Solar System B

[robodude]

you can bring in one 11x8.5 sheet of plain boring printer paper, front and back. you can put anything onto that paper, in any font.
too bad you can't bring in a magnifing glass... we might need one to read our notes...

[amerikestrel]

What exactly is this event focused on? I'm trying to decide if I should do it this year.

[robodude]

Wow, your school hasn't decided on events yet?

Its basically about everything in our solar system, like the kuiper belt or oort cloud. Also know the properties of the sun, planets, and major moons, and some common knowledge like Kepler's laws and how to calculate the Escape Velocity of a planet.

[AlphaTauri]

My school hasn't decided either. We haven't even formed our team yet, but that's ok because our regionals and states are absurdly late.

Anyways, add this to the list of stuff to study:

~Newtons Laws of Motion and Gravitational Attraction
~The history of the Solar System
~The Sun
~Asteroids, comets, meteorites
~Earth's seasons, eclipses, and tides
~Planetary motions (rotation, revolution, that kind of thing)
~Effects of planets and their moons on each other

[EASTstroudsburg13]

Wow, your school hasn't decided on events yet?

Neither has ours, and we're far from doing so. As of now only 4 people have attended our only meeting, although we're recruiting people, and we haven't gotten the regionals schedule yet, so nothing can be permanent. From what I'm guessing, there are a lot of schools that haven't really started seriously meeting, much less have the events set already.

In response to the question, you should also know the difference between a planet and a dwarf planet, and the characteristics of the dwarves and their moons.

[amerikestrel]

Wow, your school hasn't decided on events yet?

I'm supposed to take a tryout test on monday (the 2nd) to get into my school's Science Olympiad team. I've started studying for the events that I plan on doing, but my team hasn't. At least, not that I know of.

[AlphaTauri]

Yeah, my school's the same way, only the tryout test is this Tuesday. I always thought we started really late compared to some other teams, but apparently not. I'm not even sure we'll have enough people for a 15-person team and alternates.

Ok, maybe we should get back on topic...

[amerikestrel]

Yeah, my school's the same way, only the tryout test is this Tuesday. I always thought we started really late compared to some other teams, but apparently not. I'm not even sure we'll have enough people for a 15-person team and alternates.

Ok, maybe we should get back on topic...

Good idea.

How much of the even has to do with calculations? Does it say anything about that in the rules? I can't check; unfortunately I lost my copy.

[robodude]

None of the practice tests I've taken have too much calculations, but you should definatly take a calculator. You should know basic formulas, like Escape Velocity, and also about the 3rd law of Kepler:

The ratio of the squares of the revolutionary periods for two planets is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their semimajor axes:

[amerikestrel]

None of the practice tests I've taken have too much calculations, but you should definatly take a calculator. You should know basic formulas, like Escape Velocity, and also about the 3rd law of Kepler:

The ratio of the squares of the revolutionary periods for two planets is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their semimajor axes:

Ok, thanks.

[cooltiger]

Ok, I've got my copy of the rules for solar system, so I'm going to read through them, and put in all the questions I've got.

Identification of the constellations containing all planets visible on the evening of the day of the competition, either with the unaided eye or a telescope.

That is a mouthful, I don't quite understand what it means.

Participants will attempt to identify and to place in sequential order the series of events in the geological history of one or more smal areas on the surface of a planet or satellite.

Can I get some example questions on this? I think I get it but I want to be sure.
Other than that I'm good.

[gyourkoshaven]

Can I get some example questions on this? I think I get it but I want to be sure.
Other than that I'm good.

(Can guarantee you won't get this question, but I haven't studied other planets enough.)

Put the following in order:Vaalbara, Pangea, Laurasia and Gondwana.

[amerikestrel]

Can I get some example questions on this? I think I get it but I want to be sure.
Other than that I'm good.

(Can guarantee you won't get this question, but I haven't studied other planets enough.)

Put the following in order:Vaalbara, Pangea, Laurasia and Gondwana.

Wait a minute, weren't Laurasia and Gondwana part of Pangea?

[x_SOninja_x]

for ur first question, you might want to use this website (originally for RFS): http://www.heavens-above.com/
they have skycharts,& info on planets/constellations.
if you go to planets summary, you'll be able to see what constellations each planet is in currently.

[AlphaTauri]

As for the second one, what I assume that means is that they'll show a "map" of impacts on the surface of a made-up planet and you'll have to determine which one came first, second, etc. They might also ask about significant impacts on the moons or the planets themselves.