Solar System Unit Tracking Sheet

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1 Name Period Mrs. Coates Earth Science Solar System Unit Tracking Sheet Learning Target The Solar System is 4.6 billion years old Question Example How is the age of the solar system estimated by scientists? Date Target was Taught in Class September 19/22 Nebular Theory explains how our Solar System formed The inner planets are small and rocky because they are close to the Sun Size of Objects: Planets Sun Solar System Milky Way Galaxy The three conditions necessary for life: liquid medium, raw materials, and energy The eight planets (and many moons) in our Solar System have unique features How does the nebular theory describe the formation of the solar system? What effect did the solar wind and heat from the newly formed sun have on the composition of the inner planets of the solar system? How does the size of the solar system compare to the Milky Way galaxy? September 23/24 September 23/24 September 25/26 Which conditions on Earth support life? September 29/30 What are the most abundant atmospheric gases found on the outer planets? September 29/30 My Progress 4 (90-100%) Pre-Test Age of S.S. Nebular Theory Planet Compositio n Size and Scale Conditions for life Planets are Different Post Test 3 (80-89%) 2 (70-79%) 1 (0-69%) 1

2 AH-HA! How does Nebular Theory explain the formation of the Solar System? 2

3 Science Starter Sheet 3

4 Science Starter Sheet 4

5 Video: The Birth of the Earth web link: bit.ly/15b8isp This video covers three major ideas: how the Earth formed, how the moon formed, and where Earth s water came from. Answer the following questions while watching the video. The questions do go in chronological order to the video. Some answers to questions will be very close to each other in the video and some will be further away. At each stop sign, we will discuss the previous questions. 1. Why do scientists study the formation of the Earth to find other planets like ours? 2. What is the first step of planetary formation? 3. How long ago did our solar system start forming? 4. How did the supernova trigger the formation of the solar system? 5. (T or F) The force that clumped the first particles together was gravity. 6. Explain the cosmic dust bunnies. 7. What event caused the dust bunnies to become rocks? What evidence do we have of it? 8. The rocks smash into each other randomly to form big rocks until what force takes over? What does it lead to? 9. How did the Earth become round? 10. What caused the Earth to become molten? What element sank to the center? 11. Why is a magnetic field for the Earth important? 12. What is The War of the Titans phase? What was the result? 13. (T or F) Our moon was formed from left over debris from a collision with another planet. What was the name of the planet? 14. Why is the moon so important to us? 15. What is the modern theory of where water on Earth came from? 5

6 U n d e r s t a n d i n g R a d i o a c t i v e D e c a y Atomic Number Review What does the atomic number represent? Locate each of the following on the periodic table and record the atomic number (the first one has been done for you): C 6 Th Cl K Ar Pb U N I Xe Al Mg O He Pt If the number of protons is changed then so is the identity of the atom! For example, when a proton is added to Carbon it becomes a form of Nitrogen. What atom would be created if Aluminum LOST 1 proton? What atom would be created if Hydrogen GAINED 1 proton? What atom would be created if Thorium LOST 7 protons? What atom would be created if Uranium LOST 10 protons? How many protons would Iron need to lose to become a form of Potassium? How many protons would Uranium need to lose to become a form of Thorium? How many protons would Chlorine need to gain to become a form of Calcium? M a g n e s i u m An isotope is an atom that has an unusual number of neutrons in the nucleus. Too many neutrons make the atom unstable, or radioactive. In an effort to become more stable the atom will release alpha particles (made of 2 protons and 2 neutrons each). Remember, the loss of protons changes the identity of the atom! Alpha Particle Carbon Beryllium For example, in nature Uranium-235 loses 10 protons and 10 neutrons to become more stable. By losing 10 protons Uranium (atomic number 92) now has an atomic number of 82 (which is Lead). It takes a long time for some radioactive atoms to decay. Scientists measure radioactive decay in half-lives. A half-life is the amount of time required for one half of the atoms of a radioactive substance to disintegrate. Radioactive decay can be graphed like this: 6

7 Percent of Atoms 100 Radioactive Decay Parent Atom Daughter Atom Number of Half Lives Analyze the graph above by answering these questions: What percentage of original material (parent atoms) remains after 1 half-life? What percentage of parent atoms remains after 2 half-lives? What percentage of new material (daughter atoms) exist after 1 half-life? What percentage of daughter atoms exists after 3 half-lives? How many half-lives does it take for a parent atom to decay 75% (so only 25% remains)? How many half-lives does it take for a parent atom to decay 50%? How many half-lives does it take a parent atom to decay 94% (so only 6% remains)? Each radioactive isotope has a different half-life (determined using mathematical models and experiments). Look over the list of radioactive isotopes and their half-lives. Match each isotope to an item that might be dated using the known half-life for that isotope. (You can draw lines to show which isotope might match each object) Isotope Half-Life Object to be Dated Carbon-14 (C-14) 5,730 years Metamorphic Rock (about 8 million years old) Nickel-59 76,000 years Sedimentary Rock (about 125,000 years old) Palladium million years Solar System (4.4 to 4.6 billion years old) Uranium billion years Ancient Clothing (about 10,000 years old) 7

8 R a d i o a c t i v e D e c a y A c t i v i t y You will receive 6 samples representing radioactive material. You need to estimate the age of each sample based on the number of parent and daughter atoms. Use the graphs on the next page. Be sure to pick the CORRECT graph! (HINT: You can use either the Percentage of Parent Atoms OR the Percentage of Daughter Atoms to find your answer on the graph) Color Key: Blue Orange Red White K-40 Ar-40 U-238 Pb-206 (Parent) (Daughter) (Parent) (Daughter) Data: Sample Number Number of Parent Atoms Percentage of Parent Atoms Number of Daughter Atoms Percentage of Daughter Atoms Estimated Age of Sample (from the graphs) 1 (Meteorite) 2 (Metamorphic Rock) 3 (Meteorite) 4 (Metamorphic Rock) 5 (Meteorite) 6 (Metamorphic Rock) Analysis: 1. Which sample (or samples) was the youngest in age? 2. Which sample (or samples) was the oldest in age? 3. Would it be better to date the age of our Solar System with metamorphic rocks or meteorites? 4. Explain the answer you gave to question 3: Use this number (y-value) to find this number (x-value) 5. How would our understanding of the Solar System change if scientists discovered a meteorite that was 10 billion years old? 8

9 N e b u l a r T h e o r y N O T E S Review: 1. Gas and dusts accumulate as a 2. Part of the nebula shrinks to form a 3. pulls gases to the center of the disk 4. Gas at the center of the disk becomes and enough for nuclear fusion to begin 5. The is BORN! This concept is called and explains how our Solar System formed. Planet Formation: During the early process of planet formation, while most of the material was still, the elements collected in the middle of the planets (the core of Earth, for example), while the elements stayed closer to the surface. Inner Planets: The inner four planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) were smaller and formed primarily from. This is because all of the gases and light elements that the planets started with could not withstand the and that was put out by the sun. Outer Planets: Materials such as and collected on the next four planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) and they came to be known as the gas giants. Summary: The from the sun is primarily responsible for the four inner terrestrial planets and the four outer gaseous planets. 9

10 Planet Length Of Day Length of year Atmosphere Temperature # of Moons Rings (Yes or No) Life as we know it? Other Characteristics M E R C U R Y 0 X V E N U S 0 X E A R T H Perfect combination of gases for life (CO 2, O 2, N 2, H 2) X M A R S Cold! -80 C X J U P I T E R 67 S A T U R N -150 C U R A N U S -224 C X N E P T U N E Mostly hydrogen and Helium X Neptune has a great dark spot at the center left and a small dark spot at the bottom center. 10

11 S o l a r S y s t e m O b j e c t s --H o m e w o r k 1. Explain how gravity affects the place of Earth in our Solar System: 2. Cut the objects out (sun, ceres, galaxy, solar system, and earth) and tape or paste them into the box that matches their correct diameter. 950 km 1.3 x 10 4 km 1.4 x 10 6 km 9 x 10 9 km 9.5 x km Sun Ceres (Asteroids) Milky Way Galaxy Solar System Earth 11

12 3. Describe how the formation of the Universe (Big Bang Theory) led to the formation of our Solar System (Nebular Theory). Use complete sentences and make your handwriting neat. 4. The Virgo Cluster of galaxies holds our Milky Way galaxy and many other galaxies. Using the scale on the other side of the page, estimate the size of the Virgo Cluster. 12

I S T H E R E L I F E B E Y O N D E A R T H? N O T E S Three conditions required for life (as we know it): 1. 2. 3. How do these things contribute to life on Earth?

13 I S T H E R E L I F E B E Y O N D E A R T H? N O T E S Three conditions required for life (as we know it): How do these things contribute to life on Earth? Liquid Water: Habitable Zone: Atmospheric Pressure: Sunlight: Gravity: Plate Tectonics: Is There Life Beyond Earth? 1. How do the atmospheres of the planets compare? 2. Do any moons have an atmosphere? 3. Which planets have an atmosphere that is similar to Earth's? 4. On which of the planets has water been discovered? 5. What would be needed to determine the presence or absence of water on each of the planets and moons? 6. How would you relate the solar energy that a planet receives in comparison to its distance from the sun? 13

14 Extremophiles Extremophiles are that live in conditions that would kill other creatures. They can survive in the harshest and strangest of. Examples: Mars: Europa: Titan: How about Intelligent Life? Dr. Frank Drake determined how to estimate how many technologically advanced civilizations might be in our galaxy Just for Fun 14

15 A t e r r a 4 E x p l o r e r A c t i v i t y The Aterra4 deep-space probe has entered GSL383, a distant galaxy with several stars much like our sun. Aterra4 has encountered roughly 6 different planets in the habitable zones of these stars. Data from the probe indicates that the conditions and terrain on the planets are varied. Is it possible that life exists somewhere in GSL383? Read the description of the environment assigned to you, and fill in the following: 1. Planet and environment: 2. Resources that would support life in the environment: a. Liquid Medium: b. Raw Materials: c. Energy Source: 3. Environmental challenges an organism would face (ex. Extreme heat, pressure, toxic gases): 4. In the box above, draw an organism that might survive in this environment. Below, describe the special features (adaptations) that help it survive. 15

16 C h a n g i n g V i e w s o f t h e S o l a r S y s t e m N O T E S As you read your article, answer the following questions: 1. When did this Astronomer live? 2. What contributions did this Astronomer make to our understanding of the Universe? 3. Do we still believe this Astronomer s theories? (Explain why or why not) 4. Did this Astronomer build on the works of others? Was there someone who inspired this Astronomer? 5. Summarize this Astronomer s theory in 2-3 sentences: Scientist When? Discovery or Theory 16

Astronomy. physics.wm.edu/~hancock/171/ A. Dayle Hancock. Small 239. Office hours: MTWR 10-11am

Astronomy. physics.wm.edu/~hancock/171/ A. Dayle Hancock. Small 239. Office hours: MTWR 10-11am Astronomy A. Dayle Hancock adhancock@wm.edu Small 239 Office hours: MTWR 10-11am Planetology II Key characteristics Chemical elements and planet size Radioactive dating Solar system formation Solar nebula