Science – Hour _____
Date:__________
Name:_____________________
The Gas Giant Planets
Science Fusion Lesson Guide Packet
Directions: Go to the following website. Follow the
instructions on the slides to complete this handout.
http://tinyurl.com/jkrxljb
Slide 1
1. Click on each vocab word and write its definition.
gas giant: ___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
planetary ring:________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Slide 2
2. What is a special feature on the surface of Jupiter? Describe it.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. Circle the larger planet --- Earth
OR
Jupiter
Slide 3
4. AU stands for ______________________ _______________ .
5. One AU is equal to 93 million miles. Why is that the chosen distance for an AU?
Why not 92 or 94 million miles?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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6. Why do we measure in AUs rather than miles or kilometers when in the solar
system?
___________________________________________________________________
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7. It takes light from the sun ______ minutes to get to Earth, _____ minutes to get to
Jupiter, and _______ minutes to get to Neptune.
8. List the 4 gas giant planets from closest to the sun to furthest from the sun.
_______________
________________
_______________ _______________
Slide 4
9. True or False (circle) Gas giants are large, massive planets with high densities.
10. What feature is unique to the gas giants? ______________________
11. What does Jupiter’s large mass help it to do?
__________________________________________________________________
12. What is an interesting fact about Saturn?
___________________________________________________________________
13. What makes Uranus colder than Saturn? _______________________________
14. What interesting thing is happening to the size of Neptune? ________________
Slide 5
15. It takes Jupiter ________ hours to spin on its axis compared to ______ for Earth.
16. A revolution is 1 trip around the sun. Why does Saturn take longer to do this
than Jupiter? ______________________________________________________
17. Uranus might have a large tilt from being __________________ on its side.
18. True or False (circle) Neptune takes the longest time to revolve around the sun.
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Slide 6
19. Circle the best answer. Which planet has . . .
a larger distance from the sun? Neptune or Earth
a larger period of rotation? Uranus or Earth
a smaller axial tilt? Earth or Uranus
a bigger density?
Saturn or Earth
a colder temperature? Neptune or Earth
Slide 7
20. Name 3 properties of gas giants.
a) ____________________________________
b) ____________________________________
c) ____________________________________
Slide 8
21. What causes Uranus and Neptune to look blue?
______________________________________
Slide 9
22. How are the gas giants similar to one another? Include at least 4 ideas.
a) ____________________________________
b) ____________________________________
c) ____________________________________
d) ____________________________________
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23. Why does Jupiter have more moons than Neptune? Why would this make
sense? (Think forces.)
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___________________________________________________________________
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Slide 10
24. Fix each sentence by crossing out, changing, or adding words as necessary.
Gas giants are smaller and much hotter than Earth.
Gas giants are mostly hydrogen or carbon gas.
Gas giants have rings but no moons.
Gas giants are closer to the sun than Earth is.
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