Year 5 Science: Earth and space- solar system-Study notes, Worksheets and Online Practice Questions

                                                                                                                                                     Planets

  •  The Sun is a hot ball of gas which is classified as a star. The Sun is placed at the centre of our solar system and makes life possible on Earth.
  • Planets are celestial objects that orbit a star like our solar system’s Sun.
  • Our solar system is currently believed to include eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. In 2006 Pluto was reclassified as a ‘dwarf planet’.

                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                                                    The Earth

  • The Earth, Sun and Moon are spherical (approximately).
  • The Earth rotates on its axis, which stands on a 23.5 ̊ angle.
  • The sun’s rays hit the side of the Earth which faces the sun. This causes day and night. It takes the Earth 24 hours to make one complete spin on it’s axis.
  • The Earth orbits the Sun. One orbit takes 365 days (a year).

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                             The Moon

  • The Moon is a celestial body which orbits the Earth.
  • One orbit takes approximately a month (almost 28 days).
  •  We only see the part of the Moon that is lit by the sun which is why it appears to be different shapes at different times of the month.
  •  The moon is described as waxing as it gets larger from new moon to full moon. As the moon gets smaller from full moon to new moon it is described as waning.
  • There is no life on the Moon because it has no atmosphere (no air or weather).

                                                        

                                                                                                                                                Forces acting upon Earth

  • Forces acting at a distance are forces that do not require direct contact between them.
  • Gravity is the pulling force acting between the Earth and other planets.

                                                                                                                                                      Focus Scientist

Isaac Newton

 

  • Isaac Newton studied Science and philosophy at the University of Cambridge
  • He discovered the idea of forces acting upon objects on Earth.
  • He came up[ with the idea of gravity and how it acts upon objects.

Galileo

 

  • Was a professor of mathematics in Italy.
  • Discovered for of the biggest moons of Jupiter
  • Galileo invented the optical telescope. He was the first person to be able to observe celestial objects.

Tim Peake

  • Eighth British person to go into space and the first official British astronaut to walk in space
  • In 2016, he spent 6 months in space on the International Space Station (ISS).

         Key Vocabulary

rotate: to turn around on one point, also known as an axis .

celestial body: any naturally occurring object in space.

planets: a celestial body which orbits a star.

solar system: planets and their moons which orbit the Sun.

orbit: a repeating path which one object takes around another.

moon: a natural object which orbits a planet and reflects light.

star: a large glowing ball of gas.

space: an unlimited area where everything can be found. Example: planets and stars.

universe: everything we can touch, sense and feel. It includes all planets, stars and moons.

waxing: description of the moon as it grows from new moon to full moon.

waning: description of the moon as it gets smaller from full moon to new moon.

shadow: a dark area or shape produced by a an opaque object .

Scroll to Top