In this post, notes & Ncert Solutions of The Earth in the Solar System Class 6 have been provided, in which the position of the Earth, the third planet has been explained. The Earth is the only planet to have air & water on its surface. The notes & questions and answers will help students in preparing important concepts for the exam point of view.
They will learn about the Sun, the eight planets and their moons, and smaller planetary objects such as dwarf planets, comets, and meteoroids together make up our solar system. etc. through this post.
The Earth in the Solar System Class 6 Notes
The solar system was formed about 4.6 billion years ago, forming a cloud of gas and dust, which cooled and collapsed under its own gravity. As a result, the sun, the planet, and other celestial bodies were formed.
Stars – Stars are luminous objects in the universe that are formed from clouds of gas and dust They emit light and heat. Stars are of different sizes, colors, and temperatures. The North Star indicates the north direction. It is also called the Pole Star.
Constellations: Constellations are groups of stars that form various patterns or shapes in the night sky. They are used as a way to navigate the night sky and locate specific stars. Ursa Major which is known as the Saptarishi (Saptaseven, rishi-sages).
Planets – Planets are heavenly bodies that do not have their own heat and light. They get light from the Sun. They move around the sun in their orbit.
The Solar System
The Solar System is the collection of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other celestial objects that orbit around the Sun. It is formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a giant cloud of gas and dust.
The Sun
The Sun is a luminous ball of hot gases at the center of the Solar System. It is the most important source of heat and light for life on Earth. Its diameter is about 1.4 million kilometers and about 150 million km away from Earth.
Planets
Planets are heavenly bodies that move around the sun and do not produce their own light. There are eight planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The paths on which all planets move are called orbits. Mercury is the nearest planet to the sun. It takes about 88 days to complete one round along its orbit. Venus is called Earth’s twin due to its similar size and shape. Pluto is now classified as a dwarf planet because it does not meet the criteria for a full-fledged planet.
The Earth
The third planet from the Sun, Earth is the only known planet in our solar system capable of supporting life. It has water and air, which are very essential for survival. Earth’s surface is covered by 71% water so It is also called a blue planet and 29% of the Earth’s surface is made up of continents and islands. The Earth’s shape is described as a Geoid like an orange.
The Moon
The moon is Earth’s only natural satellite and is located about 238,855 miles away from our planet. It has a diameter of 3,476 kilometers. It takes about 27.3 days for the moon to orbit around Earth. The surface of the Moon is characterized by a variety of features such as craters, mountains, and plains. Unlike the Earth, the Moon does not have a significant magnetic field.
Asteroids
Asteroids are small, rocky bodies that move around the sun. Most asteroids are located between Mars and Jupiter this region is known as the asteroid belt. Asteroids are believed to be remnants of the early solar system many years back.
Meteoroids
Meteoroids are small, solid objects that orbit the sun and are much smaller than asteroids. They range in size from a grain of dust to about 1 meter in diameter. When a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it creates a meteor, which produces a brilliant streak of light in the sky commonly referred to as a shooting star.
Our solar system is just one part of a much larger structure known as a galaxy.
A galaxy is a massive system of stars, dust, gas, and dark matter. They can contain anywhere from millions to trillions of stars, that make the universe.
The Earth in the Solar System Class 6 Questions and Answers
Key Words
- Satellite: A celestial body that moves around the planet. As the moon is a satellite that moves around the Earth.
- Universe: The universe is all existing matter, energy, space, and time including our Earth and other planets, stars, galaxies, and all other heavenly bodies.
- Galaxy: A galaxy is a massive system of stars, dust, gas, and dark matter.
- Celestial bodies: Celestial bodies are natural objects in space, such as stars, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.
- Solar System: A solar system is a family of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other celestial bodies that move around the Sun.
Concept Map
Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) How does a planet differ from a star?
Answer: A planet is different from a star in the following ways:
| Planets | Stars |
|---|---|
| These do not produce their own light. | These produce their own light. |
| These are composed of rock and gas | These are composed of hot plasma gas |
| These move around the sun. | These are fixed on their place. |
| These are much smaller and less massive than stars | These are much larger and more massive than planets |
(b) What is meant by the ‘Solar System’?
Answer: The solar system refers to the collection of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other celestial bodies that orbit around the Sun. It is called the “Family of the Sun”.
(c) Name all the planets according to their distance from the sun.
Answer: The planets according to their distance from the Sun (in order):
- Mercury
- Venus
- Earth
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Uranus
- Neptune
(d) Why is the Earth called a unique planet?
Answer: The Earth is often called a unique planet due to some reasons:
i) It has large quantities of liquid water on its surface. This is essential for supporting life.
ii) It is rich in oxygen. This is essential for supporting life.
iii) It has favorable climate conditions to survive creatures.
iv) It has a strong magnetic field, which protects it from harmful solar radiation and cosmic rays.
(e) Why do we see only one side of the moon always?
Answer: We see only one side of the moon always because the moon rotates on its axis at the same rate that it orbits around the Earth.
(f) What is the Universe?
Answer: The universe is all existing matter, energy, space, and time including our Earth and other planets, stars, galaxies, and all other heavenly bodies.
2. Tick the correct answer.
(a) The planet is known as the “Earth’s Twin” is
(i) Jupiter
(ii) Saturn
(iii) Venus.
Answer: (iii) Venus.
(b) Which is the third nearest planet to the sun?
(i) Venus
(ii) Earth
(iii) Mercury.
Answer: (ii) Earth
(c) All the planets move around the sun in a
(i) Circular path
(ii) Rectangular path
(iii) Elongated path
Answer: (iii) Elongated path
(d) The Pole Star indicates the direction to the
(i) South
(ii) North
(iii) East.
Answer: (ii) North
(e) Asteroids are found between the orbits of
(i) Saturn and Jupiter
(ii) Mars and Jupiter
(iii) The Earth and Mars.
Answer: (ii) Mars and Jupiter
3. Fill in the blanks.
- A group of ——–. forming various patterns is called a ………….
- A huge system of stars is called ……………
- ……….. is the closest celestial body to our earth.
- ………. is the third nearest planet to the sun.
- Planets do not have their own ………… and ………..
Answer: 1. stars, constellation.
2. a galaxy.
3. The moon
4. The Earth
5. heat and light.
The Earth in the Solar System | Extra questions
Very Short Questions Answers:
1. The planet is known as the “Red Planet’.
Answer: Mars is known as the “Red Planet’.
2. How many satellites have Jupiter?
Answer: Jupiter has 62 satellites.
3. What is the third planet from the Sun?
Answer: The Earth is the third planet from the Sun.
4. What is the name of our galaxy?
Answer: Milky Way.
5. The shape of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun
Answer: Elliptical.
6. What is the closest planet to the Sun?
Answer: Mercury
7. How long does it take for the Earth to orbit around the Sun?
Answer: The Earth takes approximately 365.25 days or one year to orbit around the Sun.
8. What causes day and night on Earth?
Answer: The rotation of the Earth on its axis
9. What is the name of the force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?
Answer: The name of the force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun is Gravity.
10. What is the approximate distance between the Earth and the Sun?
Answer: The approximate distance between the Earth and the Sun is about 93 million miles or 149.6 million kilometers.
Short Questions Answers:
1. Name the constellations that are most seen clearly from the Earth.
Answer: There are many constellations that can be seen clearly from Earth:
- Orion
- Ursa Major
- Cassiopeia
- Leo
- Scorpius
- Cygnus
- Sagittarius
- Canis Major
- Gemini
- Taurus
2. How was Solar System formed?
Answer: The Solar System formed from a giant cloud of gas and dust, called a solar nebula, about 4.6 billion years ago. The nebula collapsed under the force of its own gravity. Most of the material is collected in the center, forming the Sun, while the rest of the material formed the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets in the Solar System.
3. Write briefly about the Milky Way Galaxy.
Answer: The Milky Way Galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy that contains billions of stars, as well as planets, asteroids, comets, and other celestial objects. It is estimated to be about 100,000 light-years in diameter and to have a mass of approximately 1 trillion solar masses. Our Solar System is located in the Milky Way.
4. Which planet is called the unique planet and why?
Answer: The Earth planet is called a unique planet because
- It is the only known planet in the Solar System that supports life.
- Earth’s atmosphere, magnetic field, and other features make it a hospitable planet for a wide range of living organisms, including humans.
- Earth’s position in the Solar System, with its proximity to the Sun and its size and composition, makes it a planet with a unique climate, geology, and biodiversity.
5. Name the two extreme shapes of the moon. When and at what intervals do they occur?
Answer: The two extreme shapes of the Moon are the Full Moon and the New Moon.
The Full Moon occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun, and the entire illuminated side of the Moon is visible from Earth.
The New Moon occurs when the Moon is on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and the side of the Moon facing the Earth is not illuminated.
These two extreme shapes of the Moon occur approximately once per month, during the lunar month, which lasts about 29.5 days.
Long Question answers:
1. Draw a diagram showing the eight planets of the solar system in their orbits around the sun. Also, prepare a table mentioning the length of their days and years.
Answer:
The table showing the length of the days and years of the eight planets in our Solar System
| Planet | Length of Day (in Earth days) | Length of Year (in Earth days) |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | 58.6 | 87.9 |
| Venus | 243 | 225 |
| Earth | 1 | 365.25 |
| Mars | 1.03 | 687 |
| Jupiter | 0.41 | 4,333 |
| Saturn | 0.44 | 10,759 |
| Uranus | 0.72 | 30,687 |
| Neptune | 0.67 | 60,190 |
MCQs:
1. Which of the following is the smallest planet in our Solar System?
a) Earth
b) Mars
c) Venus
d) Mercury
Answer: d) Mercury
2. What is the name of the force that keeps planets in their orbits around the Sun?
a) Gravity
b) Magnetism
c) Friction
d) Inertia
Answer: a) Gravity
3. Which planet has the largest number of moons?
a) Saturn
b) Uranus
c) Jupiter
d) Neptune
Answer: c) Jupiter
4. Which planet is known for its rings?
a) Saturn
b) Jupiter
c) Neptune
d) Uranus
Answer: a) Saturn
5. Which planet is often referred to as the “Red Planet”?
a) Venus
b) Earth
c) Mars
d) Mercury
Answer: c) Mars
6. What is the name of the phenomenon by which the Earth’s magnetic field protects us from the solar wind?
a) Aurora borealis
b) Magnetosphere
c) Solar flares
d) Cosmic rays
Answer: b) Magnetosphere
7. Which planet is known for its rings?
a) Saturn
b) Jupiter
c) Neptune
d) Uranus
Answer: a) Saturn
8. The planet with rings of dust around it is
a) Uranus
b) Jupiter
c) Neptune
d) Uranus
Answer: a) Saturn
9. How many planets are there in the Solar System?
a) five
b) eight
c) nine
d) ten
Answer: b) eight
10. A large cloud of interstellar gas and dust is called
a) sun
b) planet
c) asteroids
d) nubela
Answer: d) nubela
True (T) or false (F).
- The Earth is the fifth planet from the Sun. False
- The Earth’s atmosphere is composed mostly of nitrogen and oxygen. True
- The Earth is the largest planet in the Solar System. False.
- The Earth’s magnetic field protects us from the solar wind. True.
- The Earth’s rotation causes day and night. True.
- The Earth is the only planet in the Solar System with water on its surface. False.
- The Earth’s distance from the Sun changes throughout the year. True.
- The Earth has one moon. False.
- The atmosphere is divided into five layers. False.
- The Earth’s orbit around the Sun is perfectly circular. False.
The Earth in the Solar System Class 6 pdf
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Conclusion
I hope the given details about The Earth in the Solar System Class 6 notes & solutions will help you to know and learn about the chapter easily. You can access them by visiting CBSE Class 6 Social Science Notes & Solutions at Freehomeworkhelp.in. Extra questions based on reading have been provided in this post. If you have any other queries about The Earth in the Solar System NCERT notes, feel free to reach us so that we can revert back to us at the earliest possible.
FAQs
1. Who discovered the solar system?
The solar system was not discovered by a single person. but it is considered that In the 17th century, Galileo Galilei used a telescope to observe the planets and their moons and discover the individual bodies of the solar system with their physical details.
2. Why do some planets have rings?
Planets have rings due to the gravitational forces between the planet and its moons, as well as other factors such as the planet’s rotation and the composition of the rings. The rings are made up of countless small particles.
3. Is there life on other planets in the solar system?
No, there is no life on other planets in the solar system. However, scientists continue to search for evidence of past or present life on other planets in our solar system through various methods, including exploration missions and telescopic observations.