List of Supplies
Two 12 cm styrofoam rings
Several styrofoam balls of varying diameter. One each of 2.5, 5, 6.4, 7.6, 10, and 15 cm. Two each of 3 and 3.75 cm.
A styrofoam tray that is 30.5 cm x 91 cm
Acrylic paints that are yellow, black, orange, light blue, dark blue, green, bright red, bright green, terra cotta, coral, dark green, and purple. These are general colors. You are welcome to paint the styrofoam any color of your choice.
Two wooden dowel rods that are 91 cm x .03 cm
Paint brush
Toothpicks
Ruler
Scissors
Glue
Step 1
Cut the dowel rods into the following lengths: 6, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, and 35 cm. Paint each of them black and let them dry while you move on. Paint one of the styrofoam rings black. It will be the base for the sun to sit on. Paint the 15 cm ball yellow. It is the Sun. When it and the black ring are dry, glue them together.
Step 2
It is time to paint each of the planets. The 2.5 cm ball will be orange for Mercury. The 3.75 ball will be deep blue for Venus. The other 3.75 ball will be bright blue for Earth. A 3 cm ball will be bright red for Mars. Paint the 10 cm ball orange for Jupiter. Saturn is the 7.6 cm ball and will be green and coral. Paint the other styrofoam ring coral and glue it to the Saturn ball. Uranus will be a 6 cm ball painted terra cotta with green splotches on it. Neptune will be a 5 cm ball that is green with terra cotta splotches on it. Pluto will be a 3 cm ball painted purple.
Step 3
After the planets all dry, you need to attach the right length dowel to each. One end glued to the Sun and the other to its planet. Mercury will be 6 cm, Venus will be at 10, Earth at 12, Mars will be on the end of a 15 cm dowel. Next comes Jupiter at 18 cm, Saturn and its rings at 20 cm, Uranus at 25 cm, Neptune at 30 cm, and Pluto at 35 cm from the Sun.
There, you have a very nice table top model of the solar system. This is a great science project for kids in early elementary school. Here on Universe Today we have a great article about another way to build a solar system. Astronomy Cast offers a good episode about planets outside of our solar system.
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