Thursday, February 4, 2010
Why are all the planets in our Solar System about in the same plane? Why do they all orbit around the sun in the same way? Why do planets like Jupiter, Saturn, and others are not perfect spheres, but are flattened at their tops and bottoms? From our experiment it would seem it is the result of the rapid spinning (or rotation) of the gas that they are made of.
Here is what we did to investigate:
- two pencils taped eraser to eraser
- 7 strips of cardstock cut to .5" each
- 3 circles about 1.25"
Poke holes in each of the circles. Taping first one to top of pencil about 1/4 way down. next add the second circle leaving it to move freely on pencil, tape all 7 strips to it. Repeat with third circle on the bottom pencil.
The bottom disk rises up as the model bulges out near its center. This simulates what happens to gassy planets like Jupiter and Saturn.
Learn for Life!
We are learning for life, not for school!
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance. ~Will Durant
"He is educated who can find out what he does not know." ~George Simmel (1875)
"Let My teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants." ~Deut. 32:2
“Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but My righteousness will be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation.” ~Isa 51:7-8
1 comments:
I think this is my favorite of all! It is hard to explain this concept, but your project works. We didn't do half of the fun stuff you have done when we studied astronomy. =)
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