What is a planet made of

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What is a planet made of?
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One way in which scientists look at what a planet
is made of is by looking at density
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Lets look at the density of the Planets
 
 
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Lets look at the density of the Planets
The first four planets have higher densities
 
 
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Lets look at the density of the Planets
The next four planets have lower densities
 
 
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Lets look at the density of the Planets
And Pluto is somewhere in between
 
 
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Lets look at the density of the Planets
These planets are known as the Rocky Planets
 
 
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Lets look at the density of the Planets
These planets are known as the Rocky Planets
Because their densities suggest that they are
mostly made of rock and heavier materials
 
 
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Lets look at the density of the Planets
These Planets are known as the gaseous planets
 
 
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Lets look at the density of the Planets
Because their densities suggest that they are
mostly made of gas
These Planets are known as the gaseous planets
 
 
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Lets look at the Earth
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The Inside of the Earth is made of Several Layers
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The Inside of the Earth is made of Several Layers
The Crust A Thin Rock Material
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The Inside of the Earth is made of Several Layers
The Mantle A Dense and Mostly Solid Rock Material
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The Inside of the Earth is made of Several Layers
The Outer Core Liquid Iron and Nickel
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The Inside of the Earth is made of Several Layers
The Inner Core Solid Iron and Nickel
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How Do We Know This?
The Crust A Thin Rock Material
The Mantle A Dense and Mostly Solid Rock Material
The Outer Core Liquid Iron and Nickel
The Inner Core Solid Iron and Nickel
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Density
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The Density of Earth is 5.53 gm/cm3
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The Density of Earth is 5.53 gm/cm3
We know the surface of the Earth is covered with
Rocks
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The Density of Earth is 5.53 gm/cm3
The Land is covered mostly by a type of rock
called Granite (density of Granite 2.6 gm/cm3)
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The Density of Earth is 5.53 gm/cm3
The Land is covered mostly by a type of rock
called Granite (density of Granite 2.6 gm/cm3)
The Ocean is mostly covered by a type of rock
called Basalt (density of Granite 3.3 gm/cm3)
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The Density of Earth is 5.53 gm/cm3
Granite 2.7 gm/cm3 Basalt 3.3 gm/cm3
Neither of these Rocks is dense enough to account
for the density of the Earth
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The Density of Earth is 5.53 gm/cm3
Granite 2.7 gm/cm3 Basalt 3.3 gm/cm3
Iron has a density of 7.9 gm/cm3
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The Density of Earth is 5.53 gm/cm3
Granite 2.7 gm/cm3 Basalt 3.3 gm/cm3
Iron has a density of 7.9 gm/cm3
So we believe the inside of the Earth is made of
a heavy element such as Iron or Nickel (density
of Nickel 8.9 gm/cm3)
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The Density of Earth is 5.53 gm/cm3
Density of Rocks ? 3 gm/cm3
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The Density of Earth is 5.53 gm/cm3
Density of Rocks ? 3 gm/cm3
Density of Iron/Nickel ? 8 gm/cm3
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The Density of Earth is 5.53 gm/cm3
Density of Rocks ? 3 gm/cm3
Density of Iron/Nickel ? 8 gm/cm3
So we believe about ½ the Earth is a Rock-like
material and the other ½ a heavy metal such as
iron and nickel The density of the Earth will be
the average of the two
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The Density of Mars is 3.9 gm/cm3
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The Density of Mars is 3.9 gm/cm3
What does this tell us about the interior of Mars?
Remember the Earth has a density of 5.5 gm/cm3
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The Density of Mars is 3.9 gm/cm3
What does this tell us about the interior of Mars?
Mars has a much smaller Iron Core than Earth does
Remember the Earth has a density of 5.5 gm/cm3
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What does the density tell us about the interior
of these bodies? (do they have a very big core?)
Mercury density 5.4 gm/cm3
Venus density 5.2 gm/cm3
Moon density 3.3 gm/cm3
Remember the Earth has a density of 5.5 gm/cm3
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The Density of Jupiter is 1.3 gm/cm3
What does this tell us about the interior of
Jupiter?
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The Density of Jupiter is 1.3 gm/cm3
What does this tell us about the interior of
Jupiter?
Since the density of Jupiter is so small the
planet has to be made mostly of very light
material
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The Density of Jupiter is 1.3 gm/cm3
What does this tell us about the interior of
Jupiter?
Since the density of Jupiter is so small the
planet has to be made mostly of very light
material
Jupiter is made mostly of Hydrogen and Helium gas
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The Density of Saturn is 0.69 gm/cm3
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The Density of Saturn is 0.69 gm/cm3
The Density of Saturn is 0.69 gm/cm3
Saturn is also made up mostly of Hydrogen and
Helium
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The Density of Saturn is 0.69 gm/cm3
The Density of Saturn is 0.69 gm/cm3
Saturn is also made up mostly of Hydrogen and
Helium
The density of Saturn is less than 1 gm/cm3 so
this planet can float in water
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What does the density tell us about the interior
of Uranus and Neptune?
Uranus density 1.3 gm/cm3
Neptune density 1.6 gm/cm3
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What does the density tell us about the interior
of Uranus and Neptune?
Uranus density 1.3 gm/cm3
Neptune density 1.6 gm/cm3
Like Jupiter and Saturn these planets have low
densities which suggest they are primarily made
of gas. (in this case methane)
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Pluto
density 2.1 gm/cm3
Since Pluto is so far away it is hard to see the
planet. Since it is good at reflecting light
scientists suspect there is ice at the surface,
possibly frozen Nitrogen
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End