Year 7 - Science
Stars, galaxies and the universe
Our solar system and beyond
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores gravity as the force between masses, including weight calculation using gravitational field strength. It covers the relationship between Earth, the Moon, and the Sun, the concept of light years, and seasonal changes due to Earth's tilt.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe what stars and galaxies are and explain how they look when seen from Earth.
Key Notes
- The Sun is a star, an extremely hot sphere of gas that emits light.
- The stars in the night sky are much smaller and dimmer than the Sun because they are much further away.
- A light-year is the distance light travels in one year. This is large enough to be suitable for distances in space.
- In the universe, stars are found in groups called galaxies, with billions of stars in each one.
- There are billions of galaxies in the universe.
Vocabulary To Learn
- star: A star is an extremely hot sphere of gas that emits light.
- light year: A light-year is the distance light travels in one year.
- billion: 1 billion = 1 000 000 000 (one thousand million).
- galaxy: A galaxy is a group of billions of stars.
- universe: The name for the whole of space and everything in it is the universe.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The Sun is not a star.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
The Sun is a star, an extremely hot sphere of gas that emits light. The stars in the night sky are much smaller and dimmer than the Sun because they are much further away.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'star'
A star is an extremely hot sphere of gas that emits light. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: The Sun is not a star. Correction: Make it clear that the only reason the Sun looks different to the stars in the night sky is because it is so much closer to Earth. Use visual examples to show what the Sun and/or other stars would look like at greater distances.
More Lessons In This Unit
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