RANDY L. PHELPS
This is the Overview
Module
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Procedure
1. For this module, please look through the
"lecture" notes for "The Solar System: An
Overview". These notes contain the material, in condensed form, that I will
expect you to become familiar with.
Upon completing
this assignment, you should be comfortable with the following material:
- Definitions and Concepts. Important terms and
ideas that you should know: Planets, minor bodies, major bodies, Terrestrial planets,
Jovian planets, etc.
- How do varies properties of the planet’s
(e.g., size, density, temperatures, etc.) vary and/or relate to each other throughout the
Solar System.
- What are the unique/interesting features of each
planet?
Upon completing
this assignment, you should be able to answer these, and similar questions
General
Concepts
- Which planet has a low enough density that it would float in water?
- Why is Pluto an "oddball planet"?
- What are some of the interesting geological features on Mars?
- Which planet(s) has/have rings?
- The asteroid belt is located between the orbits of which planets?
- What is "Bodes Law"?
- Which planet(s) is/are rotating in a direction opposite to that of the
other planets?
- Which Solar System objects are known to have active
volcanoes/geysers?
- Which planetary moon has a thick atmosphere?
- Which planet dominates the others, in terms of its mass?
- What is the difference between meteoroids, meteors and meteorites?
- Which planets in the inner Solar System have appreciable atmospheres?
- Why are Venus and the Earth, in many ways, sister planets?
- In what ways to Venus and the Earth differ?
- Which of the outer planets have moons?
Applications
- How does the mass of a planet change as distance increases from the Sun?
- How does the diameter of a planet change as distance increases from the
Sun?
- How does the density of a planet change as distance increases from the
Sun?
- How does the temperature of a planet change as distance increases from
the Sun?
- How does the chemical composition of a planet change as distance
increases from the Sun?
- How does the number of moons a planet has change as distance increases
from the Sun?
- How does the inclination of a planet's orbit change as distance increases
from the Sun?
- How does the eccentricity of a planet's orbit change as distance
increases from the Sun?
These questions, and similar ones, will form the basis of the exam
material for this section of the course. If you have problems with the material,
please see me. If you are unable to answer some of the questions, I will help
you before the date specified on the syllabus, provided you show me the results of your
inquiry into the material.
That is, you must provide me the answers you
we able to obtain for all questions, including your attempts at problem questions, before
I will help you with any of them!
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