Describe how the distances between the orbits of the inner planets compare to the distances between the orbits of the outer planets

Question

Describe how the distances between the orbits of the inner planets compare to the distances between the orbits of the outer planets

Answer 1

I suggest looking at a table that has the mean orbital radii of the planets.  There should be such a table in your astronomy book.  If you look at the orbits of the inner planets, i.e. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, they are not too far from each other, with mean orbital radii ranging from 0.39 AU for mercury through 1.52 AU for Mars.  Then there is a large gap from Mars to the nearest outer planet, Jupiter.  Jupiter has a mean orbital radius of 5.20 AU.  From Jupiter through Neptune, the mean orbital radii range from 5.20 AU through 30.06 AU.  So you can see the inner planets are somewhat bunched together, while the outer planets are much more spread out.