JC Science - earth and space

The Universe

All of space and everything in it

the Universe includes:

-Stars
-Planets
-Satellites
-Moons
-Asteroids
-Comets

Star

-A big ball of gas that gives off light + heat
-Hot star: blue
-Cool star: red

SUn

-A star
-Our closest star which is why it looks different
-Yellow star

Sun temperature

Surface: 5500
Inside: 15,000,000

Galaxy

A collection of millions of stars

Solar systems

A solar system is made up of a star + all the objects that orbit around it

Planets

A large round space object that circles a star in an orbit

Atmosphere

Layer of gas around a planet

Dwarf planet

A round space object that circles a star but has not cleared its own orbit

Satellite

An object that orbits a larger object or planet

Moon

A naturally occurring satellite

Man made satellite

Made by humans

Comet

-Huge balls composed of frozen gases, ice, rock + dust
-Glows + produces a tail when the icy layer burns
-Orbits the sun

Asteroids

-Small rocky object that orbits the sun
-Found in the Asteroid Belt between Mars + Jupiter

Meteor

A piece of burning rocky space debris entering the earths atmosphere

Meteorite

Meteors that successfully pass through earths atmosphere + collide with earth

Gravity

-A force that pulls objects towards each other
-The bigger the object, the bigger the gravitational pull

Gravitational force

When scientists compare gravity of different planets, they refer to the force of gravity on the surface of the planet

Big Bang Theory

It suggests the universe began with an explosion that allowed all of the universes known matter + energy + space + time to form

Big bang theory diagram

Planet rhyme

My
Very
Educated
Mother
Just
Served
Us
Nandos

Mercury

-Smallest planet
-No atmosphere
-Lots of craters

Venus

-Very bright + cloudy
-No life can exist
-No moons

Earth

-Only planet with life
-Has atmosphere
-15C

Mars

-Iron oxide making it red
-No surface water
-2 moons

Jupiter

-Red spot which is a storm
-79 moons

Saturn

-53 moons
-Yellow from Ammonia
-Rings

Uranus

-2nd coldest planet
-27 moons

Neptune

-Furthest away from the sun
-3rd largest planet

Rocky planets

-Mercury
-Venus
-Earth
-Mars

Gaseous planets

-Jupiter
-Saturn
-Uranus
-Neptune

Hottest planet

Venus

Coldest planet

Neptune

Planets in the solar system

-Mercury
-Venus
-Earth
-Mars
-Jupiter
-Saturn
-Uranus
-Neptune

Terrestrial planets

-Mercury
-Venus
-Earth
-Mars

Gaseous planets

-Jupiter
-Saturn
-Uranus
-Neptune

Compare

To give an account of the similarities and differences between two or more items

Mass

How much matter is in an object

Acceleration due to gravity on earth

10 m/s^2

How do we compare space objects

-Mass
-Size
-Composition
-Gravity

Comparing mass of planets

To compare the mass of planets we use relative mass

Relative mass

The mass of one object compared to the other

Relative mass equation

Mass of planet / mass of earth

Planet has relative mass less than 1.0

Its mass is less than earth

Planet has relative mass more than 1.0

Its mass is more than earth

Planets in order of diameter small to big

-Mercury
-Mars
-Venus
-Earth
-Neptune
-Uranus
-Saturn
-Jupiter

Planets in order of mass small to big

-Mercury
-Mars
-Venus
-Saturn
-Earth
-Jupiter
-Uranus
-Neptune

Why are the 4 outer planets less dense

They're gaseous planets so the molecules that make up gas are very far apart therefore they're less dense

Comparing size

We use relative radius

Relative radius equation

Radius of an object / radius of earth

Composition

What an object is made of

Comparing composition: Earth

-Rock
-Thin atmosphere

Comparing composition: Mercury

-Rock
-Thin atmosphere

Comparing composition: Venus

-Rock
-Thin atmosphere

Comparing composition: Mars

-Rock
-Thin atmosphere

Comparing composition: Jupiter

Gas

Comparing composition: Saturn

Gas

Comparing composition: Uranus

Gas

Comparing composition: Neptune

Gas

Comparing gravity

Compared using relative surface gravity

Relative surface gravity

The surface gravity of one object compared to another

Relative surface gravity equation

Surface gravity of space object / surface gravity of earth

Gravity

Force generated by all objects that have mass

Weight

Force of gravity acting on an object

Weight equation

mass x gravity

Force equation

mass x acceleration

Other comparisons

-Distance from sun
-Rotation period
-Orbit period
-Maximum surface temperature
-Number of moons

Sun

The star at the centre of our solar system

Earth

One of the 8 planets in our solar system

Moon

Natural satellite that orbits the earth

Phenomenon

Any event that can be observed happening

Day + night

-Caused by the rotation of earth around its own axis
-The half facing the sun experiences daylight
-The half facing away experiences night

Amount of daylight depends on

Latitude + time of year

Diagram of day + night

How long does it take for earth to rotate on its own axis

24 hours

Latitude of Dublin

53.3 North

Day with the most sunlight

21st June

How long does it take for the earth to revolve around the sun?

365 1/4 days

Rotate

Spins on its own axis

Latitude

A measure of distance north or south of the equator

Revolve

Something moving around something else

4 seasons

-Spring
-Summer
-Autumn
-Winter

How long do each season last

3 months

What are seasons called near the equator

Wet season + dry season

How many weeks are in a year?

52 weeks

Seasons diagram

Summer

The side of the earth that is experiencing summer is tilted towards the sun

Winter

The side of the earth that is experiencing winter is tilted away from the sun

8 phases of the moon

1. New Moon
2. Waxing Crescent
3. First Quarter
4. Waxing Gibbous
5. Full Moon
6. Waning Gibbous
7. Third Quarter
8. Waning Crescent

Phases of the moon

-The moon doesn't generate its own light, it reflects the light of the sun
-How much of the earth is illuminated depends on where the moon is in relation to the earth

Lunar cycle

-It takes 29.5 days for the moon to go around the earth once
-The moon is illuminated by the sun

Phases of the moon diagram

Solar eclipse

-Occurs when the moon blocks out the light of the sun
-It occurs during a new moon
-They are very quick + short because the moon is much smaller than the sun

Solar eclipse diagram

Umbra

Total solar eclipse

Penumbra

Partial solar eclipse

Lunar eclipse

-Occurs when the earth casts a shadow on the surface of the moon
-They are more common as more people see them
-Occurs during a full moon

Lunar eclipse diagram

How long between each high tide

12 hours 25 minutes between consecutive high tides