The Scale of the Solar System

Learning Target

• Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.

Success Criteria

• I can analyze data about planets

• I can use data to construct a model

Questions to Ponder

• What would you do first if you needed to create a model of the entire solar system?

• What materials would you use?

Choose your model pieces...

• Which of the following would you use to represent each of the planets?

• Is there something else that you would want to use?

Back to Teams

• Discuss your team's choices for a model of the solar system.

• Compare your choices and debate which ideas would be best.

Planet Walk

Questions To Ponder

• If the sun is 800,000 miles in diameter and the we are using an 8 inch bowling ball to represent the sun, what does 1 inch represent in our model?

Average Distances of the Planets from the Sun

Mercury:

Average: 57 million km / 35 million miles (.387 AU)

Venus:

Average: 108 million km / 67 million miles (.722 AU)

Earth:

Average: 150 million km / 93 million miles (1 AU)

Mars:

Average: 228 million km / 142 million miles (1.52 AU)

Jupiter:

Average: 779 million km / 484 million miles (5.20 AU)

Saturn:

Average: 1.43 billion km / 889 million miles (9.58 AU)

Uranus:

Average: 2.88 billion km / 1.79 billion miles (19.2 AU)

Neptune:

Average: 4.50 billion km / 2.8 billion miles (30.1 AU)

The Earth as a Peppercorn

• In order to view a scale model of the Solar System we will need to go outside where we have plenty of room.

Parts of the Model

• Sun-any ball, diameter 8.00 inches

• Mercury-a pinhead, diameter 0.03 inch

• Venus-a peppercorn, diameter 0.08 inch

• Earth-a second peppercorn

• Mars-a second pinhead

• Jupiter-a chestnut or a pecan, diameter 0.90 inch

• Saturn-a hazelnut or an acorn, diameter 0.70 inch

• Uranus-a peanut or coffee bean, diameter 0.30 inch

• Neptune-a second peanut or coffee bean

• Pluto- a third pinhead (or smaller, since Pluto is the smallest planet)

This peppercorn is the Earth we live on.

• The Earth is eight thousand miles wide! The peppercorn is eight hundredths of an inch wide. What about the Sun? It is eight hundred thousand miles wide. The ball representing it is eight inches wide. So, one inch in the model represents a hundred thousand miles in reality.

• This means that one yard (36 inches) represents 3,600,000 miles. Take a pace: this distance across the floor is an enormous space-journey called "three million six hundred thousand miles."  Now, what is the distance between the Earth and the Sun? It is 93 million miles.

  • How would you use this information to find out how far away the earth would be in this model?  Divide 93,000,000 by 3,600,000.   In the model, this will be 26 yards.

Put the Sun ball down, and march away as follows. 

• 10 paces Mercury 

• Another 9 paces. Venus 

• Another 7 paces. Earth

• Another 14 paces. Mars

• Another 95 paces to Jupiter

• Another 112 paces. Saturn

• Another 249 paces. Uranus

• Another 281 paces. Neptune

• Another 242 paces. Pluto

You have marched more than half a mile! (The distance in the model adds up to 1,019 paces. A mile is 1,760 yards.)