Week 4: Our Solar System

  1.  This week in lab, we began by discussing Miconceptions Die Hard. My group specifically focused on connecting this article to the video, Private Universe. However, this class discussion reinforced the importance of uncovering and correcting students' preconceptions to help them develop a true understanding of scientific concepts. We then moved into creating our own solar system to scale. My group and I did calculations to find the size of each planet and the distance between them for our model. We then used a meter stick to place our planets in their correct location throughout the Lindquist Center, which I have included photos of. This activity was helpful to visualize the true, large size of planets and the distance between them. We then ended lab by analyzing and discussing our School of the Wild lesson plans within our groups. 







  2. How does studying the solar system's scale help us connect our place in the universe back to its origins?

  3. Introduction

    • If the moon is on the Eastern horizon, where would the moon be if it were a full moon? Western horizon 

    • The periodic table was created by the sun; the sun creates atoms

    • The Big Band theory: big expansion of the universe 

    Origin of the Universe: Big Bang 

    1. 13.7 billion years ago there was nothing and nowhere. 

    2. Subatomic particle inflated to unimaginably huge size in a fraction of a second 

    3. Expansion, not an explosion

    4. Time and space were created

    Alternative Theories

    • Steady-State Universe

    • Eternal Inflation (Level II Multiverse) 

    • Oscillating Universe 

    • Other theories: digital simulation or flat hologram 

    Origin on the Earth

    • Was not created in the Big Bang; there were many particles needed 

    • Created 4.65 billion years ago, the Big Bang was 13.5 billion years ago 

    • Dust and debris, most likely from a former star that exploded 

    • Explanation; There was a gigantic star that existed in our universe, and it blew up, when it blew up the particles “exploded” but then reconnected with each other creating new. 

    Formation of the Earth

    • Plane of the Ecliptic

      • All planets and asteroid belt in the same plane 

      • Related to the disk 

    • Formation of the Universe, 13.73 billion years ago

    • Formation of the Earth, 4.65 billion years ago

    • Our sun is a middle to small size sun and will last around 10 billion years

  4. Within this chapter, I learned more about our solar system. I began by learning a helpful acronym to help me remember the order of the planets: Mercy, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, then Neptune. I found it interesting that the inner four planets are rocky planets, whereas the outer four are gaseous planets. This is believed to be due to the Sun causing the gas clouds of the inner four planets to blow away. I then solidified my understanding of the size of each planet, the distance between them, and why Pluto is no longer considered a planet. Lastly, I learned about the origins of our planet and the Sun through an explanation of the Big Bang Theory. An important takeaway I had is that this creation was an expansion, not an explosion. Overall, I found all the visuals and videos throughout this chapter helpful to deepen my understanding of our solar system. However, I would still like more information on the Big Bang Theory to better understand how this happened, especially so quickly. 
  5. I have no questions, comments, or concerns at this time. 

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