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Our solar system is made up of the Sun and all the objects that move around it. These objects include planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.
The sizes of the objects in the solar system are difficult to imagine without the help of a model. Models make certain characteristics of a system easier to understand. A model can be a physical object, a graph, a diagram, or a simulation.
The diagram below is a model that shows the relative sizes of the Sun, the Moon, and Earth. The two small dots represent the accurate sizes of Earth and the Moon compared to the Sun. A close-up view of Earth and the Moon is also shown.
Complete the sentence to estimate the diameter of the Sun compared to Earth.
the Sun's diameter is about ................... times greater than Earth's.
If a model showed every object in the solar system, the model would be hard to understand. Scientists often choose to show certain characteristics in a model and leave out others. A characteristic that is left out is called a limitation of the model.
Look again at the model where the size of the Sun compared to Earth and the Moon is accurately represented. Then, answer the question below.
Which of the following are limitations of this model? Select all that apply.
The passage below describes two friends creating a physical model of the solar system. Read the passage and then answer the questions below.
Ashley and Tina are creating a model showing the distances between Earth, the Moon, and the Sun. They choose a blue ball to represent Earth, a gray ball to represent the Moon, and a yellow ball to represent the Sun.
Ashley and Tina take the balls to the middle of a large field at their school. They know that Earth is about 240 thousand miles from the Moon and about 93 million miles from the Sun. In their model, they choose to represent one million miles with one step.
Which of the following statements are correct? Select the two that apply.
The passage below describes a student creating a physical model of Earth's rotation.
Tony is creating a model showing how Earth rotates over the course of one day. He uses a globe to represent Earth.
Tony knows that Earth spins on its axis, completing one rotation every 24 hours. He slowly spins the globe counterclockwise, completing one rotation in about 6 seconds.
In Tony's model, 1 second of rotation represents about ..............
The model shows that Earth orbits the Sun, and the Moon orbits Earth.
It takes one year for Earth to orbit the Sun once. During this time, the Moon orbits Earth about 12 times.
Complete the sentence.
it takes about .....days for the Moon to orbit Earth, and about .............. days for Earth to orbit the Sun.