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46 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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the Sun and all the objects that orbit around it |
solar system |
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a huge cloud of gas and dust in space |
nebula |
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force of attraction between all objects in the universe |
gravity |
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the spinning of a planet on its axis |
rotation |
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the movement of a planet in its orbit around the Sun |
revolution |
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the time it takes for a planet to complete one orbit around the Sun |
period of revolution |
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the oval shape of a planet's orbit |
ellipse |
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the distance between Earth and the Sun |
astronomical unit |
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tiny clumps of matter from which planets formed |
planetesimals |
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the path a planet follows around the Sun |
orbit |
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person who formulated 3 laws that describe the motion of the planets |
Kepler |
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person who formulated the law of universal gravitation |
Newton |
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the center of the Sun |
core |
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very dense layer of the Sun that surrounds the core |
radiative zone |
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layer of the Sun where hot gases rise and cooler gases sink |
convective zone |
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layer of the Sun that we see |
photosphere |
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layer of the Sun's atmosphere that has a reddish color |
chromosphere |
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the Sun's outer atmosphere |
corona |
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process that generates heat and light on the Sun |
nuclear fusion |
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the two main elements that make up the Sun |
hydrogen and helium |
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process by which two or more nuclei join to form a single heavier nucleus |
nuclear fusion |
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dark regions on the Sun that appear in pairs |
sunspots |
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streamers of gases that erupt from the Sun's surface |
solar flares |
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the thin outermost layer of Earth |
crust |
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the center of Earth which is made of iron and nickel |
core |
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thick layer of Earth made of rocky materials |
mantle |
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theory that suggests that the solar system formed from a spinning cloud of gas and dust |
nebular theory |
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the three gases that made up Earth's early atmosphere |
methane, ammonia, and water vapor |
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the three main gases that make up Earth's atmosphere today |
argonnitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide |
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the two factors that affect the amount of gravity |
the masses of the objects and distance between them |
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how many miles are equal to one astronomical unit? |
93 million |
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list 4 steps in the formation of the solar system |
1. a nebula began to collapse 2. material in the center began to heat up 3. planetesimals began to form 4. planets forms from planetesimals |
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list the two forces that keep a planet in its orbit |
gravity and inertia |
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What does Kepler's 1st law say? |
a planet's orbit is elliptical |
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What does Kepler's 2nd law say? |
a planet moves faster when it is closer to the Sun |
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What does Kepler's 3rd law say? |
a planet whose orbit it closer to the Sun that another planet will move faster in its orbit |
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what causes sunspots? |
magnetic storms in the Sun |
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How long does the sunspot cycle last? |
22 years |
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how do solar flares affect Earth? |
they cause aurora and disrupt radio communications |
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what are protium, deuterium, and tritium? |
forms of the element hydrogen |
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how did the Earth get its layered structure? |
gravity pulled the heaviest materials towards Earth's center when it formed |
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what caused Earth's early atmosphere to change? |
meteor impacts and volcanic activity |
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what produced most of the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere? |
algae that lived early in Earth's history |
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what are the two types of planetary motion
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rotation and revolution
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list 3 characteristics of inner planets
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rocky, small, few moons
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list 3 characteristics of outer planets
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large, many moons, ring, made of gases
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