CHAPTER 6

The Solar
System

What makes the planets

move around the Sun?

292

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 Lesson 1
The Sun

PAGE 296
Lesson 2
The Structure of the
Solar System

PAGE 306
Lesson 3
Gravity and Orbit

PAGE 316
5 ES 5. The solar system consists of planets and other
bodies that orbit the Sun in predictable paths.

293

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 Literature
POEM

ELA R 5.3.7.
Evaluate the
author’s use of
various techniques (e.g.,
appeal of characters in
a picture book, logic and
credibility of plots and
settings, use of figurative
language) to influence
readers’ perspectives.
ELA W 5.2.1. Write
narratives:
a. Establish a plot, point
of view, setting, and
conflict.
b. Show, rather than tell,
the events of the story.

P5_CAUBC06_LIT_284379_F.indd 294 12/30/05 6:05:54 PM

 SCIENCE VERSE

It s in our solar system though.

I’m thinking that it might be Mars,
Because it has that reddish glow.

But you know it could be Venus.

And if that’s true, then just between us,
It might be wise to leave before
Any locals might have seen us.

Could be Pluto. Might be Neptune.

Don’t they both have more than one moon?
I’m running out of oxygen.
I’d better figure this out soon.

Yes space is lovely, dark and deep.

For one mistake I now do weep:
In science class I was asleep.
In science class I was asleep . . .

Write About It
Response to Literature The space
traveler in this poem cannot tell
where he or she is. Write a fictional
narrative as if you were the space
traveler in this poem and were
landing on this planet.

-Journal Write about it online

@ www.macmillanmh.com

295

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 Lesson 1

The Sun

On January 20, 2005, satellites that carried

cell phone and cable signals suddenly shut
down. They had been struck by a burst of
energy. Where did this energy come from?

5 ES 5.a. Students know the Sun, an average star, is the central and largest body
296 in the solar system and is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium.
ENGAGE

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 How do the sizes of Earth Materials
and the Sun compare?
Purpose
To study the size difference between Earth and the Sun.

Procedure
Use Numbers What proportion does the size of
Earth have to the size of the Sun?
Use Numbers What would the diameter of the • meter stick
Sun be if the diameter of Earth was 0.5 cm? • ruler
Make a Model Use appropriate tools to design • colored pencils
a model of earth and the Sun to this scale.
• clear tape
How many Earths would it take to cover the length
of the model Sun’s diameter? Step
Diameter

Draw Conclusions The Sun 1,390,000 kilometers

Communicate Explain why this model does, Earth 12,760 kilometers

or does not, show an accurate comparison

Step
between the diameters of the Sun and Earth.

Explore More
How does the Moon’s diameter compare with
that of Earth? Do research to answer this
question and make a model to represent the
difference in their sizes.

5 IE 6.f. Select appropriate tools (e.g., thermometers,

meter sticks, balances, and graduated cylinders) and
make quantitative observations.

297
EXPLORE

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 ▶ Main Idea 5 ES 5.a
The Sun is a star made
of hydrogen and helium.
The Sun is located at the
center of the solar system
and is also its largest
object.

▶ Vocabulary
star , p. 299
astronomical unit , p. 299
fusion , p. 302 Sun

-Glossary
@ www.macmillanmh.com

▶ Reading Skill
Draw Conclusions

BSfb1ZcSa 1]\QZcaW]\a

Earth

Earth and the Sun are shown here on a

scale of 1 centimeter = 50,000 kilometers.
At this size, Earth and the Sun are 2,992
centimeters (about 98 feet) apart.

298
EXPLAIN

P5_CAUBC06_L1_284379.F.indd 298 1/5/06 3:17:58 PM

 What is the Sun? Finding the Sun’s Mass
The Sun is a star. A star is an It is impossible to measure the
object that produces its own energy, weight of the Sun. After all, the Sun
including heat and light. The planets cannot be put on a scale.
and the other objects in the solar However, you can measure the mass
system are not stars because they do of the Sun, or the amount of matter
not produce their own light. in it. The mass of the Sun can be
The stars that produce the most calculated if you know two facts. The
energy make about ten million times first fact is the length of time it takes
more energy than the Sun. The for a planet to make one trip around
least-productive stars make only the Sun (for Earth, that is 365.24
one-hundreth as much energy as days). The second is the distance
the Sun. between the planet and the Sun (for
The Sun is an average-sized star and Earth, that is 149,591,000 kilometers).
the largest object in the solar system. Using this information, scientists
The Sun’s diameter is about 1,390,000 have calculated the Sun’s mass to be
kilometers (863,706 miles). If the Sun 2 million trillion trillion kilograms.
were a hollow ball, more than a million That’s 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,
Earths could fit inside it. The Sun 000,000,000,000 kilograms! This is
looks larger than the other stars that 745 times greater than the mass of all
can be seen in the night sky because it the other objects in the solar system
is much closer to Earth. put together. As a matter of fact, the
The mean, or average, distance mass of the Sun makes up 99.8% of all
between the Sun and Earth is the mass in the solar system.
149,591,000 kilometers (92,960,000
miles). This number is known as one Quick Check
astronomical (as•truh•NAH•mi•kulh) Draw Conclusions Why are the
unit (AU). The closest stars to the solar planets not stars?
system are found in the Alpha Centauri
star system. They are about 271,931 Critical Thinking Why are
AUs away. astronomical units used to measure
distances rather than kilometers?

299
EXPLAIN

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 What are the parts In the convection layer, gases with
different energies move in circles in
of the Sun? a way similar to air with different
The Sun is a huge sphere made densities. Energy moves out of this
up mostly of two very light gases, layer in about a week.
hydrogen and helium. About 71% of The photosphere is the visible surface
the Sun’s mass is made up of hydrogen. of the Sun. It is not a solid surface, but
Another 27% is made up of helium. rather a layer of gases. The photosphere
Other materials, such as oxygen and is cooler than the core. Its temperature
carbon, make up the remaining 2% is about 5,730°C (10,346°F).
of the Sun’s mass.
The next layer of the Sun is the
Most of the energy that the Sun chromosphere, or the inner layer of
produces is formed in its core. At its the Sun’s atmosphere. When it can be
core, the Sun has a temperature of 10 seen, it looks like a red circle around
million to 20 million degrees Celsius. the Sun.
The pressure is more than 1 billion
The corona is the outermost layer
times greater than the air pressure at
of the Sun’s atmosphere. The corona
sea level on Earth.
takes on different shapes around the
The radiation layer, which is next to Sun depending on changes in the
the core, moves the energy produced in temperature of the photosphere.
the core in every direction. It can take
millions of years for energy to move
out of this layer.
photosphere

corona

chromosphere core

radiation layer

convection
layer

300
EXPLAIN

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 Solar Flares
Solar flares are bursts of heat
and energy that stretch out from The Parts of the Sun
the corona and chromosphere into
Make a Model Use modeling clay
space. Sometimes this energy disrupts
to make a model of the Sun that
satellites, interfering with TV, radio, includes all of the layers.
and cell phone communication systems.
Energy from solar flares also causes
displays of different-colored lights in
the upper atmosphere. These lights are
called the aurora borealis (uh•RAW•uh
bawr•ee•AL•is), or northern lights. The
northern lights are most often seen
in Alaska, Canada, and the northern Be careful. Using a plastic
United States. They are only seen in knife, cut away a quarter of your
the southern United States when the Sun so you can see into it.
Sun releases large amounts of energy. Add sunspots and solar flares
Solar flares are also sometimes to the surface of your Sun.
associated with sunspots. Sunspots, Communicate Write a description
or dark spots on the Sun, are regions of your Sun. Include a color key
to identify the layers.
of the photosphere that have a lower
temperature than the surrounding
regions.

Quick Check
Draw Conclusions Why does it
take millions of years for energy that
moves in every direction to leave the
radiation layer?
solar flare Critical Thinking Which three
layers of the Sun can be seen?

Reading Diagrams

What is the layer of the Sun between the

sunspot
core and the convection layer called?
Clue: Find the labels on the diagram for the
core and for the convection layer, and look
for the name of the layer between them.

301
EXPLAIN

P5_CAUBC06_L1_284379.F.indd 301 1/8/06 12:13:19 PM

 How does the Sun mass. However, inside of the Sun
hydrogen particles smash together
produce energy? to make helium. This smashing
More than 100 years ago, Albert together of particles is called fusion
Einstein discovered a relationship (fyew•zhuhn) . A little bit of mass is lost
between energy and mass. He expressed when hydrogen particles combine to
the discovery in what has become one make helium. According to Einstein’s
of the most famous equations in science: equation, that little bit of mass is
changed into energy. We see this energy
E = mc2 as light and heat, as well as other kinds
of energy that cannot be seen.
The E stands for energy. The m
stands for mass. The c represents Quick Check
the speed of light. The little 2 over
the c means that the speed of light is Draw Conclusions What happens
squared, or multiplied by itself. This when hydrogen particles collide?
equation tells us that a little bit of mass Critical Thinking What would
can be changed into a lot of energy. happen if all of the hydrogen in the
As you learned earlier in this Sun turned into helium?
lesson, the Sun is mostly made up of
hydrogen. Hydrogen has very little

Fusion

2 3

1 Particles of hydrogen move

throughout the Sun.
Reading Diagrams
2 Two particles of hydrogen collide.
What happens to hydrogen particles
in the Sun during fusion?
3 One particle of helium is formed and
energy is released. Clue: Starting on the left, follow what
happens to the hydrogen particles.

302
EXPLAIN

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 Summarize the Main Idea Think, Talk, and Write
The Sun is a star and Main Idea What is the largest object
the largest object in the solar system?
in the solar system.
(pp. 298–299) Vocabulary An object in the solar
system that produces heat and light is
a .

The Sun produces Draw Conclusions What causes

energy when hydrogen energy to be released inside the Sun?
combines to form
BSfb1ZcSa 1]\QZcaW]\a
helium and energy.
(pp. 300–302)

Critical Thinking How would Earth be

Make a
affected if the Sun stopped producing
Study Guide energy?
Make a two-tab book
(see p. 479). Use the Test Practice All of the following are
titles shown. On the part of the solar system EXCEPT
inside of each tab, A the Sun.
draw conclusions B Earth.
about the title. C the Moon.
D the stars.

Test Practice The Sun is made up of

all of the following materials EXCEPT
A hydrogen.
B helium.
C carbon.
D steam.

Writing Link Math Link

Descriptive Writing Earth’s Mass
Using what you have learned in this The Sun’s mass is roughly 330,000
lesson, write about the Sun. Discuss times Earth’s mass. If you made a
the layers of the Sun, fusion, and the model of the Sun with a mass that was
Sun’s size and mass. 1,000 kilograms, what would be the
mass of Earth in grams?

-Review Summaries and quizzes online @ www.macmillanmh.com

303
EVALUATE

P5_CAUBC06_L1_284379.F.indd 303 1/5/06 3:18:21 PM

 Draw Conclusions
Scientists began recording
data about sunspots in 1749.
After they collected years of
data, scientists concluded
that the number of sunspots
increases and decreases
during an 11-year cycle. From
the beginning of the cycle,
the number of sunspots tends
to increase over a period of
about five years to a maximum
number. Over the next six
years, the number of sunspots
decreases to a minimum
number. A new cycle begins ▲ Scientists collect data about the number of
when the number of sunspots sunspots that occur on the Sun.
increases.

Learn It Sunspots from

1750 to 1761
When you draw conclusions, you look at
Year Sunspots
all the facts and decide what can be based
on those facts. Be careful not to “jump to 1750 1,001
conclusions,” or to draw conclusions that are 1751 572
not supported by the data. 1752 574
Look at the chart. It lists the number of 1753 368
sunspots recorded each year beginning in 1750. 1754 147
When scientists looked at the first two years
1755 115
of data, they could have concluded that the
number of sunspots always decreased. However, 1756 122

in 1752, the number of sunspots increased. 1757 389

This means that their conclusion was no longer 1758 671
supported by the data. They needed to collect
1759 648
more data and draw a new conclusion.
1760 754
When you gather data, it is important to
1761 1,030
record it. Having a record of your data gives
Source: National Aeronautics and
you the information that you need to be able to Space Administration
draw conclusions.

5 IE 6.h. Draw conclusions from scientific evidence and indicate whether further
304
information is needed to support a specific conclusion.
EXTEND

P5_CAUBC06_L1_ISB_284379_F.indd 304 1/7/06 2:28:16 PM

 Try It
Use the chart of sunspots from 1750 to 1761 to draw conclusions
as you answer the following questions.
▶ In which year would you conclude that this cycle began? Why?

▶ If you were a scientist studying sunspots, in which years did you

observe changes in the number of sunspots that might make
you question the existence of a cycle? Why?

▶ If you only had ten years of data, but you hypothesized that the
sunspot cycle was longer than ten years, what would you have
to do before you could draw a conclusion?

Apply It
Sunspots from
This chart shows data about sunspots 1993 to 2004
and solar flares from 1993 to 2004. Use it to
Year Sunspots Solar flares
draw conclusions as you answer the following
questions. 1993 657 2,541

1994 359 1,066

▶ In which year do you conclude that an
11-year cycle began? How do you know? 1995 210 639

1996 103 280

▶ What can you conclude about the
1997 258 790
frequency of sunspots between 1993 and
2004 compared to between 1750 and 1761? 1998 769 2,423

1999 1,118 3,963

▶ What can you conclude about the expected
2000 1,433 4,474
sunspot activity in 2005 and 2006?
2001 1,331 3,597
▶ Scientists recently began recording data
2002 1,245 3,223
about the number of solar flares that occur
every year. Their hypothesis was that solar 2003 763 1,552

flares increase and decrease on the same 2004 486 728

cycle as sunspots. Would you conclude that Source: National Aeronautics and Space
the recorded data supports this hypothesis? Administration and the National Oceanic
Why? and Atmospheric Administration

▶ What could you do to provide additional

support for your conclusion that solar flares
increase and decrease on the same cycle
as sunspots?

305
EXTEND

P5_CAUBC06_L1_ISB_284379_F.indd 305 1/7/06 2:28:33 PM

 Lesson 2

The
Structure
of the
Solar System

As the Sun sets over Paranal Observatory in

Chile, you can see stars and planets in the sky.
The three brighter objects are Venus (center),
Mercury (below), and Saturn (left). How can
you tell how far away these planets are?

5 ES 5.b. Students know the solar system includes the planet Earth,
the Moon, the Sun, eight other planets and their satellites, and smaller
306 objects, such as asteroids and comets.
ENGAGE

P5_CAUBC06_L2_284379_F.indd 306 1/4/06 5:43:13 PM

 How far apart are the planets? Materials

Purpose
To learn about the distances between the planets
by making a model.

Procedure
Let the length of each paper towel equal 1
Astronomical Unit. Using the chart, lay out the
number of paper towels you need to show the • paper towels
distance from the Sun to Pluto. • markers
Make a Model Mark the location of the Sun • ruler
and each planet on the paper towels. Step
Distances of the Planets
Draw Conclusions from the Sun
Distance
Analyze Data Compare the distances between Planet
in A.U.
Mercury and Mars, Mars and Jupiter, and Jupiter Mercury .39
and Neptune. Which are farthest apart? Venus .7
Infer What can you conclude about the Earth 1
distances between the planets in the
Mars 1.5
solar system?
Jupiter 5.2

Explore More Saturn 9.5

Uranus 19.2
Your model has all of the planets in a line. Actually,
the planets move in circles around the Sun. What kind Neptune 30

of model would you make to show the positions of

the planets at a specific time? Write instructions that
others can follow to make the model. Step

5 IE 6.c. Plan and conduct a simple investigation based on

a student-developed question and write instructions others
can follow to carry out the procedure.

307
EXPLORE

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 Read and Learn What is the solar system?
The Sun is at the center of the solar system. The
▶ Main Idea 5 ES 5.b word solar means “of the Sun.” The solar system
The solar system is made is a system of objects of, or around, the Sun.
up of the Sun, the planets Besides the Sun, the objects in the solar system
and their moons, comets,
include the eight planets and their moons. From
asteroids, and meteoroids.
nearest to farthest from the Sun, the planets are
▶ Vocabulary Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
solar system , p. 308 Uranus, and Neptune.
telescope , p. 308 In 1610 Galileo Galilei used a telescope to
moon , p. 310 observe the planets and saw moons revolving
satellite , p. 310 around Jupiter. A telescope uses lenses to see
asteroid , p. 312 distant objects. Before Galileo’s discovery, people
comet , p. 312 thought that everything in the solar system
meteor , p. 312 revolved around Earth.
���
�� -Glossary Telescopes take pictures of and collect data
@ www.macmillanmh.com about objects in the solar system. Scientists
have launched some telescopes into space so
▶ Reading Skill they can gather data without interference from
Summarize Earth’s atmosphere. Other telescopes are built on
mountains to decrease atmospheric interference.
The solar system also contains several dwarf
planets. These include Pluto, once considered the
������� ninth planet, and the larger, more distant 2003
UB313 (named Eris). Ceres, the largest object in
the asteroid belt (located between the orbits of
Mars and Jupiter), is also a dwarf planet.
Space probes have examined all eight planets.
Only Earth’s Moon has been explored by
astronauts—people who travel in space.

Quick Check
Summarize How have telescopes improved
our knowledge of the solar system?
Critical Thinking How did Galileo’s
observation provide evidence against the
previous hypothesis?

◀ Galileo discovered Jupiter’s

moons using this telescope.
308
EXPLAIN

P5_CAUBC06_L2_284379_F.indd 308 11/2/06 5:29:06 PM

 The Solar System
Venus

Sun
Mars

Mercury

Jupiter

Earth

Uranus

Saturn

Planetary Data from NASA

Radius at Mean Surface
Planet Surface
the Equator Temperature Rings
Name Materials
(km) (°C)
Mercury 2,440 179 Rock No
Venus 6,052 482 Rock No
Earth 6,378 15 Rock No
Mars 3,397 -63 Rock No
Jupiter 71,492 -121 Gas Yes
Neptune
Saturn 60,268 -125 Gas Yes
Uranus 25,559 -193 Gas Yes
Neptune 24,746 -193 to -153 Gas Yes

Reading Charts

Which planets have gas as their only surface material?

Clue: Find Surface Materials column of the chart. 309
EXPLAIN

P5_CAUBC06_L2_284379_F.indd 309 11/2/06 5:40:00 PM

 Various Moons of the Solar System

Ganymede Moon Mimas Hyperion

(Jupiter) (Earth) (Saturn) (Saturn)

1 cm 1 cm
1,000 km 100 km
Reading Photos

How large are these moons?

Clue: Look at the scales.

What is a moon?
A moon is an object that circles Moons are also called satellites
around a planet. Different planets have (SAT•uh•lights) . A satellite is an object
different numbers and sizes of moons. in space that circles around another
Mercury and Venus do not have moons. object. The moons of the planets are
Earth has one moon, Mars has two, natural satellites. Man-made satellites
and Jupiter has at least 63 moons. circle around Earth. These provide
Saturn has 49 moons. Astronomers weather information and are part of
have discovered at least 27 moons communication systems.
around Uranus and 13 moons orbiting
Neptune. The dwarf planet Pluto has
at least three moons.
The sizes of the moons vary. Some
of the moons are very small. Seven
of the moons in the solar system are
actually bigger than Pluto! These
include Jupiter’s Ganymede, which is
the largest moon, and Earth’s Moon.

▶ Earth’s Moon is the only

moon that can be seen
without using a telescope.

310
EXPLAIN

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 Phobos Deimos
(Mars) (Mars) Moon Craters
Cover the floor with newspaper
and place a pan on the paper.
Make a Model Fill the pan with
about 1 inch of flour. Gently tap
pan until the flour layer is smooth.
Then sprinkle whole wheat flour
on top to represent topsoil.

1 cm
10 km

Forming Craters
When objects in space collide, the Measure the diameter of three
impact forms a crater, or a hole. The different-sized marbles.
surface of Earth’s Moon has millions
Drop the largest marble from
of these craters. The craters are easy about 3 inches straight above
to see because the impact knocks the the pan. Remove it carefully, then
surface material away so the darker measure the diameter and depth
rock underneath shows through. of the crater.

Most objects that fall toward Earth Drop the other marble over
burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. Since different spots from the same
height. Measure each crater and
the Moon has no atmosphere, the record the data.
objects that fall toward it do not burn
Are the craters bigger or smaller
up. As a result, the Moon has more
than the diameter of the marbles?
craters than Earth.
What do you see at the crater
Quick Check sites? Why did this happen?
How is your model similar to what
Summarize Describe Earth’s Moon. happens when an object hits the
surface of the Moon?
Critical Thinking What is the
difference between a moon and
a satellite?

311
EXPLAIN

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 Comets have tails of dust and gases.

What are the smaller Sun’s energy shapes it into shimmering

tails of dust and of gases that may
objects in the solar stretch out millions of kilometers into
system? space from the head of the comet.
An asteroid (AS•tuh•roid) is a rock Because the tails are produced by
that revolves around the Sun. Most energy from the Sun, they always blow
of the thousands of asteroids in the away from the Sun. Therefore, as a
solar system are located between comet moves around the Sun, the comet
Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt. head always stays closest to the Sun and
Many asteroids have irregular shapes, the tails trail out behind it.
somewhat like a potato. Some asteroids The solar system is full of other
are less than 1 mile wide, while others small objects. In space, these objects are
can be up to 500 miles wide! called meteoroids (MEE•tee•uh•roids).
A comet is a mixture of frozen The objects that cross paths with Earth
gases, ice, dust, and rock that moves and enter Earth’s atmosphere are called
in an irregular circle around the Sun. meteors (MEE•tee•uhrs).
When a comet is far from the Sun, it is
usually no more than a few kilometers Quick Check
in diameter. However, as it gets closer, Summarize What are asteroids,
energy from the Sun warms the surface comets, and meteors?
of the comet. This makes the ice melt.
Then a glowing ball of gases and dust, Critical Thinking Which small
which is called a coma, forms around objects in the solar system change
the comet. Once the comet forms, the names depending on where they are?

312
EXPLAIN

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 Lesson Review
Summarize the Main Idea Think, Talk, and Write
The Sun and eight 1 Main Idea What does the solar system
planets and their include?
moons make up the 2 Vocabulary The Sun, planets, and
solar system. moons are parts of the .
(pp. 308–309)
3 Summarize Draw the orbits of
the planets and describe how their
Many of the planets temperatures relate to the distances
have moons. the planets are from the Sun.
(p. 310–311)

�������

Asteroids, comets, and

meteors are smaller 4 Critical Thinking Many people believed
objects in the solar that Earth was at the center of the solar
system. (p. 312) system. Explain how Galileo showed that
this belief was wrong.
5 Test Practice What instrument does
a scientist use to observe the solar
Make a system?
Study Guide A microscope
Make a three-tab book B telescope
(see p. 481). Use the C magnifying glass
titles shown. On the D reflector
inside of each tab, 6 Test Practice Mars and Mercury
summarize what you are alike EXCEPT
know about that topic. A they both have rocky surfaces.
B they both are far from the Sun.
C they both have moons.
D they both have oxygen.

Math Link Social Studies Link

Calculating Distance Between Planets Sky Observations
If Pluto is 39.4 A.U. from the Sun and How long have people been watching
Jupiter is 5.2 A.U. from the Sun, how the different objects in the sky? Use
far apart are they from each other? reference sources to write a report
about the history of a specific object.
Include current data and photographs.

���
�� -Review Summaries and quizzes online @ www.macmillanmh.com 313
EVALUATE

P5_CAUBC06_L2_284379_F.indd 313 11/2/06 5:36:56 PM

 Inquiry Structured
Materials
Why do comets have tails?
Form a Hypothesis
Comets are made of frozen gases, ice, dust, and rock. The orbit of
spoon
a comet around the Sun is usually a long oval with the Sun closer
to one end of the oval. At one end of the orbit, the gases of the
comet form a tail. How does temperature affect the formation of the
tail? Write your answer as a hypothesis in the form “If temperature
, then gases in the comet are released to form a tail.”
frozen yogurt
Test Your Hypothesis Step

Using a spoon, mix 2 cups of melted

frozen yogurt with 1 cup of seltzer
water. These ingredients represent
the frozen water and frozen gases in
a comet.

seltzer water Divide the mixture into two sealable

containers. Put the lids on the
Step
containers and freeze the containers
overnight. Mark an oval orbit for your
comet to follow.
2 sealable
containers Make a Model Take one container
out of the freezer and put it 3 inches
from a desk light. This container
represents a comet when it is close
measuring cup to the Sun.
Step
Make a Model Take the other
container and put it 3 feet from the
desk light. This container represents
a comet when it is far away from the
desk light Sun.
Observe Watch the containers of
comet material as they melt. Look
for changes in the surface, such as Step
bubbles or melting.

stopwatch Record Data Note the surface

changes that you see. Record the
time at which you first see bubbles
form and when the contents of the
container look melted.

5 IE 6.c. Plan and conduct a simple investigation based

314 on a student-developed question and write instructions
EXTEND others can follow to carry out the procedure.

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 Draw Conclusions
Did the test support your hypothesis?
Explain why or why not.
Draw Conclusions Where on a comet’s path around
the Sun would you expect the most melting gas to
be present?

Inquiry Guided

Does the direction of a comet’s tail

change as it goes around the Sun?
Form a Hypothesis
Energy from the Sun radiates out into space in all
directions. What do you think this means about the
direction of a comet’s tail? Write your answer as a
hypothesis in the form “If energy radiates out from the
Sun in all directions, then . . .”

Test Your Hypothesis

Design a plan to test your hypothesis. Then write out the
materials and resources you need and the steps you will
do. Record your results and observations as you follow
your plan.

Draw Conclusions
Did your test support your hypothesis? Why or why not?
Present your results to your classmates.

Remember to follow
Inquiry Open
the steps of the
You have studied comets that orbit in ovals around scientific process.
the Sun. How do you think a different-shaped orbit
Ask a Question
around the Sun would affect the tail of a comet?
Come up with a question to investigate and design an
experiment to answer your question. Your experiment Form a Hypothesis

must be organized to test only one variable, or one

item being changed. Your experiment must be written Test Your Hypothesis
so that another group can complete the experiment by
following your instructions. Draw Conclusions

315
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 Lesson 3

Gravity
and Orbit

For about 4.5 billion years, the Moon has

circled around Earth. What has kept the
Moon in its path around Earth for so long?

5 ES 5.c. Students know the path of a planet around the Sun is due to
316 the gravitational attraction between the Sun and the planet.
ENGAGE

P5_CAUBC06_L3_284379_F.indd 316 12/27/05 4:54:32 PM

 What keeps the Moon moving Materials
around Earth?
Form a Hypothesis
If you let go of a ball being swung in a circle, where
will the ball go? Write a hypothesis in the form “If I
let go of a ball being swung in a circle, then . . . ” • tennis ball
• square of fabric
Test Your Hypothesis • 0.5-meter-long
Place the ball on the fabric and bring the four piece of string
corners together so it covers the ball. Then tie • graph paper
one end of the string around the four corners,
forming a pouch. Step
Be Careful! Lean forward and slowly whirl the
ball in a circle near your feet.
Observe Let go of the string. Watch the path
that the ball takes.
Record Data Draw and label a diagram showing
the path the ball took when you let it go.
Repeat the experiment, letting the ball go at
three different spots on the circle.

Draw Conclusions Step

Did the experiment support your hypothesis?

Why or why not?
If this activity models the solar system, what do
you, the ball, and the string represent?

Explore More
What results would you expect if you repeated the
experiment using a lighter ball? Form a hypothesis, do
the experiment, analyze your data, and write a report.

5 IE 6.g. Record data by using appropriate graphic

representations (including charts, graphs, and labeled
diagrams) and make inferences based on those data.

317
EXPLORE

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 What is gravity?
Each planet in the solar system is drawn
▶ Main Idea 5 ES 5.c toward the Sun by gravity. Gravity is a force of
The force of gravity keeps attraction, or pull, between any two objects. The
the planets in their orbits strength of the pull of gravity is different between
around the Sun. different pairs of objects. Gravity is affected
▶ Vocabulary by the total mass of the two objects. It is also
affected by the distances between the objects.
gravity , p. 318
orbit , p. 320 All objects have mass and all objects are
inertia , p. 320 pulled toward one another by gravity. However,
ellipse , p. 321 the strength of the pull of gravity decreases when
tide , p. 322 the total mass of the two objects decreases.
As an example, look at the pull of gravity
-Glossary between you and Earth as compared to the
@ www.macmillanmh.com
pull of gravity you would feel if you were on
▶ Reading Skill the Moon. Your mass stays the same no matter
where you are. The mass of Earth is greater than
Cause and Effect
the mass of the Moon. This means that the total
1OcaS3TTSQb mass of you and the Earth is greater than the
total mass of you and the Moon. The pull of
gravity between you and the Earth is stronger
than the pull between you and the Moon. In fact,
the Moon’s gravity is about 1/6 of Earth’s gravity.
Explore gravity and
orbits with Team
Earth.
Astronaut John Young can jump higher on the
Moon than on Earth because the Moon’s gravity
is about 1/6 of Earth’s gravity.

318
EXPLAIN

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 Weight and Gravity

Mass = 100 Mass = 100 Mass = 100

Weight = 100 lbs Weight = 236 lbs Weight = 16.5 lbs

Earth Jupiter Moon

Gravity = 1 Gravity = 2.36 Gravity = 0.165

Reading Diagrams

What is the relationship between weight and gravity? Note: Planets are not shown to scale.

Clue: Look at the weight of the person on the different

planets and the gravity of each planet.

Although your mass stays the same, kilometers of space between the Sun
you would weigh less on the Moon than and Pluto. Since the distance is farther
you do on Earth. Weight is defined as between the Sun and Pluto, the pull
the product of mass and gravity. This of gravity between the Sun and Pluto
means that your weight depends on is weaker than the pull of gravity
both your mass and the force of gravity between the Sun and Earth.
wherever you are located.
Quick Check
Gravity is a force that acts over a
distance. Two objects do not have to Cause and Effect Suppose you
touch each other to produce a force of have a dog that weighs 50 lbs. How
gravity between them. The strength of much would it weigh on a planet
gravity depends on how far apart the that had 3.45 times Earth’s gravity?
objects are. The pull gets weaker when
Critical Thinking Jupiter is about
the objects are farther apart.
320 times larger than Earth but its
The pull of gravity between Earth gravity is only 2.36 times larger
and the Sun acts across about 150 than Earth’s gravity. What might
million kilometers of space. Gravity cause this difference?
also acts across roughly 6 billion

319
EXPLAIN

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 What keeps objects As a space vehicle orbits Earth,
members of the crew float in the
in orbit? cabin. They are weightless. Why aren’t
An orbit is a path one object takes the crew or other objects inside the
around another object. Planets orbit space vehicle being pulled toward
around the Sun and moons orbit Earth by gravity?
around their planets. Planets are held
Like all objects in an orbit, the
in their orbits by the force of gravity
pull of gravity on the space vehicle
between each planet and the Sun.
is balanced by its forward motion. If
If gravity was the only force acting the space vehicle sped up, its forward
on a planet, the planet would be pulled motion would overcome the pull of
into the Sun. What prevents this from Earth’s gravity. The vehicle would pull
happening? All objects have a property out of that orbit and move further
called inertia (in•UR•shuh). Inertia is away from Earth.
the tendency of a moving object to
keep moving in a straight line.

Gravity and Inertia

Inertia alone would
cause Earth to move
in a straight line.

Gravity and inertia

together make Earth
follow this path.

Gravity alone would pull

Earth into the Sun.

320
EXPLAIN

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 Gravity and Inertia

▲ This astronaut catches weightless candy

while in a space vehicle orbiting Earth.

much like the space vehicle. As the Pour beans into a sock. Tie
planets orbit the Sun, they tend to fall a knot in the top of the sock.
toward it. But at the same time, their Place the pencil on the ground.
forward motion tends to make them The pencil will be your target.
move away from it. Be careful. Start 20 ft from the
The effect of these two motions target. Holding the sock in your
makes the planets move in a nearly hand at waist height, run toward
the target.
circular orbit called an ellipse (uh•LIPS).
When the Earth is closest to the Sun, Drop the sock at the moment
it is 147,098,074 km away. When the sock is above the target. After
you drop the sock, you can stop
Earth is furthest from the Sun, it is
running.
152,097,701 km away. This 5 million
Record Data Record the distance
kilometer difference shows that
the sock lands from the target.
Earth’s orbit is an ellipse and not
a perfect circle. Analyze Data Where did the sock
land? Why?
Repeat this experiment. Does the
Quick Check
sock always land in about the
Cause and Effect Why does food same place?
float in the space vehicle if the How is what happens to the sock
astronauts don’t hold on to it? similar to a planet’s orbit?

Critical Thinking What do you

think pilots of the space vehicle do
to return to Earth?
321
EXPLAIN

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 What causes the tides?
The pull of gravity from the Moon and
from the Sun both affect Earth. These
gravitational pulls cause a bulge or bump
in the surface of the Earth. Although the high tide
Moon is much smaller than the Sun, it is
also much closer to Earth. The Sun is so
much farther away that it has less than half
the effect on Earth’s surface than the pull
of the Moon.
On the part of the Earth’s surface that
is rocky, this pull is so slight we do not
notice it. However, the pull can be seen in
large bodies of water such as the oceans.
low tide
This pull causes the tide, or the rise and
fall of the ocean’s surface.
Most oceans have two high tides and Tides in One Month
two low tides during a 24-hour day. As the
first quarter
Moon orbits around the Earth, its gravity moon
Sun
pulls the water on the side nearest to it neap tides
away from the land. This causes low tide.
About twice a month, the Sun and spring spring
Moon line up and both pull in the same tides tides
direction. This causes higher high tides full new
and lower low tides, called spring tides. moon moon
The tides with the smallest range occur neap tides
between spring tides. These more moderate
tides are called neap tides. They are caused
when the Sun and Moon pull in different third quarter
moon
directions and their pulls partly cancel Not to scale
each other. Reading Diagrams

Quick Check During which times of the Moon

do the strongest tides occur?
Cause and Effect Why do stronger Clue: The strongest tides are caused
tides occur when the Sun and Moon are when gravity from the Sun and from
lined up? the Moon pull together on Earth.
���
Science in Motion Watch how
Critical Thinking Why do spring tides ��
gravity causes tides
and neap tides occur twice a month? @ www.macmillanmh.com

322
EXPLAIN

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 Summarize the Main Idea Think, Talk, and Write
The pull of gravity Main Idea How is the gravity between
depends on the masses two objects affected by their masses?
of two objects and Vocabulary The rise and fall of the
the distance between ocean’s surface is the .
them. (pp. 318–319)
Cause and Effect What would
happen to a space vehicle in orbit
An object stays in orbit
around Earth if it sped up?
because the pull of
gravity is balanced by 1OcaS3TTSQb
its forward motion.
(pp. 320–321)

Tides are caused by

the gravitational pull of
the Sun and the Moon Critical Thinking How are mass and
on Earth. (p. 322) weight different?

Test Practice Which force keeps

Earth in its orbit around the Sun?
A lift
Make a B thrust
Study Guide C gravity
Make a three-tab book D pressure
(see p. 481) Use the
Test Practice The tide that occurs
titles shown. On the
twice a month when the Sun and
inside of each fold, list
Moon pull in different directions is
the causes and effects
A spring tide.
of that topic related
B neap tide.
to gravity.
C low tide.
D high tide.

Writing Link Math Link

Fictional Narrative Calculating Weight
Write a story in which the main If an astronaut weighs 100 lbs on Earth
character is affected in some way by and is now on a planet with a gravity
gravity. The gravity may be the same that is 1.325 times the gravity on Earth,
as Earth’s, or stronger or weaker. what is the astronaut’s weight on
this planet?

-Review Summaries and quizzes online @ www.macmillanmh.com 323

EVALUATE

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 In 1977, NASA launched the Voyager Interstellar Mission
to explore Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and their
moons. The trip had to be very precisely planned. Speeds
and distances had to be accurately calculated. The two
Voyager spacecraft had to be close enough to each planet
to collect data and to get a push from that planet’s gravity
in order to be propelled toward their next destination. At
the same time, the spacecraft had to be far enough away
from the planets that they would not go into orbit around
them. All of NASA’s careful planning worked. The Voyager
mission has provided scientists with new and closer looks at
our farthest neighbors.

Jupiter - 1979
Images show Jupiter’s rings.
Volcanic activity is observed
on lo, one of Jupiter’s moons.

1980

Saturn - 1980-1991
Scientists get a close look at
Saturn’s rings. They contain
structures that look like spokes
or braids.

ELA R 5.2.3. Discern main ideas and concepts presented in texts,

324 identifying and assessing evidence that supports those ideas.
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 History of Science

After observing these planets, the Voyager spacecraft

kept traveling. They are the first human-made objects to go
beyond the heliosphere. The heliosphere is the region of space
reached by the energy of our Sun. It extends far beyond the
most distant planets in the solar system.

Uranus - 1986
Scientists discover dark rings around
Uranus. They also see 10 new moons,
bringing Uranus’s total to 15 moons. Voyager
sends back detailed images and data on the
planet, its moons, and dark rings.

1990

Neptune - 1989
Large storms are seen on the planet.
One of these storms is Neptune’s
Great Dark Spot. Neptune was
originally thought to be too cold to
support this kind of weather.

Write About It Cause and Effect

Cause and Effect
▶ Look for the reason why
1. What caused the Voyager
spacecraft to be propelled
something happens to
toward their next destination? find a cause.
2. What was an effect of the ▶ An effect is what happens
Voyager mission?
as a result of a cause.
-Journal Write about it online
@ www.macmillanmh.com

325
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 A good explanation
▶ describes what The first thing I would do if gravity went away
happened. in my room, would be to secure the furniture to
keep it from floating around. Then, I would put
▶ uses time-order words all my small things into a box so I’d know where
such as first, second,
to find them. Finally, I would practice somersaults
and third.
and learn to walk on the ceiling.
▶ lists what happens
in an organized and
logical way.

Write About It
Explanatory Writing You know that
the pull of gravity keeps everything
on Earth from floating off into space.
Look at the picture. Explain what
would happen if gravity suddenly
stopped working?
-Journal Write about it online
@ www.macmillanmh.com

ELA W 5.1.2. Create multiple-paragraph expository compositions:

326 a. Establish a topic, important ideas, or events in sequence or chronological order.
EXTEND

P5_CAUBC06_L3_WIS/MIS_284379.F.indd 326 1/8/06 2:31:56 PM

 Reaching for the Moon
The Moon is an average of 238,871 miles from Earth.
The average fifth grader is 56 inches tall. Susana uses this
information to calculate that it would take 270,265,474.3
students lined up head-to-toe to reach the Moon.

Since you cannot have .3 of a student, Susana rounded

her calculation to the nearest whole number.

This is how:

270,265,474.3 = 270,265,474

Rounding Numbers
▶ Once you have the answer to your problem, underline
the place to which you want to round.

▶ Look at the digit to the right.

▶ If the digit is 5 greater, round up. If the digit is less

than 5, round down.

Solve It
1. It would take 420,412,960
yards to reach the Moon. Round
this number to the nearest
hundred thousand.
2. It would take 1,261,238,880
feet to reach the Moon. Round
this number to the nearest
thousand.

MA NS 5.1.1. Estimate, round, and manipulate very large (e.g., millions)

and very small (e.g., thousandths) numbers. 327
EXTEND

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 CHAPTER 6 Review Vocabulary

Fill each blank with the best word

Summarize the Main Ideas from the list.
The Sun is a star made
of hydrogen and helium. asteroid , p. 312 satellite , p. 310
It is located at the center comet , p. 312 solar system , p. 308
of the solar system and
is its largest object. fusion , p. 302 star , p. 299
(pp. 296–303)
gravity , p. 318 tide , p. 322
The solar system is
made up of the Sun, the 1. The force that pulls objects toward
planets and their moons, one another is called .
comets, asteroids, and 5 ES 5.c
meteoroids.
(pp. 306–313) 2. The Sun, the planets, their moons, and
other objects make up the .
The force of gravity 5 ES 5.b
keeps the planets in
their orbits around 3. An object in space that circles
the Sun. around another object is called a(n)
(pp. 316–323) . 5 ES 5.b

4. A rock that revolves around the Sun is

Make a called a(n) . 5 ES 5.b
Study Guide 5. A mixture of frozen gases, ice, dust,
Take a sheet of paper and tape your and rock that circles around the Sun is
lesson study guides as shown. called a(n) . 5 ES 5.b

6. An object in space that produces

its own light and heat is called a(n)
. 5 ES 5.a

7. The gravity of the Moon is mostly

responsible for causing a(n)
on Earth. 5 ES 5.c

8. The energy of the Sun is produced

by . 5 ES 5.a

328 ���
�� -Review Summaries and quizzes online @ www.macmillanmh.com

P5_CAUBC06_CR_284379.F.indd 328 11/2/06 6:04:10 PM

 Skills and Concepts Performance Assessment

Answer each of the following in

complete sentences.
Different Looks?
Your objective will be to compare and
9. Cause and Effect What has to contrast objects in the night sky.
happen to cause an object in orbit to
fall toward Earth? 5 ES 5.c What to do
1. Obtain an astronomy magazine,
10. Draw Conclusions If the Sun uses up newspaper, or material from the
all its hydrogen, what will happen to Internet that shows the current
the Sun? 5 ES 5.a positions of planets in the night sky.
11. Compare and Contrast Describe at 2. Use your unaided eyes, binoculars, or
least two objects whose outlines are a small telescope to observe planets
like an ellipse. 5 ES 5.c and stars.

12. Critical Thinking Of all the planets, Analyze your results

which is the most different from the ▶ Describe the colors of the planets
others? Explain. 5 ES 5.b and stars.
▶ Describe the shape of the planets
13. Explanatory Writing You have
and stars.
been asked to suggest a site for
a new large telescope. Write a
short proposal outlining why you
think a mountaintop far from a big
city should be the site for the new
telescope. 5 ES 5.b

What makes the planets move ▲ astronomical objects

around the Sun?

5 ES 5.b. Students know the solar system

includes the planet Earth, the Moon, the Sun,
eight other planets and their satellites, and
smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets.

329

P5_CAUBC06_CR_284379.F.indd 329 11/2/06 6:05:52 PM

 1 Which planet is closest to the 5 Which of the following processes
Sun? 5 ES 5.b produces the Sun’s energy? 5 ES 5.a
A Uranus A solar power
B Mercury B fusion
C Venus C winds
D Mars D temperature

2 Which of the following lists gives the 6 A student collected information

names of the planets in order of their about the dwarf planet Pluto.
distance from the Sun? 5 ES 5.b
A Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth Pluto Data
B Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune Relative Temperature Length of Day
C Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Earth Location (oC) (Earth hours)

D Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn Beyond

–230o 153.3
Neptune

3 Which object’s name changes based

Which of the following inferences
on its location? 5 ES 5.b
could be true? 5 IE 6.g
A planet
A On Pluto, water would be a gas.
B moon
B On Pluto, water would be liquid.
C meteoroid
C On Pluto, water would be liquid
D the Sun
and solid.
D On Pluto, water would be solid.
4 What is the most significant
discovery Galileo made using his
telescope? 5 ES 5.a
A The Sun revolves around Earth.
B The Sun revolves around Mars.
C Moons revolve around Jupiter.
D The Moon revolves around Earth.

330

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 7 Your science teacher suggests that 11 A student wants to make accurate
you do an experiment to study how observations about the path of Mars
comets form. What is the next step across the night sky. Which tool
you are likely to take? 5 IE 6.i should the student use? 5 IE 6.f
A Make a hypothesis. A telescope
B Collect data. B microscope
C Draw conclusions. C binoculars
D Write a report. D stethoscope

8 Which of the following best 12 A student plans an experiment

describes the effect of the Sun’s to see what effect the distance
gravity on the planets? 5 ES 5.c (the length of a string) has on the
A Each planet is drawn toward length of time it takes a planet
the Sun. (a tennis ball) to revolve. He
B Each planet is drawn away from gathers the following data.
the Sun.
C Each planet is drawn closer to Data collected
each other. Length of string Time for one revolution
D Each planet is drawn away from
5 cm 2 seconds
each other.
10 cm 4 seconds

9 What happens to the force of gravity 15 cm 6 seconds

when the distance between two 20 cm 8 seconds

objects decreases? 5 ES 5.c

A no attraction What effect does the length of a
B stays the same string tied to a tennis ball have on
C decreases the time it takes to complete one
D increases revolution? 5 IE 6.h
A The longer the string, the greater
10 If the Sun increased in size, what the time.
would happen to the planets? 5 ES 5.b B The longer the string, the shorter
A They will be released from the time.
their orbits. C The longer the string, the time
B They will move farther away increases and decreases.
from the Sun. D The length of the string has no
C They will reverse their orbits. effect.
D They will be drawn closer to
the Sun.

Materials prepared by PASS at 331

P5_CAUBC06_CRPT_284379.F.indd 331 1/7/06 11:58:30 AM

 Calling all water detectives! We have a body of water here that
needs investigating. Can you help? People, plants, and animals all
need clean water. But how do we know if a pond, lake, river, or
stream is healthy? That can be a real mystery.

Clue 1. How does it look? Clue 3. Who lives there?

Begin your investigation with One of the best ways to find out
obvious evidence. What does the water what is going on is to ask around in
look like? How does it smell? Do you the neighborhood. So you will want to
notice anything in the water? However, observe some of the many insects that
even if water looks clear and clean, it spend part or all of their life living in
might not be. water. Look for them in the water you
are investigating. They will tell you a
lot about how clean the water is. This
Clue 2. What is in it? is a dragonfly nymph (NIMF). One day
If you have special equipment in it will hatch into an adult dragonfly
your detective kit, you may want to do and fly away. It likes to live in clean
some tests on the water. Finding out water, but if it has to, it can live in
about the chemistry of the water is an polluted water. So you cannot know
important way to check its health. whether or not the water is clean if you
see these.

▼ dragonfly and dragonfly nymph

332

P5_CAUB_RR_284379_F.indd 332 1/10/06 2:20:48 PM

 We can use these clues to
sleuth out the truth about the
water we all depend on!

▲ midge and midge larva

This midge larva does just fine living in

polluted water until it hatches into an adult
midge. If you notice many of these and not
much else, it is a sign that the water is in
trouble.
On the other hand, some insects cannot
live in polluted water. These insects include
1 caddisfly larvae, 2 mayfly nymphs,
and 3 stonefly nymphs. If you find these
insects, you know the water must be clean. 3

▲ stonefly and stonefly nymph

▼ mayfly and mayfly nymph

▲ caddisfly and caddisfly larva

5 ES 3.d. Students know that the amount of fresh water located in rivers, lakes,
underground sources, and glaciers is limited and that its availability can be extended by
recycling and decreasing the use of water. • ELA R 5.2.3 Discuss main ideas and concepts
preasented in texts, identifying and assessing evidence that supports those ideas.
333

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 Weather Observer
There is an old saying that if you do ▼ weather observers collecting data
not like the weather now, wait and it will
change. How do people know what the
weather will change to? After you finish
high school, you might enjoy working
as a weather observer. As a weather
observer, you would collect information
about weather conditions. You would be
trained to use instruments that measure
temperature, humidity, and air pressure.
You would read radar scans and satellite
photographs. The weather forecasts made
by meteorologists depend on the data
collected by weather observers.

▼ astronomers observing stars and

planets

Astronomer
Are you interested in looking for
planets around distant stars or watching
solar systems form? Astronomers study
the stars and learn about the other
planets and suns in the universe. As an
astronomer, you would use telescopes
and satellites to gather data about other
solar systems. Then you would analyze
that data to find out what the stars and
planets are made of and how old they
are. To be an astronomer, you need to be
good at math and physics, have strong
computer skills, and obtain a doctoral
degree in astronomy. After that, you
might say the sky’s the limit.

334
-Careers more careers online @ www.macmillanmh.com

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