Page 185 - Innovator's Science-8

Discuss these listed features with your classmates. You’ll discover that
Earth supports life in man ways-by giving us air to breathe, water to drink,

and soil for growing food. It also provides essential material like rocks and
wood, which we use to construct homes, buildings, and roads.
So, what exactly makes Earth a unique planet? It not only supports life like

ours but also creates the perfect conditions for it to survive and thrive.

WHAT DO THE PLANETS OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM LOOK LIKE?

Our solar system includes eight planets that revolve around the Sun in
nearly circular paths. These planets, arranged according to their distance
from the Sun, are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,

and Neptune.
formy, – what makes Earth so special for life to flourish?

Habets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars– are smaller and rocky, while the
Circular paths up last four– Jupiter, Saturn. Uranus, and Neptune are much larger and
the planets
primarily composed of gases.

Activity-2 Aim: To explore planetary data.
Procedure:
Experiential Learning
• Gather facts about each planet’s average temperature, size (rela ve to Earth),
and whether it has an atmosphere.
• Use resources like school library books, reliable websites, or discuss with your
teachers.
• Use the data to complete the following:
S. No. Planet Avg. Temp (°C) Size (Earth = 1) Has an Atmosphere?

Science 1. Mercury 170 0.38 No
Bytes
2.
Yes
0.95
450
Venus
3. Earth 15 1.00 Yes
Testimony
All the planets in our 4. Mars -60 0.53 Thin atmosphere
solare system travel 5. Jupiter -110 11.00 Yes (thick)
around the Sun in almost 6. Saturn -140 9.00 Yes (thick)
circular paths called 7. Uranus -195 4.00 Yes (thin)
orbits. These paths are 8. Neptune -200 4.00 Yes (thin)
not perfect circles but
slightly oval in shape,
known as ellipses. The
idea that planets move in While filling the table, you’ll notice an interesting trend: planets closer to
ellip cal orbits was first the Sun tend to be hotter, while those farther away are generally colder.
explained by Johannes
Kepler, a German However, Venus stands out – it is the second planet from the Sun but still
astronomer, more than the hottest in the solar system Why?
400 years ago!
The secret lies in its atmosphere. Venus’s thick layer of carbon dioxide traps

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Science-8