Which of the following is a difference between a meteor and a comet?
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Meteors are mostly made up of ice.
No. Meteors are made up of rock or iron, Comets are mostly made up of ice. -
Only comets have a visible tail.
No. A meteor is a meteoroid that has entered our atmosphere. As it burns, it also produces a tail. -
Meteors seem to move faster because they are closer.
Yes. Meteors are entering our atmosphere, so they are much closer to us that a distant comet. That makes them seem to move much faster. -
Comets are smaller than meteors.
No. Meteors are small, often the size of a grain of sand. Comets are much larger.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.E.5.3 Distinguish among the following objects of the Solar System – Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets – and identify Earth’s position in it.
>>> Teacher Page: Our Solar System
Making a Scale Model of the Solar System | video, ClosedCaptions |
Global Science | video, ClosedCaptions |
Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
How Far is That Planet? | text page |
Review Space-3 | practice |
SC.8.E.5.3 Distinguish the hierarchical relationships between planets and other astronomical bodies relative to solar system, galaxy, and universe, including distance, size, and composition.
Making a Scale Model of the Solar System | video, ClosedCaptions |
Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
How Far is That Planet? | text page |
Review Space-3 | practice |
Review Space-2 | practice |
Review Space-10 | practice |
Utah
UT.6.III.1.d Describe the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
Review Space-3 | practice |
NGSS
MS-ESS1-3 Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.
Making a Scale Model of the Solar System | video, ClosedCaptions |
Global Science | video, ClosedCaptions |
Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
How Far is That Planet? | text page |
Review Space-3 | practice |
Review Space-2 | practice |
Review Space-4 | practice |