What ways do we classify planets?

Question

Hi, I have a sheet task to finish and it says I'm only allowed to use the given website but I can't find the answer. The question tells me What ways do we classify planets? But it didn't convince me on the website. Please help.

Answer 1

As much as I hate cheating on homework for people, I will make an exception because it appears as though you have exhausted all sources, and don't know the answer so here we go.

I'm not completely sure what they questions means by "classify planets". This could be asking a couple of things: "How do we classify a celestial body as a planet?" or "what are the different classifications for a planet?". So this question is a bit misleading, but lets try to figure it out.

There are two main types of planet planets, and many sub-classifications of planets.

For true planets, the following classifications are:

*Terrestrial: A rocky planet like Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

*Gas giant/Jovian: These are gas giant planets... they are made for the most part out of frozen, liquid, or gaseous elements. Examples of these planets in our solar system are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

As for the sub-classifications:

*Dwarf planet: The definition is full of controversy. It is basically a spherical celestial body in an asteroid belt. NOT because of its mass... that is a misconception.

*Plutoid: A more specific definition of a "dwarf planet" that applies only to objects in our solar system. They are basically spherical bodies lying beyond Neptune in the Kupiter belt.

Now *how* to we determine what is a planet and what isn't a planet is a different subject, and a different answer.

The IAU has set a few criteria a celestial body must meet in order for it to be considered a planet.

*It must be spherical as a result of its own gravity. This occurs when the planet obtains something called "hydrostatic equilibrium". It is when pressure pushing outwards, and the gravity of the planet pulling inwards are balanced, thus making an almost perfectly spherical shape.

*It must orbit a star.

*It must be the largest object in its orbit... not in the entire solar system, but in its own orbit.

*It must have a path clear of multiple small objects that are NOT orbiting the planet. So a planet can NOT be in an asteroid belt.

If a celestial body meets all of these criteria, then it is considered a planet. If it meets all criteria except for the asteroid belt one, then it is a dwarf planet. Make sense?

Good luck in your homework and in your studies.

Answer 2

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/more/205c...

This is a link to a page I found.  I don't know if it is what you are looking for but basically it is classifying planets by size, composition, distance from the sun and date it was discovered.  Hope this helps.  Goodluck!

Answer 3

There are a couple different ways you can go.  The inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) are also the smaller, rockier ones.  Comprised mostly of solids.

The outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) are also the larger, gassy planets, comprised mostly of gas.