Chapter 20, Problem 1LR

Label the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars on Figure 20.5 .

Figure 20.5 Sketch to accompany Questions 1 and 2.

Summary Introduction

The approximate distance, the direction of rotation, and direction of revolution of planets in the solar system.

Introduction:

The solar system is composed of nine planets that are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. These are huge bodies of rock, dust, and gases. These planets revolve around the sun in elliptical orbits as a result of the gravitational pull from the sun. The planets are divided into two categories based on different features.

Explanation of Solution

Pictorial representation: Fig.1: The orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

Fig.1: The orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

The planets in the solar system are divided into outer and inner planets. The inner planets are closer to the sun and have solid surface but have smaller diameter. The outer planets are also known as gas giants and are farther from the sun. they have larger diameter and have gases as atmosphere and as surface. The planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars belong to the inner planets and are present inside the asteroid belt that separates Mars and Jupiter.