Solar System
Contents
Key Stage 2
Meaning
A Solar System is a group of planets orbitting a star.
About Solar Systems
- There are many Solar Systems in our galaxy but our Solar System is called The Solar System.
- Some Solar Systems have more than one Star.
Key Stage 3
Meaning
A Solar System is a group of planets orbitting a star.
About Solar Systems
- There are many Solar Systems in our galaxy but our Solar System is called The Solar System.
- Some Solar Systems have more than one Star.
Key Stage 4
Meaning
A Solar System is a group of planets orbitting a star.
About Solar Systems
- There are many Solar Systems in our galaxy but our Solar System is called The Solar System.
- Some Solar Systems have more than one Star.
- The planets around a star which is not the Sun are called exoplanets.
Formation of Solar Systems
- A large cloud of gas] and dust called a nebula collapses due to gravity to form a protostar.
- Some of the leftover gas and dust forms a spinning disk held in orbit around the newly formed star by gravity.
- The stars radiation causes the gas to spread further away from the centre of the disk leaving behind the dust.
- Gravity between the particles of dust causes them to clump together to form asteroids.
- Over millions of years gravity causes the asteroids to collide to form bigger and bigger asteroids until they are so large that they have enough gravity to pull their matter in to a spherical shape and become dwarf planets.
- Eventually the dwarf planets may sweep enough material out of their orbital path that they are considered planets.
- The planets closest to the star collect very little gas and become rocky planets.
- The planets furthest from the star collect a large amount of gas and become gas giants.
References
AQA
- Solar system, page 101, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Solar system, page 249, GCSE Physics, Hodder, AQA
- Solar system, page 320, GCSE Physics; The Complete 9-1 Course for AQA, CGP, AQA
- Solar system, pages 232-233, 235, GCSE Physics; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
- Solar system, pages 275-8, 292, GCSE Physics; Student Book, Collins, AQA
- Solar system; early ideas of, pages 258-9, GCSE Physics, Hodder, AQA
Edexcel
- Solar system, pages 118-119, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
- Solar system, pages 183-185, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
- Solar system, pages 59, 60, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel