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Unit 3: The Solar System and energy

GRADE 6 – Unit 3: The Solar System and energy — HIA International - Grade 6 Revision Notes & Topical Questions

5 min read 9 parts Lesson 1 of 14 1 quiz

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Lesson summary

GRADE 6 - Unit 3: The Solar System and energy — HIA INTERNATIONAL notes: Describe the structure and motion of the Solar System, explain gravity, day, year and tides, and describe energy stores, transfers, efficiency and energy resources.Solar System — the Sun and everything that …

  • Planets in order
  • Dwarf planet
  • Moons, asteroids, comets
  • Orbit force
  • Gravitational field strength
  • Revolution

Part 1 of 7Structure of the Solar System

Structure of the Solar System
Solar System
  • Solar System the Sun and everything that orbits it.
Sun
  • Sun a star, a hot ball of gas that gives out light and releases energy by nuclear fusion.
Planets in order
  • Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
  • The four inner planets are small and rocky.
  • The four outer planets are much larger gas or ice giants.
Dwarf planet
  • Pluto is a dwarf planet, not the ninth planet.
Moons, asteroids, comets
  • Moons, asteroids, comets a moon orbits a planet, asteroids are rocky bodies mostly in a belt between Mars and Jupiter,
    • and comets are balls of ice and dust on long stretched orbits.
Formation
  • Formation the Solar System formed from a cloud of dust and gas pulled together by gravity.

Part 2 of 7Gravity and orbits

Gravity and orbits
Orbit
  • Orbit the curved path of one object around another.
Gravity
  • Gravity a non-contact force of attraction between any two objects with mass.
  • The larger the masses and the closer they are, the stronger the force.
Orbit force
  • Orbit force gravity provides the inward pull that bends a moving body into an orbit.
Vacuum
  • Vacuum space has no air resistance, so motion continues without an engine.
Gravitational field strength
  • Gravitational field strength the force of gravity on each kilogram, in N/kg.

Part 3 of 7Day, year and seasons

1Rotation
  • Rotation the Earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours, giving day and night.
2Revolution
  • Revolution the Earth travels once round the Sun in about 365 days, which is one year.
3Leap year
  • 366 days every four years to make up the extra part of a day.
4Seasons
  • Seasons they are caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis.

Part 4 of 7Tides

Cause
  • Cause the Moon's gravity pulls on the oceans so the water bulges towards the Moon.
Frequency
  • Frequency places have high tide twice a day as the Earth rotates.
Strongest
  • Strongest tides are largest when the Sun, Moon and Earth are in line.

Part 5 of 7Energy stores and transfers

Energy stores
  • Energy stores kinetic, gravitational potential, elastic, chemical, thermal and nuclear.
Conservation of energy
  • Conservation of energy energy is never created or destroyed, only transferred from one store to another.
Useful energy
  • Useful energy energy transferred to where we want it.
Wasted energy
  • Wasted energy it spreads out into the surroundings, and this spreading is dissipation.
Efficiency
  • Efficiency useful energy out ÷ total energy in, multiplied by 100 for a percentage.

Part 6 of 7Energy in reactions

Exothermic reaction
  • Exothermic reaction gives out energy to the surroundings, so the temperature of the surroundings rises.
  • Examples are combustion, respiration, neutralisation and hand warmers.
Endothermic reaction
  • Endothermic reaction takes in energy from the surroundings, so the temperature of the surroundings falls.

Part 7 of 7Energy resources

TypeExamplesKey points
Non-renewableCoal, oil, natural gasWill run out; burning releases carbon dioxide, which adds to global warming
RenewableWind, solar, hydroelectric, tidal, geothermal, biomassWill not run out, but some depend on weather or location and can cost a lot to build
Fossil fuels
  • Fossil fuels formed over millions of years from dead plants and animals buried and squashed by rock.
Power station
  • Power station a fuel heats water to steam, the steam turns a turbine and the turbine drives a generator.

Key terms

TermMeaning
OrbitThe curved path of one object around another.
GravityA non-contact force of attraction between objects with mass.
Dwarf planetA small planet-like body, such as Pluto, that has not cleared its orbit.
Conservation of energyEnergy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred.
DissipationThe spreading out of energy into the surroundings.
EfficiencyUseful energy out divided by total energy in.
Exothermic reactionA reaction that gives out energy to the surroundings.
Endothermic reactionA reaction that takes in energy from the surroundings.

Avoid these mistakes

1
Saying the Sun is a planet — it is a star that releases energy by nuclear fusion.
2
Saying Pluto is the ninth planet — it is a dwarf planet.
3
Saying energy is made or used up — energy is conserved and only transferred or dissipated.
4
Mixing up rotation and revolution — rotation gives day and night and revolution gives the year.
5
Saying magnetism pulled the dust together — it was gravity.

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