21^st Century Astronomy, Second Edition

Chapter 7: The Terrestrial Planets and Earth's Moon

Study Plan

The objects that formed in the inner part of the protoplanetary disk around the Sun were relatively small rocky worlds, one of which we call home. Comparing those worlds with one another teaches us lessons about what shapes a planet's fate. Among the lessons we will learn are

• That each terrestrial planet is shaped by impacts, tectonism, volcanism, and gradation.
• How impacts scarred planets early in the history of the Solar System, and still occur on occasion today.
• Why the concentration of craters on a planetary surface tells us how old the surface is.
• How radioactive dating of lunar rocks is used to calibrate the cratering clock.
• That larger worlds remain geologically active longer because smaller worlds cool off sooner.
• How predictions of models of Earth's interior are tested using seismic waves from earthquakes.
• That tectonism takes different forms on different planets, but plate tectonics is unique to Earth.
• That among the volcanoes found on Earth, Venus, and Mars, the most colossal are on Mars.
• The many ways that gradation wears down what other processes form.

Organize

1. Read Chapter 7 in your textbook or ebook.
2. Take the Diagnostic Quiz to assess your understanding of the basic concepts and identify gaps in your understanding of the assigned reading.

Learn

1. Access the Animations given for this chapter. These brief lessons enhance your understanding of core concepts.
   Processes That Shape the Planets
   Section: 7.2, 7.3, 7.5, 7.7
2. Use the FlashCards to test your memory for new terms.
3. Review Foundations Box 7.1: Determining the Ages of Rocks and Box 7.2 on Pressure and Weight. Also see Extrusions Box 7.1: Paleomagnetism: A Ticker-Tape Record of Plate Tectonics.
4. If your instructor has assigned SmartWork online homework, login from the right navigation pane for additional practice and review.

Connect

1. 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.
2. 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.

Instructors now have an easy way to collect students’ online quizzes with the Norton Gradebook without flooding their inboxes with e-mails.

Students can track their online quiz scores by setting up their own Student Gradebook.