Earth & Space Science
The Solar System flashcards
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- What is meant by “Gravity” in this lesson?Gravity and orbits
- Gravity is an attractive interaction between masses that depends on mass and separation.
- What is meant by “Inertia” in this lesson?Gravity and orbits
- Inertia is an object's tendency to maintain its motion unless a net force acts.
- What is meant by “Orbit” in this lesson?Gravity and orbits
- An orbit results from motion influenced by gravity around another body or shared center of mass.
- What is meant by “Elliptical orbit” in this lesson?Gravity and orbits
- An ellipse is the curved orbital shape described by Kepler's first law for ideal two-body bound motion.
- What is meant by “Orbital period” in this lesson?Gravity and orbits
- An orbital period is the time required to complete one orbit.
- What is meant by “Mass versus weight” in this lesson?Gravity and orbits
- Mass measures matter or inertia; weight is gravitational force and changes with local gravity.
- What is meant by “Terrestrial planet” in this lesson?Planets and smaller bodies
- Terrestrial planets have rocky surfaces and are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
- What is meant by “Giant planets” in this lesson?Planets and smaller bodies
- The outer giant planets include gas giants Jupiter and Saturn and ice giants Uranus and Neptune.
- What is meant by “Dwarf planet” in this lesson?Planets and smaller bodies
- A dwarf planet orbits the Sun, is nearly round, and has not cleared its orbital neighborhood under the standard classification.
- What is meant by “Asteroid” in this lesson?Planets and smaller bodies
- An asteroid is a smaller Solar-System body, commonly rocky or metallic, orbiting the Sun.
- What is meant by “Comet” in this lesson?Planets and smaller bodies
- A comet is an icy body that can develop a coma and tails when heated near the Sun.
- What is meant by “Meteor terminology” in this lesson?Planets and smaller bodies
- A meteoroid is a small space body, a meteor is its atmospheric light phenomenon, and a meteorite reaches the ground.
- What is meant by “Rotation” in this lesson?Earth–Moon–Sun interactions
- Rotation is spinning about an axis and produces Earth's daily cycle.
- What is meant by “Revolution” in this lesson?Earth–Moon–Sun interactions
- Revolution is orbital motion around another body.
- What is meant by “Axial tilt and seasons” in this lesson?Earth–Moon–Sun interactions
- Earth's axial tilt changes sunlight angle and day length through the year, producing seasons.
- What is meant by “Lunar phase” in this lesson?Earth–Moon–Sun interactions
- A lunar phase is the visible fraction of the Moon's sunlit half seen from Earth.
- What is meant by “Solar eclipse” in this lesson?Earth–Moon–Sun interactions
- A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun with suitable alignment.
- What is meant by “Lunar eclipse” in this lesson?Earth–Moon–Sun interactions
- A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes into Earth's shadow with suitable alignment.