclusion can be drawn from this information?
A. Earth has the highest average surface temperature, and Uranus has the lowest average surface
temperature.
B. Earth and the other inner planets have lower average surface temperatures than the outer planets.
C. Earth has the lowest average surface temperature, and Venus has the highest average surface
temperature.
D. Earth and the other inner planets have higher average surface temperatures than the outer planets.
Earth, Sun & Moon System
18. Due to the tilt of the Earth's axis,
A. daylight in North America lasts longer in December than in July.
B. the Eastern and Western Hemispheres have opposite seasons.
C. the North and South Poles experience the same seasons at the same time.
D. certain regions on Earth can experience non-stop daylight for six months of the year.
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Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
19. All animal life on Earth depends on _______, which are life forms that produce chemical energy directly
from _______.
A. bacteria; heat
B. mammals; soil
C. insects; animals
D. plants; sunlight
Solar System
20. Which is closer to the Sun—Mercury or the Earth?
A. They are the same distance from the Sun.
B. Mercury is closer to the Sun than the Earth is.
C. The Earth is closer to the Sun than Mercury is.
D. The distance from the Earth to the Sun cannot be determined.
Solar System
21. In the diagram below, the planets' relative distances from the Sun are shown. The sizes of the planets are not
drawn to scale.
Which of the following planets most likely has the warmest surface temperature?
A. Earth
B. Neptune
C. Jupiter
D. Mercury
Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
22. If _______ ever stopped producing energy, virtually all living things on planet Earth would die.
A. the Sun
B. soil
C. wind turbines
D. electric generators
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Solar System
23. A celestial body is any natural (i.e., not man-made) object in the sky. Which celestial bodies orbit the Sun?
I. asteroids
II. comets
III. meteoroids
IV. planets
A. II, III, and IV only
B. I, II, and III only
C. IV only
D. I, II, III, and IV
Solar System
24. The celestial body at the center of the solar system is a large ball of gases, mostly made up of helium and
hydrogen. The hydrogen in this celestial body undergoes nuclear fusion, thus producing helium.
What is the name of this celestial body?
A. Earth
B. the Moon
C. Jupiter
D. the Sun
Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
25. Which planet has a shorter year than Earth's year?
A. Mars
B. A year is the same length on all planets.
C. Venus
D. Saturn
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Solar System
26. Examine the picture below.
Except for the Sun, all of the bodies shown in this picture should be classified as _______.
A. comets
B. moons
C. planets
D. asteroids
Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
27. Compared with the Earth's atmosphere, the atmosphere of Mars is much _______ and has a greater
percentage of ______.
A. thicker; carbon dioxide
B. thicker; nitrogen
C. thinner; nitrogen
D. thinner; carbon dioxide
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Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
28.
Planet
Characteristics
Mercury
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Venus
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Earth
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Mars
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Jupiter
Saturn
surface temperature range: -184°C to 465°C
thick, dense iron core and an extremely thin, low-density atmosphere made mostly of oxygen, sodium, hydrogen, and helium
surface is covered with many craters
average surface temperature: 449°C
iron-rich core and a dense atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen
thick clouds trap heat and rain sulfuric acid
average surface temperature: 14°C
solid, nickle-iron inner core, liquid iron-nickel outer core, and a fairly thin atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen and oxygen
surface is shaped by a well-developed plate tectonics system, and three-fourths of the surface is covered with liquid water
surface temperature range: -123°C to 36°C
solid core made mostly of nickle, iron, and sulfur and a thin atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon
surface has plains, volcanoes, valleys, and canyons
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average surface temperature: -153°C
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surface has a large red spot which is a storm that has raged for centuries
small rocky core surrounded by a thick layer of hydrogen and helium;
no solid surface
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average surface temperature: -184°C
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circled by several icy rings
Uranus
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Neptune
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small, rocky core surrounded by a thick layer of hydrogen and helium;
no solid surface
surface temperature range: -224°C to -184°C
small, rocky core surrounded by a thick layer of hydrogen and helium, with lesser amounts of methane
spins on its side
average surface temperature: -223°C
small, rocky core surrounded by hydrogen, helium, and methane
very windy; wind speeds can exceed 1,100 km/hr
Which of the following statements can be inferred from the information found above?
A. All of the planets have solid surfaces.
B. The Earth's composition and conditions are different from the other planets' compositions and
conditions.
C. The average surface temperature on Mercury is greater than the average surface temperature on Venus.
D. Liquid water is found on most planetary surfaces.
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Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
29. The Earth is surrounded by a magnetic field, called a magnetosphere, that protects organisms on Earth from
some types of solar radiation. Since Mars and Venus do not have magnetospheres, which of the following
statements is most likely true?
A. Mars and Venus will support life in the future.
B. Mars and Venus are able to support life.
C. Mars and Venus are too cold to support life.
D. Mars and Venus are unable to support life.
Solar System
30. Which of the following planets is the smallest?
A. Mars
B. Jupiter
C. Saturn
D. Neptune
Earth, Sun & Moon System
31. During a total solar eclipse, the Earth, Sun, and Moon are arranged in a line, and almost all of the Sun's light
traveling to the Earth is blocked by the Moon.
In what order do the Earth, Sun, and Moon line up?
A. Sun, Earth, Moon
B. Earth, Sun, Moon
C. Moon, Sun, Earth
D. Earth, Moon, Sun
Earth, Sun & Moon System
32. During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth, Sun, and Moon are arranged in a line, and the Moon is completely
dark.
In what order do the Earth, Sun, and Moon line up?
A. Sun, Moon, Earth
B. Moon, Sun, Earth
C. Earth, Moon, Sun
D. Sun, Earth, Moon
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Earth, Sun & Moon System
33. What causes temperatures in the summer to be higher than temperatures in the winter?
A. The greenhouse effect, which raises temperatures on Earth, takes place during the summer months only.
B. The Earth is closer in distance to the Sun during the summer than it is during the winter.
C. More of the Sun's rays directly hit a particular region on Earth during the summer than during the
winter.
D. Volcanic activity is at its peak during the summer, resulting in elevated temperatures on Earth.
Earth, Sun & Moon System
34.
The image above shows the positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun during a
A. lunar eclipse, in which the Moon casts a shadow on the Earth.
B. solar eclipse, in which the Moon casts a shadow on the Earth.
C. solar eclipse, in which the Earth casts a shadow on the Moon.
D. lunar eclipse, in which the Earth casts a shadow on the Moon.
Solar System
35. Each of the eight planets in the solar system follows a different elliptical orbit around the Sun. An ellipse is
a type of oval shape. Each planet's orbit is at a different distance from the Sun than the other planets' orbits.
Beginning nearest to the Sun, the order of the planets is: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
Neptune.
Based on this order, which of the following is true of Mars?
A. It must travel farther than Earth does to complete one orbit around the Sun.
B. It travels the same distance as Earth does to complete one orbit around the Sun.
C. It must travel in the opposite direction around the Sun than Earth does.
D. It travels a shorter distance than Earth does to complete one orbit around the Sun.
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Solar System
36. A solar system is composed of
A. several galaxies that are joined together.
B. a star and all the objects in orbit around it.
C. everything in existence.
D. planets but not the star that they orbit.
Earth, Sun & Moon System
37. Which of the following causes the change in seasons on Earth?
A. the tilting of the Earth on its axis and the Sun revolving around the Earth
B. the tilting of the Earth on its axis and the Earth revolving around the Sun
C. the Earth revolving around the Sun and the Moon revolving around the Earth
D. the spinning of the Earth on its axis and the Earth revolving around the Sun
Earth in the Solar System & Space Exploration
38. How many objects in the solar system have been confirmed to currently support life?
A. two
B. three
C. one
D. four
Earth, Sun & Moon System
39. Seasonal changes occur when the Earth tilts either toward or away from the Sun. What will happen to the
amount of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere as the Earth's tilt changes?
A. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, the amount of sunlight decreases in the Northern
Hemisphere.
B. The amount of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere will remain the same as the Earth's tilt changes.
C. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, the amount of sunlight increases in the Northern
Hemisphere.
D. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun, the amount of sunlight increases in the
Northern Hemisphere.
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Earth, Sun & Moon System
40.
Which of the following statements about gravity in the Earth-Moon system is true?
A. Neither Earth nor the Moon exerts a gravitational force on the other.
B. The Earth and the Moon exert a gravitational force on each other.
C. The Moon exerts a gravitational force on Earth only.
D. Earth exerts a gravitational force on the Moon only.
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