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Chapter 6

Chapter 6: A Brief History of the Solar System

Study Plan

By the early years of the 21st century we have come to see our Solar System as an unmistakable by-product of the birth of the Sun, rather than a random collection of planets and moons. The discovery of planetary systems surrounding other stars has shown that there is nothing unique about our Solar System. It is this understanding that brings order to what we see around us today. Here we begin our investigation of the Sun's family by introducing the story of the formation of the Solar System-a story in which we will learn that

  • A star forms when a cloud of interstellar gas and dust collapses under its own weight.
  • While a star forms it is surrounded by a flat, rotating disk that provides the raw material from which a planetary system might form.
  • Dust grains in the disk around a young star stick together to form larger and larger solid objects.
  • Differences in temperature from place to place within the disk determine the kinds of materials from which solid objects can form.
  • Giant planets form when solid, planet-sized bodies capture gas from the surrounding disk.
  • The atmospheres of smaller terrestrial planets are gases released by volcanism and volatile materials that arrived on comets.
  • Planetary systems around other stars are common.

Organize

  • Read Chapter 6 in your textbook or ebook.
  • Take the Diagnostic Quiz to assess your understanding of the basic concepts and identify gaps in your understanding of the assigned reading.

Learn

  • Access the Animations given for this chapter. These brief lessons enhance your understanding of core concepts.
  • Use the FlashCards to test your memory for new terms.
  • Work the "Thinking about the Concepts" and "Applying the Concepts" questions in the end of chapter review materials.
  • If your instructor has assigned SmartWork online homework, login from the right navigation pane for additional practice and review.
  • If your instructor has assigned Math Tools, be sure to study Math Tools Box 6.1 Angular Momentum, for an explanation of how to calculate angular momentum.

Connect

  • Periodic Connections boxes and the Seeing the Forest through the Trees section at the chapter's end draw your attention to recurring themes and help prepare you for concepts explored more fully in subsequent chapters.
  • Visit Astronomy in the News for breaking news of new discoveries and the opportunity to apply what you've learned in this chapter to real-world (and real Universe) events.
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