Science/Solar system activity

Solar System Bead Distance Activity (from solarsystem.NASA.gov)

Goal: The students will understand the distances between the Sun, planets, and
small objects in the Solar System.

Objective: To create a model demonstrating the scale distances of the Solar System using
astronomical units that have been converted into a 10 centimeter scale.

National Science Education Standards:
Standard D: Earth in the Solar System

National Math Education Standards:
NM.5-8.5 Number Relationships
NM.5-8.13 Measurement

Materials:
•Planet beads (large craft pony beads in 11 colors):
Sun yellow Mercury solid red Venus cream Earth clear blue Mars clear red
Asteroid belt black Jupiter orange Saturn clear gold Uranus dark blue
Neptune light blue Pluto brown
•4.5 meters of string for each student
•Small piece of cardboard to wrap Solar System string around (10 cm x 10 cm)
•Meter sticks or measuring device
•Student handout

Background:
•To speed up the activity for younger students, the string may be pre-cut and a set of Solar
System beads may be put into a plastic ziplock bag for each student. Also, for younger
students, a measured marking grid can be put on a table top so the students can mark their
measured distances and then tie off the beads. If the pre-marking method is used, extra
distance must be added to each planet distance to accommodate the string within each knot
(approximately 4 cm for a double knot around the bead). Tape newspapers to the surface
where the students will be marking their strings, so they do not mark up the counter or floor.
•For older students, measurements are made each time from the Sun to the planet and
tied on after each measurement.
Student Procedure:
1. Convert the various AU distances to centimeters and complete the chart on the student
hand-out sheet.
2. Measure and cut a piece of string 4.5 m long.
3. Using the calculated cm distances, tie the bead onto the string using a double knot.
4. When finished with the activity wrap the Solar System string (with beads) around the
cardboard holder.

Credits: Tom Gates - NASA Educator, NASA Ames Research Center. Adapted by Steve Klug, Fees Middle School, Tempe, AZ and
Sheri Klug, ASU Mars K-12 Education Program, Tempe, AZ.
Solar System Bead Distance Activity

Introduction: Our Solar System is immense in size by normal standards. We think of
the planets as revolving around the Sun, but rarely consider how far each planet is
from the Sun. Furthermore, we fail to appreciate the even greater distances to the
other stars. Astronomers use the distance from the Sun to the Earth as one
“astronomical unit”. This unit provides an easy way to calculate the distances of the
other planets from the Sun.

Vocabulary: Astronomical Unit - 1 AU = approximately 150 million kilometers (93
million miles)

Activity: We will construct a distance model of the Solar System to scale, using
colored beads as planets. The chart below shows the planets and asteroid belt in
order along with their distance from the Sun in astronomical units. First, complete
the chart by multiplying each AU distance by our scale factor of 10 cm per
astronomical unit. Next, use the new distance to construct a scale model of our Solar
System. Start your model by cutting a 4.5 m piece of string. Use the distances in cm
that you have calculated in the chart below to measure the distance from the Sun on
the string to the appropriate planet and tie the colored bead in place. When you are
finished, wrap your string Solar System around the cardboard holder.

Planet AU Scale value (cm) Color
Sun 0.0 AU cm yellow Mercury 0.4 AU cm solid red Venus 0.7 AU cm cream
Earth 1.0 AU cm clear blue Mars 1.5 AU cm clear red Asteroid belt 2.8 AU cm black
Jupiter 5.0 AU cm orange Saturn 10.0 AU cm clear gold Uranus 19.0 AU cm dark blue
Neptune 30.0 AU cm light blue Pluto 39.0 AU cm brown

Consider that if you were traveling at the speed of light, it would take 8 minutes
to travel from the Sun to the Earth (1 AU). It would take 4.3 years (traveling at the speed
of light - 300,000 kilometers per second) to reach the next nearest star, Alpha Centauri!
Show the model to your teacher for a grade. You may keep the model!