Name Class Date
Solar System Test
Interpreting Tables Use the table to answer the questions.
Planet Diameter Number of Known Moons Rings
Mercury 5,000 km 0 No
Venus 12,000 km 0 No
Earth 13,000 km 1 No
Mars 7,000 km 2 No
Jupiter 143,000 km 63 Yes
Saturn 121,000 km 59 Yes
Uranus 51,000 km 21 Yes
Neptune 49,500 km 8 Yes
1. What is the smallest planet in the solar system? ___________________________________________
2. Which planet is largest? ________________________________________________________________
3. What planet in our solar system has only one moon? __________________________________
4. What is true of all of the inner planets? ___________________________________________________
5. Which planet has the greatest number of known moons? ____________________________________
6. Which of the planets is about the same size as Neptune? ______________________________
7. Which of the planets is about the same size as Earth? ______________________________________
8. List the planets in order from largest to smallest. ___________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Multiple Choice Write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement.
__________ 1. The Great Red Spot is a feature of
a. Earth. b. Jupiter. c. Saturn. d. Mars.
__________ 2. Jupiter is made up mostly of
a. water. b. carbon dioxide. c. iron. d. hydrogen and helium.
__________ 3. The only planet known to have a covering of liquid water is
a. Earth. b. Saturn. c. Venus. d. Mars.
__________ 4. The farthest planet from the Sun is usually
a. Saturn. b. Jupiter. c. Uranus. d. Neptune.
Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM
(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
Name Class Date
Solar System Test (continued)
__________ 5. In 2015, the New Horizons Spacecraft should reach:
a. Jupiter. b. Saturn. c. Mars. d. Pluto.
__________ 6. A body made up of rock, dust, gases, and ice that orbits the Sun is a
a. comet. b. meteor. c. meteoroid. d. meteorite.
__________ 7. The curved path of one object around another in space is an
a. apollo. b. orbit. c. aphelion. d. asteroid.
__________ 8. The force of attraction between all objects in the universe is
a. nebula. b. perihelion. c. maria. d. gravity.
__________ 9. The point in a planet’s orbit when it is closest to the Sun is
a. aphelion. b. perihelion. c. maria. d. gravity.
__________ 10. Pluto’s orbit sometimes takes it inside the orbit of
a. Saturn. b. Uranus. c. Earth. d. Neptune.
__________ 11. Maria, craters, and mountains are features of
a. Jupiter. b. Mars. c. Earth’s Moon. d. comets.
__________ 12. Most asteroids are located between
a. Earth and Mars. b. Mars and Jupiter.
c. Mercury and the Sun. d. Venus and Neptune.
__________ 13. The Sun, together with the nine planets, make up the
a. solar system. b. nebula. c. Big Bang. d. asteroid belt.
__________ 14. The speed at which a planet orbits the Sun is its
a. orbital velocity. b. asteroid belt. c. perihelion. d. ellipse.
__________ 15. Earth is closest to the Sun in
a. July. b. September. c. March. d. January.
__________ 16. A piece of rock or metal that strikes a planet’s or moon’s surface is a
a. meteorite. b. meteor. c. meteoroid. d. meteor shower.
__________ 17. The hottest planet in the solar system is
a. Earth. b. the Sun.
c. Mercury. d. Venus.
__________ 18. The Mariner 10 space probe revealed many craters on the surface of
a. the Moon. b. Venus. c. Mercury. d. Mars.
__________ 19. Mars has water in the form of
a. rivers. b. water vapor. c. oceans. d. ice.
__________ 20. Unlike the other planets, the axis of Uranus is
a. upside down. b. horizontal. c. vertical. d. tilted at a 23° angle.
Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM
(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
Name Class Date
Solar System Test (continued)
Written Response Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
21. EXPLAIN: How does the aurora borealis form? ________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
22. HYPOTHESIZE: Why did the astronauts who explored the Moon have to wear space suits?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM
(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
