Sizes and distances in the solar system, using a scale

Answer Key - Grade 6 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Table (NASA Planetary Fact Sheet), with columns Planet and Millions of km, average distance from the Sun in millions of km: Jupiter 778.5; Saturn 1,432.0; Uranus 2,867.0; Neptune 4,515.0.

2. 1.

   Esme carries the Saturn model down the hallway, where each centimeter stands for 10 million km. How many centimeters from the Sun model, to the nearest whole centimeter?

   143 cm
3. 2.

   Uranus is next on Jun's hallway model, still at 10 million km per centimeter. How many centimeters from the Sun model, to the nearest whole centimeter?

   287 cm
4. 3.

   Sun 1,391,400; Jupiter 142,984. Luz wants to know how the biggest planet measures up to the Sun. About how many times as wide as Jupiter is the Sun, to the nearest whole number?

   10
5. 4.

   Jupiter 142,984; Mars 6,792. On Milo's poster, Mars looks like a marble beside Jupiter. About how many times as wide as Mars is Jupiter, to the nearest whole number?

   21

6. Scale cards

   1 cm stands for 1,000 km; 1 cm stands for 1 million km; 1 cm stands for 5 million km; 1 cm stands for 10 million km.

7. 5.

   Noah wants a model from the Sun to Neptune that fits in a 5-meter hallway. Neptune is 4,515.0 million km out. Which scale works?

   • 1 cm stands for 10 million km
   • 1 cm stands for 1 million km
   • 1 cm stands for 1,000 km
   • 1 cm stands for 5 million km

8. Scale cards

   1 cm stands for 0.5 million km; 1 cm stands for 1 million km; 1 cm stands for 2 million km; 1 cm stands for 3 million km.

9. 6.

   Pia has a 1-meter poster for the Sun and the planets out to Mars, which is 228.0 million km away. Which scale fits Mars on the poster?

   • 1 cm stands for 3 million km
   • 1 cm stands for 0.5 million km
   • 1 cm stands for 2 million km
   • 1 cm stands for 1 million km
10. 7.

    At 10 million km per centimeter, Neptune sits about 452 cm down the hallway. Ren switches to 20 million km per centimeter. What happens to the model?

    • Every distance becomes half as long
    • Every distance becomes twice as long
    • Nothing changes, since only the label changed
    • Just Neptune moves; the rest stay put

11. Use this

    Table (NASA Planetary Fact Sheet), with columns Planet and Millions of km, average distance from the Sun in millions of km: Earth 149.6; Jupiter 778.5; Saturn 1,432.0. Note: 1 AU = 149.6 million km.

12. 8.

    Astronomers measure in AU: 1 AU is Earth's distance, 149.6 million km. Saturn is 1,432.0 million km out. About how many AU is that, by Tala's math?

    • About 9.6 AU
    • About 1,432 AU
    • About 6 AU, one step past Jupiter
    • About 0.1 AU
13. 9.

    no scale given. A textbook drawing shows all eight planets in a neat row with equal spaces. What should Zee say about it?

    • It is to scale, so the gaps are real
    • It should show Saturn bigger than Jupiter
    • The planets really are about evenly spaced
    • It fits the page but hides how far apart the outer planets are

14. Use this

    Table (NASA Planetary Fact Sheet), with columns Planet and Millions of km, average distance from the Sun in millions of km: Mercury 57.9; Venus 108.2; Earth 149.6; Mars 228.0; Jupiter 778.5; Saturn 1,432.0; Uranus 2,867.0; Neptune 4,515.0.

15. 10.

    Ari subtracts neighbor distances in the NASA table. Which pair of neighboring planets has the biggest gap?

    • Mars and Jupiter, about 550 million km apart in the table
    • Uranus and Neptune, about 1,648 million km apart
    • Each neighboring gap is about equal
    • Mercury and Venus, close to the Sun