PROBLEM: Is there any order to the distances of the planets from the Sun?

PREDICTION:

MATERIALS: paper to write name of planet on, crayons, metric measuring tape, chalk

PROCEDURE: Your teacher will divide you into teams of 11 or more. Have nine people each be a planet. Record their names on the chart. They should also write the name of their planet on a piece of paper.

The other team members will put the planet students in the correct order, from closest to furthest from the Sun, using the chart below. They will then put them at the right distance from the Sun, using the numbers below. Use the tape measure to find the right distance.

The team is complete when it has assigned all the planets and the planets are in their correct positions and distances. When you are finished your teacher will check your arrangement. The first team to correctly place the planets in the correct position is the winner.

CONCLUSION: Do you see any relationship between the distances between the planets as you move away from the Sun? Discuss the answers with your classmates.