Question

earth, the solar system, & the universe pre - assessment
part 1: analyzing data within a table
use the table below to answer the following questions.
planetary data table

1. what is the relationship between a planets distance from the sun and the length of the solar year (period of revolution)?

1. write a statement that best compares the rotation of a gaseous planet (jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune) to the rotation of a rocky planet (mercury, venus, earth, mars)?

1. which planet has a \day\ (period of rotation) most similar in length to a day on earth?

) which factor best determines the length of day on a planet?

Explanation:

1. By observing the table, as the average distance from the sun (either in km or AU) increases, the period of revolution (solar year length) also increases. This is in line with Kepler's third law which shows a relationship between a planet's orbital radius (distance from the sun) and its orbital period.
2. Looking at the "Period of rotation" column, gaseous planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) have much shorter rotation periods (in hours) compared to rocky planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) which have rotation periods mostly in days.
3. Check the "Period of rotation" values. Earth has a rotation period of 1.00 days. Mars has a rotation period of 1.03 days, which is the closest among all planets to Earth's rotation period.

Answer:

1. As a planet's distance from the sun increases, the length of its solar year (period of revolution) also increases.
2. Gaseous planets have much shorter rotation periods than rocky planets.
3. Mars.