Question

section 23.3 assessment
reviewing concepts

1. what is the largest planet? what is the smallest?
2. what is jupiter’s great red spot?
3. identify one distinguishing characteristic of each outer planet.
4. how are saturn’s moon, titan, and neptune’s triton similar?
5. in what way is io similar to earth? what other body shows this similarity?

critical thinking

1. relating cause and effect what may have caused uranus’s unique axis of rotation?
2. making judgments should pluto be reclassified as a minor planet? explain your answer.

connecting concepts
convection currents write a brief paragraph comparing and contrasting atmospheric convection currents on jupiter and earth.

Explanation:

1. The largest planet in our solar - system is Jupiter, and the smallest (among the traditional planets) was Pluto, but now Pluto is classified as a dwarf planet, and Mercury is the smallest of the eight recognized planets.
2. Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a giant, long - lasting storm.
3. For example, Saturn is known for its prominent ring system.
4. Titan and Triton are both large moons with thick atmospheres.
5. Io is similar to Earth in that it has volcanic activity; Venus also has volcanic activity.
6. The unique axis of rotation of Uranus may have been caused by a large - scale collision in the past.
7. Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006 because it did not meet all the criteria for a full - fledged planet, such as clearing its orbit of other debris. For the convection currents question, Earth's atmospheric convection is driven by solar heating at the surface and cooling at higher altitudes. Jupiter's convection is driven by internal heat sources as well as solar heating, and its convective cells are much larger due to its larger size and stronger gravitational field.

Answer:

1. Largest: Jupiter; Smallest: Mercury (among 8 recognized planets)
2. A giant, long - lasting storm.
3. Saturn: Prominent ring system.
4. Both have thick atmospheres.
5. Similar in volcanic activity; Venus.
6. Likely a large - scale collision in the past.
7. Reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006 as it didn't meet all planet criteria. For convection currents: Earth's driven by surface solar heating and upper - atmosphere cooling; Jupiter's driven by internal heat and solar heating with larger convective cells.