Lab 3 Solar System and Nebular Hypothesis Lab (1)

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Hillsborough Community College *

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1002C

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Astronomy

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Jan 9, 2024

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Astronomy AST-1001C Solar System Lab Matthew Olney Solar System and Nebular Hypothesis Lab Adapted from Michael Stewart, 2006, downloaded from the Science Education Resource Center at Carlton College, SERC website: https://serc.carleton.edu/index.html In this lab you will collect planetary data from the internet and evaluate those data in light of the nebular hypothesis. For this lab you will need to recall our lectures on the nebular hypothesis and be familiar with Microsoft Excel (available free to HCC students) or similar application. Follow the step by step ( A), B) etc.) instructions below. Collect the required data, enter it into a table in Excel (or similar). Plot the two charts using Excel (or similar). Then complete your answers to the questions on the final pages of this document. Cut and paste your data table and two X-Y plots from Excel into the bottom of this Word document and upload the complete file in Canvas. A) First, click on this link to the NASA planetary factsheet or type the following URL into your browser: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/ . Record the following data for each of the eight planets plus Pluto: Distance from Sun in km, Mass in kg, Diameter in km and Density in kg/m 3 , enter them into an Excel or similar application spreadsheet (see example below): Planet Distance (km) Mass (Kg) Diameter (Km) Density (Kg/m^3) Mercury 5.79E+07 Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto (10 pts. For Data Table) Notice that the values are exceedingly large. Enter them using scientific notation to two decimal places. For example, a number like 15 million (15,000,000) is written as 1.50x10 7 in scientific notation. To enter 15 million as scientific notation in Excel, simply enter 1.50e7 and hit return. Alternatively, simply type in 15000000 and hit return. Then highlight the cells you want displayed in scientific notation, click on the Format menu, choose ‘cells’ and then click the ‘number’ tab and select ‘scientific’ from the list of options. Select ‘2’ in the Decimal places option box. Copy and paste your data table into the space at the end of this document, below. (10 pts.) 1
Astronomy AST-1001C Solar System Lab Matthew Olney B) Create an X-Y scatter plot graph of Distance from the Sun vs. Mass of the Planets . Do not plot the mass data against the planet names or 1-9 . Make sure in the ‘Change Chart Type’ menu you have selected X-Y (Scatter). Select the distance data to be on the x-axis (we call these data the independent variable) and the mass data to be on the y-axis (we call these data the dependent variable). Notice how the first four planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) are near the origin on this graph and except for Jupiter and Saturn, the other planets all lie nearly along the X-axis. Thus, this is a terrible graph because it masks all information regarding trends in mass relative to distance. To construct a more informative graph, you will have to adjust the axes to plot on logarithmic scales and have more suitable starting (minimum) values . Change the axes to logarithmic scale by right-clicking on each axis, choose the ‘format axis’ option and then the ‘axis options’ tab, check the ‘log scale’ box. Do this for both axes. Now change the ‘minimum’ axis values (also in the axis options dialog box) so that the distance minimum value = 1x10 7 km, and mass minimum value = 1x10 22 kg. Copy and paste your graph into the space at the end of this document. (20 pts.) D) Create an X-Y scatter plot of Distance from the Sun vs. Density of the Planets . Make sure in the ‘Change Chart Type’ menu you have selected X-Y (Scatter). Do not plot the density data against the planet names or 1-9. Select the distance data to be on the x-axis and the density data to be on the y-axis. Here, only the distance data need be expressed on a logarithmic scale (see instructions above). Copy and paste your graph into the space at the end of this document. (20 pts.) 2
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