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Homework answers / question archive / A comparison of the science of Earth as compared with the other planets in our solar system

A comparison of the science of Earth as compared with the other planets in our solar system

Physics

A comparison of the science of Earth as compared with the other planets in our solar system.

a. Much is known about planet Earth, as it is our home planet. It is therefore an ideal planet for comparative planetology. Briefly describe the properties of our planet and explain them. Include the qualities of the earth's interior, and how we learn about it, as well as a description of properties that shape and change the earth's surface (i.e. impact cratering, volcanism, tectonics, erosion).

b. Then, examine each planet in our solar system. How does it compare to Earth? What are its unique characteristics? Why do these features exist on that planet, as opposed to Earth?

you can use popular astronomy magazines and reputable Web sites. Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Web sites (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ and http://www.nasa.gov/), will assist you in finding the latest information on planets.

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Briefly describe the properties of our planet and explain them. Include the qualities of the earth’s interior, and how we learn about it, as well as a description of properties that shape and change the earth’s surface (i.e. impact cratering, volcanism, tectonics, erosion).

According to geologists, the earth is made up of four layers: the inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust. The inner core is approximately 800 miles thick; the outer core, about 1,400 miles; the mantle, approximately 1,800 miles; and the crust is estimated to be between five and twenty-five miles thick. Considering the impossibility of direct studies to be conducted on the interior of the earth, geologists rely on “chemical analysis of meteorites” (Dutch, 2004) and the study of waves created by earthquakes throughout the planet. Seismographs, instruments used to study earthquake vibrations, assist geologists in determining the makeup of the Earth’s interior by measuring the “speed and motion of vibrations traveling through the Earth” (Dutch, 2004).

(This will help to get you started. If you go to the NASA site provided in the assignment, click on the ‘Skip to NASA homepage’ link, click on the ‘for Students’ link on the left of the next screen, click on the ‘Post-Secondary’ link on the left side of the screen, and then type ‘Earth’ into the search box at the top right of the screen, it will bring up several links that offer information on Earth. The first two ‘results’ links – World Book and The Planet Earth – offer great information on the interior composition of the Earth and how geologists have determined this information. The ‘World Book’ site also provides an abundance of information about the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and many other aspects of the Earth’s qualities. The above information came from about the middle section of the World Book link. Not far below that, under the titles of ‘Subduction’, ‘Mountain building’, ‘Terrane collisions’, ‘Earthquakes’, and ‘The shaping of the continents’, it talks about tectonic plates, how earthquakes happen, and the effects on the structure of the surface.) (Another site, http://space.com/, contains links for all the planets at the bottom of the main screen. By clicking on the ‘Earth’ link at the bottom, you will be provided with many links for Science Stories. Open the story “New Insight into Earth’s Early Bombardment” to find details of how meteorites created an impact on the formation of the Earth’s surface.) (Finally, the http://www.solarviews.com/eng/homepage.htm site offers a wealth of information about volcanoes, the tectonic plates, and the meteorites that have all played a part in the formation of the Earth.)

Then, examine each planet in our solar system. How does it compare to Earth? What are its unique characteristics? Why do these features exist on that planet, as opposed to Earth?

Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, is similar to Earth in the fact that it is a terrestrial planet, but the “lack of a significant atmosphere allows temperatures to fluctuate from 750 degrees Fahrenheit during the day to minus 320 Fahrenheit at night” (Mercury Data Sheet, 1999). The atmosphere of Mercury is very thin and scientists believe it is made up of helium gas. The gravitational pull of Mercury is estimated to be just shy of half of Earth’s gravity. From information gathered by Mariner 10, a spacecraft that was sent to study Mercury during the mid-1970s, Mercury appears to be much like Earth’s moon in that it shows to be crater-ridden by impacts from space rocks. Mercury’s rotation takes about 58.6 Earth days and its revolution around the sun encompasses approximately 88 Earth days. In comparison with the Earth, Mercury’s mass is about 5.5 percent the mass of Earth; the diameter is about 38 percent of Earth’s diameter; and it is located at approximately 47 percent of the distance between the Sun and Earth (Mercury Data Sheet, 1999).

(This will start you off with a comparison between the other planets and Earth. The website, www.space.com, contains data sheets on each of the planets that show direct comparisons to the Earth in mass, diameter, and location to the Sun. Also provided in that site is information about the composition of each planet, the atmosphere, gravitational pull, etc. The www.solarviews.com site also offers an abundance of information on these aspects of the planets. For the most part, the NASA website provides a World Book link to a substantial amount of information on each planet.)

please see the attached file.