The Solar System and Beyond is one of 9 topics in the Grade 8 Natural Sciences CAPS syllabus, covered across 3 lessons on Study Vault. Below are real practice questions from this topic with full worked answers.
Sample practice questions
Easy
1. What is the Sun?
A star
A planet
A moon
An asteroid
Answer: A star — The Sun is a star, like all the other stars visible in the night sky, just far closer to Earth.
Easy
2. Which planet is the third planet from the Sun?
Earth
Mars
Venus
Mercury
Answer: Earth — Earth is the third planet from the Sun, in the correct order: Mercury, Venus, Earth.
Medium
3. Name the force that keeps all the planets and other objects in their stable, predictable orbits around the Sun.
Answer: gravity — Gravity is the force that keeps all the objects in the Solar System in their stable, predictable orbits around the Sun.
