Space in P6

1
Space in P6

• Background content to deal with the key questions
  as identified
• from the 5-14 Environmental Studies Document.

2
KU1 (D) Describe the internal structure of the
Earth.
The earth consists of 4 main parts
atmosphere
crust
mantle
core
For more on these subjects, click the picture.
3
KU 2 (D) What is the importance of water,
oxygen and air to life on earth?
Air contains the oxygen living things need for
life.
Liquid water is essential, to allow the chemical
processes in living things to happen.
Water vapour is essential to the working of the
water cycle, which supports land-based life.
For more on these subjects, click the highlighted
words.
4
KU1(C) What are the names of the planets in our
solar system?

• Mercury
• Venus
• Earth
• Mars
• Jupiter

• Saturn
• Uranus
• Neptune
• Pluto

For more on these subjects, click the pictures.
5
KU2(C) What order are the planets in, starting
from closest to the Sun?

• Mercury
• Venus
• Earth
• Mars
• Jupiter

• Saturn
• Uranus
• Neptune
• Pluto

For more on these subjects, click the pictures.
6
KU2(C) What is an orbit?

• An orbit is the path
• that a satellite, natural
• or man-made, takes
• around its parent star
• or planet.

The Moon is Earths only natural satellite.
Orbits are important when considering space
travel.
For more on these subjects, click the pictures.
7
KU2(D) How does gravity affect a planetary
orbit?
Imagine an elastic bolas. The greater mass the
balls on the end have, the longer the elastic
will stretch.
By the same token, the faster the balls are
travelling the longer the elastic will stretch.
This is a good model for they way the planets in
our solar system have arranged themselves, with
the tension in the elastic the analogy for force
of gravity.
8
KU2(D)How does the mass of a planet affect the
force of gravity it exerts?
The greater an objects mass, the greater the
gravitational force between it and another object.
Jupiter is so big that earth would fit inside its
red spot.
On Jupiter the gravitational forces would crush
us to death.
9
KU2(C) How is the temperature of a planet
affected by its distance from the sun and by its
atmosphere?
If we want to stay warm, or stay cool, we can
control this in two ways
How far we are from the heat sourceand
How much we are insulated from the heat source
The effect of distance is obvious, but an
atmosphere acts like an insulating blanket.
For more on this subject, click the hyperlink
above
10
KU2(C) How is the temperature of a planet
affected by its distance from the sun and by its
atmosphere?
The further a planet is from the sun, the colder
it will be.
Any atmosphere around a planet, will help
insulate it from the heat of the Sun. As a result
, the planet will not heat up as much during
daylight. By the same token, it will not cool
down so much at night.
A planet with an atmosphere will have less
extreme changes in temperature between day and
night, i.e. light and dark sides.
A planets atmosphere also protects the surface
from harmful radiations from space.
11
KU2(D) How has the evidence of our Solar System
been collected?
Telescopes
Space Probes
Manned Missions
For more on these subjects, click the pictures.
12
KU2(D) What does the future hold for space
exploration?
International Space Station
Return to the moon
Mission to Mars
Living in Space
For more on these subjects, click the pictures.
13
KU2(D) What are the issues concerning space
exploration?
The major goals of space exploration are the

• Increase knowledge of nature's processes
• using the space environment.

• Explore the solar system.

• Achieve routine space travel.

• Enrich life on Earth through people
• living and working in space.

For more on this subject, click the picture.

• Provide new resources and environments to sustain
• life, and reduce the load on our own struggling
  planet.

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The End!