Suppose we make a scale model of our solar system, with the Sun the size of a grapefruit. Which of the following best describes what the planets would look like?
A)The planets are all much smaller than the Sun. Four planets are within about 20 meters of the Sun, while the rest planets are spread much farther apart.
B)The planets range in size from about the size of a marble to the size of a baseball. They are spread out over a region about the size of a football field.
C)The planets are all much smaller than the Sun and are spread out evenly over a distance about the length of a large classroom.
D)The planets are all much smaller than the Sun. Four planets are located within a few centimeters of the Sun, and four planets are located at distances ranging up to about a meter.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a scale model where the Sun is the size of a grapefruit, the planets would indeed be much smaller than the Sun, with the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) being relatively close to the Sun, and the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) being spread much farther apart. This reflects the actual distances in our solar system, where the inner planets are located within a relatively small radius from the Sun compared to the vast distances that separate the outer planets from the Sun and each other.

Suppose We Make a Scale Model of Our Solar System