+1995 
i dont understand what there asking ? can someone help me on this?
+2863 Try to draw something like a number line except the numbers are the planets and space objects.
The scale of space is MASSIVE, so try to do it mathematically.
+2511 Creating a discernable linear graph of Earth’s solar system that includes the three nearest stars is possible but not feasible.
Here’s why:
Defining an AU = 100.0mm. (An “AU” is a standard astronomical unit defining the mean distance of the Earth’s distance from the sun.) Starting with the sun inscribed on the graphing paper as a circle of diameter 0.93mm, the point representing the Earth is 100.0mm distant from the circle representing the sun.
This is a list of the planets with distances from the graph circle representing the sun.
Mercury ---- 39.0 mm
Venus ------ 72.3 mm
Earth ------ 100.0 mm
Mars ------- 152.4 mm
Jupiter ----- 520.3 mm
Saturn ----- 953.9 mm
Uranus --- 1918.0 mm
Neptune --3006.0 mm
Pluto ---- 3953.1 mm
At this point, the graph paper is 4 meters (that’s over 13 feet).
This is a list of the included stars with distances from the graph circle representing the Earth’s sun.
Alpha Centauri --- 27,807,882 mm
Barnard's Star ---- 37,968,455 mm
Wolf 359 --------- 49,332,253 mm
At this point, the graph paper is 50,000 meters or 50 Km (that’s over 31 statute miles).
----
From this, it’s apparent that your teacher is attempting to convey to you and the other students that distances to Earth’s nearest stars are vast, even when compared to the size of the Earth’s solar system. Creating a linear graph, where Earth’s solar system is a 1.0mm circle then the graphing paper will need to be over 12.5 meters in length.
Your project is doable using logarithmic graphing paper, and there will be sufficient room to label the planets and the stars. (Note that this is not linear.)
GA
+37153 "An alternative to using semi-log graph paper is to use linear paper. Instead of plotting your linear data vs. the exponential data you would acutally take the log of the exponential data then plot it."
+118687 Hi Jenny,
The question asks you to use linear graph paper.
You are not being asked to do anything with logarithms.
What Ginger has tried to show you is that this exercise in not feasable.
I have assumed Gingers figures are correct. They meet reasonableness checks.
You could show the planets all on graph paper. Divide all Ginger's figures by 10 and your graph paper will only need to be 40 cm long BUT
to add the 3 stars as well would still require another 5km of graph paper. That would k**l toooo many trees. So it is not feasable.
It does say lable the ones that you can so maybe you are just being asked to draw up the 40cm graph and say how far further the stars would be.
As Ginger has already said, the whole point of this exercise is to show you that some things, like this, are not suited to linear graphing.
Such things need to be graphed on logarithmic paper. You are not expected to know what that is yet.
This exercise is just demonstating the need for a different graphing method. :)
+1995 Thank you, I was trying to understand Gingers reponse but I know it is not feasbile but since it is an assihgment there has to be a way to work around it. The way you exaplined it is similar to what my teacher said. My teacher mentioned i have to fit in in a regular size graph paper here is an image of it ( in real life printed out its width is 6 inches and length is close to 7 inches and half). Im confused on how i would actually crea the lnear graph, like what is it exactly? and also gingers values are different then my values onthe table so wouldnt i not use his values? Im a bit confused
+2511 There is a way to graph the stars on a linear scale, but you’ll still not be able to identify the planets specifically.
Create a polar type graph with concentric circles, using an appropriate scale.
To use the distances listed in meters, start by placing a small circle at the center of the graphing paper label it “Earth’s sun” or whatever.
The sun with the greatest distance is Wolf 359 at 7.38E16 meters, round this up to 7.50E16 meters to allow for a little margin at the graph’s edge.
There are 12 lines above the sun and 12 lines below. Divide 7.50E16 by 12.
(7.50E16/12 = 6.25E15).
6.25E15 is the number of meters the space between each line represents.
Divide each of the suns distances by 6.25E15 to find the number of grid lines from Earth’s sun.
Alpha Centaury: -- 4.16E16 / 6.25E15 = 6.66 grid lines
Barnard’s Star: --- 5.68E16 / 6.25E15 = 9.09 grid lines
Wolf 359 --------- 7.38E16 / 6.25E15 = 11.81 grid lines
Using a compass, with the sun as the origin, set the width to the number of grid lines, and then draw a circle around the sun. Do this for each of the stars. These circles represent the distance of each star from the sum.
Place a dot on each circle and label it accordingly. The stars are not in a straight line. Because the graph is polar, it’s easy to indicate the approximate direction of each star from Earth’s sun. If you want to do that, here are the locations: Barnard’s Star is at the 30 degree mark, Wolf 359 is at 210 degrees, and Alpha Centaury is 310 degrees.
This information should be sufficient for you to create a linear graph of the nearest stars to Earth’s solar system.
GA
+1995 Thank you so much for your help Ginger, I appreciate writing this all out.
As I continue with my assighment I would like to ask you and Melody some questions if you dont mind. I just read more into the assighment and I beilive what my teacher would like is a number line as Melody has mentioned, which I am quite glad it is because the polar graph seemed a bit confusing but the way you written it out was starting to make sense. So thank you for taking the time to help me.
+118687 Hi Jenny,
I am not sure what your teacher has in mind.
This is that my idea is.
The linear graph is at the bottom. I have just done it on a number line but I am not sure if this is really what your teacher wants.
( Ginger is also answering so she might have a different idea. )
Oh, you need to write the names of the planets on there too. I'd add the sideways above, or below, the dots.
I've just drawn this with Excel and I don't know how to add the names sbut you need todo that by hand.
Label the sun too.
See if you can make sense of that.... 
I divided all the metre distances by 1.5 x 10^11 because that is the metre distance from the Sun to the Earth.
I did this because the question tells you to devise a suitable linear scale and Astronomical units make a great scale!
Ask more questions if you want but think about it first.
+1995 From past lessons this seems to make more sense and something i defenitely will be able to create. I am going to go ahead and create my own in excel and do add those labels. From reading the assighment again I have found out that it would need to be a linear number line, and that is what you have provided. Thank you for your help, and as I contuine with this report, I would really like to get some insight help from both you and Ginger. You guys have been a ton of help!
Thank you again so much!
+1995 How did you interept that informtion into the line graph on excel ? I beilive that is what you used. is it under scatterplots?
+118687 Yes it was a scatter plot with Excel.
I have no idea how you could add the names though.
It would be a lot easier just to do it by hand although I guess you could do the graph with excel and add the names by hand afterwards.
If I personally was going to do it as an assignment I would probably try to construct it using GeoGebra (which is a free dowload)
I really enjoy using Geogebra, but if you have never used it before it will probably be too hard to do this. It is a great program but I remember it took me a while to get the hang of it.
+118687 I just used the first two columns of this.
Maybe there is a method to use the third column for the names but I do not know how.
+1995 I will check it out ,thank you! Maybe I cant figure it out somehow .Im going to as well see if maybe I can just use exel and add the names that way.
I have posted a second part , if you could please check it out.
+1995 back to this, could i increase my scale to 2000 km =1 cm ? to fit them all in a numberline because looking back at this i would need to graph all the plants and stars
