Scale Model of the Solar System Name:

SOL G.14: The student will use proportional reasoning Name:

to solve practical problems.

INTRODUCTION

Our concept of the solar system has changed greatly throughout history. From the early Greek’s geocentric models to Kepler’s Platonic Model, to a child’s toy, accuracy has been a challenge.

Kepler’s Platonic Model / Geocentric Model / Junior Solar System Mobile Kit
[ aka: a mathematical disaster ]Junior Solar System Mobile KitJunior Solar System Mobile Kit

Guinness World Records Limited has listed Richmond’s Grand Kugel, as world’s largest kugel by both diameter and weight. Located at the Science Museum of Virginia,

the earth globe is a single piece of South African black granite polished into a sphere that is 29-tons and 2.653 m (8 feet 8 inches) in diameter.

THE TASK

Determine the exact diameters and possible locations of the sun and planets that would match the scale of the Grand Kugel. Find a graphic to represent each celestial body in your presentation. Use any digital presentation method to show your solution (Google Earth, PowerPoint, Prezzi, etc.)

THE PROCESS

1.  Use the given web resources to find the actual diameters and distances (to the sun) of the nine planets and sun.

2.  Use the following procedure to “scale-down” the measurements found in step 1.

· 

· 

3.  Fill in the charts below.

Actual Diameter / Scaled Diameter / Actual Distance to Sun / Scaled Distance to Sun
Sun / 0 / 0
Mercury
Venus
Earth / 8 feet 8 inches
Mar
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto

4.  Determine the exact locations (city and state) where you would place the sun and other eight planets based on the size and location of The Grand Kugel. (fill in the chart below)

location / city / state
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Earth / Richmond / VA
Mar
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto

5.  Save pictures of the sun and nine planets onto your computer. Paste each picture into Google Earth at the locations you choose.

6.  Create a sight-seeing tour on Google Earth and save your file. Turn this file in as your final project.


RESOURCES

·  Conversions: http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/ucg/index.html

·  Unit Conversions - Metric System: http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/58340.html

·  Choosing appropriate units: http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/64222.html

·  Views of the Solar System: http://www.solarviews.com/eng/homepage.htm

·  The Nine Planets – A Multimedia Tour of the Solar System: http://www.nineplanets.org/

·  Solar System Simulator: http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/

·  Solar System Exploration: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm

·  Powers of Ten: http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/

EVALUATION

Topic of Evaluation / # of items / Points per item / Total Points
Actual Measurements / 19 / 1 / 19
Scaled Measurements / 18 / 1 / 18
Appropriate Units of Scaled Measurements / 18 / 0.5 / 9
Locations
Correct location = 2 pts
Incorrect location = 1 pt.
Incomplete location = 0 pts. / 9 / 2 / 18
Presentation File
(no partial credit) / 1 / 26 / 26
Pictures included in the presentation / 10 / 1 / 10
Total Points / 100

CONCLUSION

Size and distance is relative. Something seems big only when compared to something smaller. Is the Earth big? Is Pluto far away? How far is it to the nearest star? Could we possibly travel to that star? If so, how long would it take? These sound like the questions of a child, yet they are that very topics NASA currently is struggling with.

I would pose one last question: If you wanted to hang an accurate mobile of the solar system in your classroom, how large (diameter) would you make the sun?