A Sense of Scale
Matching exercise
Match the items on the right with the items on the left.
Check
(smallest)
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
...
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
(largest)
???
length of a football
1 cm (centimeter)
diameter of Sun (109 x Earth's)
1 mm (millimeter)
diameter of the Earth
1 ly (light year)
distance across your state
distance from Earth to Moon (30 Earth diameters)
distance across our local group of galaxies
1 km (kilometer)
diameter of the Moon
1 m (meter)
length of a football field
distance across your town
1 angstrom (10^-10 m)
distance across our galaxy
1 pc (parsec = 3.26 ly)
distance to most distant quasars
size of a carbon nucleus (10^-14 m)
distance to nearest stars
distance from Earth to Sun
Check
OK