Gravity
What force pulls objects toward the center of Earth?
Gravity
What is the term for: Earth rotates on this imaginary line.
Axis
What is the movement of Earth around the sun called?
Revolution
The moon orbits this object.
Earth
What type of object is the sun?
A star
Why don’t people fall off Earth, even though Earth is round?
Gravity pulls everything toward Earth’s center
What causes shadows to change throughout the day? (2 things)
Earth’s rotation changes the sun’s position
About how long does it take Earth to make one revolution?
About 365 days
What do we call the changing shapes of the moon?
Phases
Why does the sun look bigger and brighter than other stars?
It is much closer to Earth
When an object “falls down,” which direction is it moving?
Toward Earth’s center
In which direction does the sun appear to move across the sky?
East to West
What causes the seasons on Earth? (2 things)
Earth’s tilt and orbit around the sun
About how long does it take the moon to complete one cycle of phases? (estimate not exact days)
About one month
What unit do scientists use to measure very large distances in space?
A light-year
Does gravity pull objects the same way in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres? Explain.
Yes, gravity pulls toward Earth’s center everywhere
What causes day and night on Earth?
Earth rotating causes different parts to face the sun
Why can’t we see the same constellations all year long, even when we look at the sky at the same time each night?
Earth moves to different positions in its orbit, facing different parts of space
What causes the moon’s phases?
The moon’s position as it orbits Earth
Why does the sun look smaller from Saturn than from Earth?
Saturn is much farther from the sun
Explain how gravity keeps people, water, and objects on Earth’s surface.
Gravity pulls all matter toward Earth’s center, keeping everything grounded
Explain how Earth’s rotation affects the length and position of shadows.
Rotation changes the sun’s angle, changing shadow length and direction
Explain how Earth’s revolution changes what we see in the night sky.
Earth’s position changes, so different stars are visible
Explain the pattern you see in the moon’s phases over time.
The moon repeats the same cycle of phases in order
Explain how distance affects the size and brightness of stars we see.
Objects farther away appear smaller and dimmer