FORMATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM Name:

Reading Comprehension
Formation of the
(1) Billions of years ago, circumstances were just right for Earth and the other Solar System
planets in our Solar System to form. The nebular theory is a scientific explanation for
the formation of our solar system. It proposes that the sun, planets, and other
celestial bodies in our solar system formed from a rotating cloud of gas and dust. This
theory was first proposed by the French mathematician and astronomer Pierre-Simon
Laplace in the 18th century.

(2) According to the nebular theory, the process of solar system formation began
4.6 billion years ago with the gravitational collapse of a massive rotating cloud of gas
and dust called a solar nebula. At some point, the solar nebula collapsed in on itself,
Solar Nebula
most likely caused by the shockwave of a nearby supernova. As the solar nebula
contracted, it started to rotate faster due to the conservation of angular momentum.
This spinning motion caused the cloud to flatten into a spinning disk known as the
protoplanetary disk.

(3) Within the protoplanetary disk, the materials began to clump together due to
gravitational forces, eventually forming a protostar. A protostar is a contracting mass
of gas which represents an early stage in the formation of a star, before nuclear
fusion begins. Over time, the protostar at the center of the solar nebula grew hotter
and denser, eventually igniting nuclear fusion and our star, the sun, was born.

(4) The remaining particles and dust within the protoplanetary disk, collided and
Protoplanetary
stuck together through a process known as accretion. This accretion of materials
Disk
formed small, irregularly shaped bodies called planetesimals. As the planetesimals
continued accumulate materials and grow in size, their gravitational pull became
stronger, allowing them to attract even more material from the disk. Eventually, these
growing planetesimals became protoplanets, which continued to accumulate even
more material and grow in size. These protoplanets continue to grow by accreting
more material from the disk until they become large enough to be classified as
planets.
(5) The nebular theory provides a comprehensive explanation for the observed
characteristics of our solar system. It explains why the planets orbit the sun in the same
direction, why they have different compositions, sizes, and distances from the sun, and
why they rotate on their axes. This theory is supported by various pieces of evidence, Planetesimals
including the observations of other star systems that have similar disk structures. Form
Additionally, the composition and age of rocks from the Moon and meteorites also align
with the predictions of this theory. While there are still some unanswered questions
about the details of planetary formation, the nebular theory provides a solid foundation
for understanding how our solar system came to be.
1. Summarize the nebular theory in your own words.
when a force, such as a shockwave of a supernova, hits a nebula, it begins to
collapse. This results in the nebula attening into a disk. The disk spins, pushing
light elements such as hydrogen and helium to the center to form a star. The
remaining dust crashes and combined together to create planets around the star.
Present-Day
2. Describe how planetesimals become planets. Solar System
planetesimals constantly collide with other
matter, increasing their gravity. Increased
gravity leads to more accumulation of
mass until they are a large planet.
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Formation of the Inner and Outer Planets
(6) Within the protoplanetary disk, two distinct regions formed: the inner region, closer to the Sun, and the
outer region, farther away.
(7) The high temperatures of the inner region of the protoplanetary disk allowed only rocky materials to
condense and form solid planetesimals. The inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, are terrestrial
planets formed from these rocky planetesimals. Their close proximity to the Sun prevented volatile gases, such
as hydrogen and helium, from accumulating, resulting in their relatively thin atmospheres.

(8) In contrast, the outer region of the protoplanetary disk was colder, enabling the condensation of both
rocky materials and large amounts of gas. This led to the formation of gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, which
primarily consist of hydrogen and helium gas. These gas giants grew their large size and thick atmospheres by
capturing and accreting vast amounts of gas from the surrounding disk with their immense gravitational pull.

(9) Beyond the gas giants, in the coldest and outermost region of the solar system, lie the ice giants Uranus
and Neptune. These planets have thick atmospheres and are formed from a combination of rocky materials and
ices, such as water, methane, and ammonia. The ices in this region were able to condense and form due to
extremely cold temperatures, allowing the ice giants to take shape.

Gas Giants
Ice Giants
Terrestrial Planets

Inner Planets Outer Planets

3. Why do the inner planets have relatively thin atmospheres compared to the outer planets?
the inner planets have thinner atmospheres because it
was too hot for many gasses to accumulate. Primarily
hydrogen and helium were unable to accumulate and
kept the atmosphere thin.
4. What gases are Jupiter and Saturn primarily composed of?
Jupiter and Saturn are mostly composed of
hydrogen and helium
5. Why are ice giants icy?
ice giants are icy because of the extremely cold temperatures they form in due
to their distance from the sun, so everything becomes a solid.
6. If a planetesimal was formed in the hotter region of the protoplanetary disk, would it most likely form into
an inner planet or outer planet? Explain why.
it would most likely form into an inner planet. The warm temperatures
would only allow for rocks to accumulate as other stu such as gasses
would be unable to do so.

© SCIENCE IS REAL
 Multiple Choice
a 1. According to the nebular theory, what is the
__
scientific explanation for the formation of our solar
system?
6__atmosphere?
7. Which planets are rocky with a relatively thin

O
a. gravitational collapse of a rotating cloud of gas and a. ice giants
dust
b. collision of planets and other celestial bodies O b. terrestrial planets
c. outer planets
c. nuclear fusion in the protoplanetary disk
__ 8. How did the protoplanetary disk form?
b 2. What did the solar nebula collapse into during the
__ a. The solar nebula contracted and started to rotate faster.
process of solar system formation? b. The protostar ignited nuclear fusion.
a. planetesimals c. The protoplanets grew in size.
G
b. protoplanetary disk
c. protoplanets C
__ 9. What are planetesimals?
a. large, fully formed planets
d
__ 3. What most likely caused the solar nebula to b. massive clouds of gas and dust
collapse in on itself?
oc. small, irregularly shaped bodies formed by accretion

O
a. the shockwave of a nearby supernova
b. the collision of two protoplanets c__ 10. How do protoplanets continue to grow in size?
c. the explosion of a black hole a. by colliding with the protostar
b. through nuclear fusion

8
__ 4. What is a protostar? c. by attracting more material from the protoplanetary
a. a contracting mass of gas before nuclear fusion begins 0 disk
b. a celestial body formed from a supernova explosion
c. a planetesimal in the protoplanetary disk a 11. How did gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn grow
__
large?
b
__ 5. How did the protostar at the center of the solar
oa. by capturing and accreting vast amounts of gas from
nebula become our sun? the surrounding disk
a. accretion of materials b. by condensing rocky materials
o
b. nuclear fusion
c. gravitational collapse
c. by colliding with other planets

e 6. What process caused the materials within the

__
b
__ 12. Why were only rocky materials able to condense
and form solid planetesimals in the inner region of the
protoplanetary disk to clump together? protoplanetary disk?
a. nuclear fusion a. due to low temperatures
b. supernova explosion
Ob. due to high temperatures

o
c. accretion c. due to the presence of hydrogen and helium gas

True or False
F
13. _______ Jupiter and Saturn are categorized as ice giants.

T The composition and age of rocks from the Moon aligns with the predictions of the nebular theory.
14. _______
F Protoplanets become planetesimals after they have reached a certain size.
15. _______
F Terrestrial planets grew large by capturing and accreting vast amounts of gas from the surrounding
16. _______
disk with their immense gravitational pull.

F
17. _______ The nebula theory was first proposed by Galileo Galilei in the 18th century.

F
18. _______ The solar system began to form about 4.6 million years ago.

T
19. _______ Gas giants have thicker atmospheres than terrestrial planets.

t
20. _______ Protostars do not perform nuclear fusion in their cores.
 I

t
b
H
F

J
G
Extended Thinking Ques0ons

31. It is said that if you had a bathtub large enough

for each of the planets, only one of them would
float atop the water. Which one would float on
water and why?
Saturn, it has the highest
concentration of helium which is
lighter than water and would oat.

32. Uranus has a @lt and spin different than most planets. What could be the cause?

Uranus may have a di erent tilt and

spin because of a large collision as
a protoplanet, leading to it being
knocked o - axis

33. Venus’ atmosphere reflects nearly 70% of the sunlinght that reaches it. How is it so hot on the surface?
Venus’ atmosphere is composed of 96% co2, meaning
that the 30% of the sun’s energy that is absorbed will
stay there forever, causing very high temperatures.