Making a model of the solar system is an educational and fun project at the same time. Science teachers sometimes ask students to prepare one during the school year. You can make your own from simple materials that you can buy at a fine arts or craft store. There are many ways to make a model of the solar system; this article describes the simplest and least demanding one from an economic point of view.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Finding and Gathering Materials
Step 1. Study the planets
If you want to make a model for a school project, you can't move roughly just knowing the names of the planets.
- Learn the names of the planets and the order based on the distance from the sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
- Some models also include Pluto as a planet, but scientists recently classified this celestial body as a dwarf planet.
- Also read about the Sun, which is the star at the center of our system.
Step 2. Gather all the materials needed to build the planets
It is best to arrange everything you will need in front of you as you progress with the project.
- Get some polystyrene balls with the following diameters (expressed in centimeters): 12, 5; 10; 7, 5; 6, 3; 6, 2; 3, 8 and 3. You will also need two 3.8cm and two 3cm balls.
- You will also need a sheet of styrofoam 1.3 cm thick and 12.5x12.5 cm in size. From this you will get the rings of Saturn.
- You must also have acrylic paints of the following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue-green, dark blue, cobalt, light blue, white and black. With these you can paint the planets.
Step 3. Find objects to keep the planets suspended
They are available in home improvement stores along with the rest of the materials.
- You need to get a wooden pin with a diameter of 6 mm and a length of 75 cm. With this, along with some string, you can keep the planets in suspension.
- Get a skein of twine or black thread that you will use to hang the planets on the spinet.
- Also take some white vinyl glue to attach the styrofoam balls to the threads.
- If you don't have a hook to screw to the ceiling to hang the model, then you need to get one.
Step 4. Gather all the tools you will need to assemble the project
These too must be within reach during the assembly stages.
- Get a pair of scissors and a serrated knife (or alternatively a cutter). You will need the scissors to cut the string and the knife to cut out the rings of Saturn.
- Warning: Never allow a child to use the cutter. The supervision and help of an adult is essential.
- Arrange a cup or jar with a 7.5cm diameter and another 10cm diameter. They will guide you to trace the rings of Saturn on the polystyrene sheet.
- You will also need a teaspoon to smooth the edges of the Styrofoam.
Step 5. Buy the other tools as well
They will be useful for coloring the planets.
- Get at least 8 wooden skewers, just like those used on the barbecue.
- You can use them to skewer planets as you paint them to avoid getting your hands and work area dirty.
- Find a couple of plastic cups for water and paint.
- Get a stiff brush to paint the planets.
Part 2 of 3: Building the Planets
Step 1. Insert a wooden skewer into each Styrofoam ball
This will allow you to color them with less difficulty.
- Do not completely go through the ball with the stick.
- It is sufficient to insert the skewer only up to the middle of the sphere.
- Arrange the spheres in this order: first the 12.5 cm one, then one 3 cm, one 3.8 cm, another 3.8 cm, the next 3 cm, the 10 cm one, the 7.5 cm, the 6.2 cm one and finally the 6.3 cm one.
Step 2. Cut out the rings of Saturn
To do this, you need to draw circles on the styrofoam sheet.
- With a pencil or pen, draw a circle with a diameter of 10 cm in the center of the styrofoam sheet using the jar as a guide.
- Place the 7.5cm jar exactly in the center of the first circle and go over the circumference with a pencil or pen.
- Cut out the ring with a cutter following the circumferences you have drawn.
- Never allow a child to use a cutter or serrated knife. For this step, the intervention of an adult is required.
- Smooth the edges of the rings with the rounded side of a teaspoon.
Step 3. Add details to the Sun and the first planets
You can do this by coloring the styrofoam balls with acrylic paint. Grab each planet by the skewer, so you'll be less messy and less dirty.
- Put the paints in the plastic cups and fill another one halfway with water, so you can rinse the brush.
- Color the 12.5cm sphere a bright yellow. This will be the Sun.
- Take the next sphere. It should be the 3 cm one representing Mercury. Paint it orange.
- The next ball (3, 8 cm) should be colored blue-green and represents Venus.
- The next sphere (3.8cm) must be blue with green continents. It will be the Earth.
- Mars should be red, represented by the second 3cm sphere.
Step 4. Color the gas giants and the wooden spinet
These planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus.
- Paint the 10 cm ball with orange and red, also adding white stripes. This is Jupiter. Also add the Great Red Spot in the right place with red acrylic.
- Color the 7.5 cm sphere yellow and the polystyrene ring orange. It will be Saturn.
- The 6.2cm ball must be colored blue and represents Uranus.
- Take the 6.3cm ball and color it cobalt blue to make Neptune.
- The wooden pin must be black.
Step 5. Wait for all planets and spinet to dry
The colors must be completely dry before hanging the various elements and composing the model.
- Insert the ends of the skewers into a large jar, and let the planets dry without touching each other.
- While you wait, clean the work area a little.
- You have to wash the brush, get rid of the plastic cups in which you put the colors and the water and the scraps of the polystyrene sheet from which you made the rings of Saturn.
Step 6. Assemble Saturn
This is more complex than the other planets due to the rings.
- Cover the inner edge of the orange-colored ring with vinyl glue.
- Insert the 7.5 cm ball in the center of the ring, being careful not to break the polystyrene.
- Set it aside for the glue to dry while you work on the rest of the model.
Part 3 of 3: Assemble the Model
Step 1. Cut the pieces of string that the planets will hang from
You will have to cut them to different lengths, so the planets will be suspended at different levels.
- The shorter one is for the Sun, and should be about 10 cm.
- Cut the second segment so that it is 5 cm longer than the first, so the planet will be a little lower. If the string for the Sun is 10 cm, the one for Mercury will be 15 cm.
- As you go, cut each strand 5 cm longer than the previous one. Neptune will be the planet with the longest string of the whole model.
Step 2. Pin each wire to the corresponding planet
This way you will then be able to connect the planets to the wooden spinet.
- Remove the skewers from each sphere.
- Tie a knot at the end of each thread.
- Glue the knot into the hole left by the skewer on each planet.
- Remember that the shortest wire is for the Sun, while for the other planets you will have to proceed in ascending order, so that Mercury has the second shortest wire and so on. The longest string is for Neptune.
- Wait for the glue to dry.
Step 3. Tie the other end of each wire segment to the spinet respecting the order of the planets
The Sun should be the first sphere at the left end of the wooden stick.
- Keep planets evenly spaced apart. You must not allow them to touch each other while they are hanging.
- Secure the twine or thread to the spinet with a drop of glue.
- Let it dry.
Step 4. Hang the model up
For this purpose, you can use other black thread or twine.
- Attach a long piece of string to each end of the pin and secure it with glue.
- Lift the model and adjust the length of the wires.
- Make sure the pin is horizontal, and then tie the ends of the threads tightly to the ends of the wooden pin.
- Use the loose ends of the two pieces of string to hang the model from the hook in the ceiling.
Advice
- Check that everything is well glued.
- It is advisable to color or varnish the planets on top of newspaper to avoid dirtying the work area.
- Be very careful when using the scissors and the cutter.
- Be careful with the model, it is fragile.
