Grade 6 Our Solar System worksheet
from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
How to explain it
- The planets in order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
- The asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter.
- A moon is a natural object that orbits a planet.
- The farther a planet is from the Sun, the longer it takes to orbit once.
Example: Which takes longer to orbit the Sun: Mars or Saturn? Saturn is much farther from the Sun than Mars. Farther planets have longer orbits. Answer: Saturn
Question 1
Put these in order, starting with the one closest to the Sun.
- Earth
- Mars
- Venus
- Uranus
- Saturn
Venus → Earth → Mars → Saturn → Uranus
Hint: Try: My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). The asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter.
Question 2
Which planet is famous for its bright, wide rings?
🪐- Saturn
- Mercury
- Venus
- Mars
Saturn
Hint: All four giant planets have rings, but this one's rings of ice and rock are by far the brightest.
Question 3
Which planet in the table is the smallest?
Planet data Planet Diameter (km) Distance from Sun (AU) Year (Earth years) Mercury 4,879 0.4 0.24 Mars 6,792 1.5 1.9 Jupiter 142,984 5.2 11.9 Saturn 120,536 9.6 29.5 - Jupiter
- Saturn
- Mars
- Mercury
Mercury
Hint: Compare the diameters. The smallest number is the narrowest planet.
Question 4
Which planet is the largest?
🟠- Neptune
- Jupiter
- Earth
- Saturn
Jupiter
Hint: This giant is so big that more than 1000 Earths could fit inside it.
Question 5
How many moons does Earth have?
🌙- 0
- 1
- 4
- 2
1
Hint: We call it “the Moon”.
Question 6
Rocky planet or giant planet? Tap an item, then tap its basket.
Sort into: 🪨 rocky planet · 🎈 giant planet
- 🟡Venus
- 🔴Mars
- 🟠Jupiter
- 🪐Saturn
- 🌍Earth
- 🔵Neptune
🪨 rocky planet: Venus, Mars, Earth · 🎈 giant planet: Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune
Hint: The four inner planets are small and rocky. The four outer planets are huge giants made mostly of gas and ice.
Question 7
About how long does sunlight take to reach Earth?
☀️- about 8 seconds
- about 8 days
- about 8 minutes
- about 8 hours
about 8 minutes
Hint: Light is the fastest thing there is, but the Sun is about 150 million km away.
Question 8
Which planet is the hottest, because its thick atmosphere traps heat?
🌡️- Mars
- Mercury
- Jupiter
- Venus
Venus
Hint: Mercury is closer to the Sun, but Venus's thick carbon dioxide atmosphere traps heat like a blanket.
Question 9
What is a moon?
- a cloud of gas between planets
- a planet with rings
- a natural object that orbits a planet
- a star that orbits the Sun
a natural object that orbits a planet
Hint: Earth has one moon, Mars has two, and the giant planets have dozens each.
Question 10
The Sun is a…
☀️- moon
- planet
- star
- galaxy
star
Hint: The Sun makes its own light and heat. So do the other stars you see at night; they're just much farther away.
Answer key
- 1. Venus → Earth → Mars → Saturn → Uranus
- 2. Saturn
- 3. Mercury
- 4. Jupiter
- 5. 1
- 6. 🪨 rocky planet: Venus, Mars, Earth · 🎈 giant planet: Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune
- 7. about 8 minutes
- 8. Venus
- 9. a natural object that orbits a planet
- 10. star
Want more than 10 questions?
In Gradelings the questions change every time and adjust to your child, with hints and kind feedback.