KEY STAGE 3
SPACEPORT Quiz
The areas of Spaceport where you can find the answers are in capital letters
and also in brackets.
(Solar System Area)
1
Why do Astronauts experience feelings of weightlessness in space?
2
List two side effects of being in space.
3
What can be found at the international space station?
Petrol pumps
4
A shop
A research laboratory
Cir
the cle
r
answight
er!
Can you match up the 4 rocky planets and the
four gas planets?
Jupiter
Rock
Saturn Gas
Earth
Gas
s
line
Venus
Rock
w
a
Dr ween
Mercury
Rock
bet rds!
o
Uranus
Gas
the w
Neptune Gas
Mars
Rock
5
Which planet is the smallest?
6
What force is responsible for keeping us on the ground and keeps
planets in orbit around the Sun?
7
a) What are comets made from?
b) Can you name the two categories of comet?
8
Where would you weigh more, on Earth or on the Moon?
Why is this?
9
Complete this sentence using the words below:
The
the
the
GRAVITY
a planet is from the Sun
its orbit is and the pull of
is on it.
WEAKER
FURTHER
BIGGER
10
What evidence is there that the Sun has an enormous
gravitational force?
11
Which planet is sometimes known as the red planet?
12
a) On which planet might you find the great red spot?
b) What is the cause of this?
13
Why is Neptune Blue?
Because it’s very cold there
Because there are seas of methane
14
15
Cir
the cle
r
answight
er!
(Milky Way / Observatory Area)
What can absorption lines tell us about a planets atmosphere?
Complete the following sentence using the words below:
Astronomers can tell if a star is moving towards us or away
from us by looking at the way its light waves stretch across the
spectrum of visible light being emitted by the star. If it’s moving
closer the light will shift towards the
end of the
spectrum. If it is moving away from us the light will shift towards
the
end of the spectrum.
RED
BLUE
16
Name the dense clouds of gas and dust where stars are formed?
17
Can you name an example of one of these dense clouds of gas
and dust?
18
What happens to the biggest stars once they have passed beyond
the neutron star stage?
19
In which galaxy is Earth located?
20
Match up the stages of a stars life with the correct
description below.
Stars form initially from clouds of dust and gas found here.
Gravity forces the clouds of dust
and gas to contract, spiralling
inward as the temperature rises.
Big stars begin to glow brightly
once again and undergo a series
of expansion and contractions
where the heavier elements are
formed in nuclear reactions. Big
stars then eventually explode
throwing out more dust and gas
and leaving behind a very dense
core. These explosions can be
bright enough to briefly outshine
its entire galaxy.
Nebula
Neutron
Star
Black
Dwarf
A small star will cool
and contract. At this
stage the star is very
dense and it’s faint
light comes from stored
heat energy.
At some point,
hydrogen begins to run
out causing the star to
swell and become red
as its surface cools.
s
line
Draw en the
e
betwrs and
a
!
st
ords
w
e
h
t
This is the final stage in the life
cycle of the largest stars. The
force of gravity at the centre is
so strong that not even light
can escape.
After a small star has cooled
and contracted its light fades
completely. At this stage of its
life the star can no longer emit
heat or light.
Supernova
Red
Giant
White
Dwarf
Main
Sequence
Star
Black
Hole
Protostar
When the temperature is high enough,
nuclear fusion takes place as hydrogen
nuclei are joined together to form helium
nuclei giving out both heat and light. The
star then enters a stage in its life cycle
where the inward pressure caused by
gravity is balanced by the outward
pressure of this nuclear fusion. This
period may last for millions of years
depending on how large the star is.
This very dense core of a star is made
up entirely of neutrons.
KEY STAGE 3
ANSWER SHEET
1) Lack of gravity in space, without gravity you have no weight.
2) Space motion sickness causing headaches, nausea, dizziness and vertigo.
Due to lack of gravity telling the inner ear which way is ‘up’ and ‘down’.
Eyes and ears disagree.
3) A research laboratory.
4) Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are Rock, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and
Uranus are Gas.
5) Mercury
6) Gravity
7a) Ice, dust and sometimes particles of rock
7b) Short orbit and long orbit comets
8) Y ou would weigh more on Earth as the force of gravity is greater on Earth
than on the moon.
9) The further a planet is from the Sun the bigger its orbit is and the weaker
the pull of gravity is on it.
10) The evidence is provided by the planets in our solar system orbiting
the sun.
11) Mars
12a) Jupiter
12b) It is an enormous storm that is similar to a hurricane on Earth that has
been ongoing for at least the 400yrs we have been able to observe it.
13) Because there are seas of methane.
14) Absorption lines can tell us which elements (e.g. hydrogen) are present
in a planets atmosphere. The greater the line produced, the greater the
absorption of the element in the atmosphere.
KEY STAGE 3
ANSWER SHEET
15) 1. Blue
2.Red
16) Nebulae
17) Cats eye, crab, helix, horsehead, omega, red rectangle, carina,
boomerang, eagle, fox fur, ring, pelican, orion, tarantula etc.
18) They become black holes.
19) The Milky Way
20) Nebula
Stars form initially from clouds of dust and gas found here.
Protostar
Gravity forces the clouds of dust and gas to contract, spiraling inward
as the temperature rises.
Main Sequence Star
When the temperature is high enough, nuclear fusion takes place as hydrogen nuclei are joined together to form helium nuclei…
Red Giant
At some point, hydrogen begins to run out causing the star to swell
and become red as its surface cools.
White Dwarf
A small star will cool and contract. At this stage the star is very dense and it’s faint light comes from stored heat energy.
Black Dwarf
After a small star has cooled and contracted its light fades completely.
At this stage of its life the star can no longer emit heat or light.
Supernova
Big stars begin to glow brightly once again and undergo a series of
expansion and contractions where the heavier elements are formed…
Neutron star
This very dense core of a star is made up entirely of neutrons.
Black hole
This is the final stage in the life cycle of the largest stars. The force
of gravity at the center is so strong that not even light can escape.