Assignment:
1. Like siblings, the planets of our solar system have similarities, but also distinct differences. The terrestrial planets and Jovian planets almost seem like half-siblings, their differences are so pronounced. In a 2 to 3 paragraph essay, list some of the most notable ways the two groups differ, and describe how the nebular theory explains them.
2. The outer planets are sometime collectively called the "gas giants." That name is perhaps a bit misleading, given how we think of gas in earth-based situations. However, the most abundant gas in the solar nebula - hydrogen - is certainly the primary ingredient of all four Jovian planets.
In a 2 to 3 paragraph essay, outline some of the major differences among the Jovian planets. Describe the process of gas capture that helped to build them, and use it as a basis to explain these differences.
3. Astronomers refer to the balance of inward and outward forces inside a star as hydrostatic equilibrium. Use layman's terms to explain, in a 2 to 3 paragraph essay, what these forces are, and how they keep a star from either blowing up or collapsing.