STUDY GUIDE
SCIENCE 101
ORIGIN OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
 
At the end of this section you need to be able to address the following:
  1. Explain how, according to the nebular hypothesis, a nebula can give rise to a solar system.  What is a nebula?  a solar system?
  2. What is a super nova event?  Explain, step-by-step, how a super nova event may have given rise to our solar system.
  3. Explain the terms accretion and planetesimals.  What causes accretion?  Is it still occurring on earth?  Explain.
  4. Give a scientific explanation for the similarities in composition of the four inner terrestrial planets.  Why do the more distant planets not have this same composition?
  5. The text describes lakes of liquid methane on Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons.  Methane is normally a gas on Earth.  Why the difference?  If we found methane on Pluto, what state would it likely be in?  Why?
  6. How did the great bombardment contribute to the formation of earth, both physically and in terms of energy?
  7. How long after the big bang did the Earth likely form?  How long has the Earth existed?
  8. What was the iron catastrophe?  What caused the iron catastrophe?  What effect(s) did it have on the structure of earth?
  9. Name the most common elements found in Earth's core, mantle, and crust.  Which part is most dense?  least dense?
  10. The temperature of the Earth's core is well above the melting point of iron, yet the core is solid.  Explain why.
  11. What causes the Earth's magnetic field? How does the sun affect the symmetry of the magnetic field?
  12. Why is the magnetic field of importance to life on earth?
  13. What is the difference between mass and weight?
  14. Explain two theories of the origin of the Earth's moon.  Which is more likely to be true?  Why?
  15. If we discovered new elements on the moon that are not present on Earth, how would this affect the various theories on the moon's origin?
  16. How is Earth's atmosphere different from when the planet first formed?  What caused these differences?
  17. It is unlikely that life could exist before the end of the great bombardment.  Explain why.
  18. What are the two sources of energy for earth?
  19. Be able to solve mathematical problems about cosmology using your knowledge of the relationships between mass, volume, and density.