Sun & Shadows
100 — What causes a shadow to form when you stand outside on a sunny day?
A shadow forms because an object blocks light from the sun.
Why do we have daytime on one side of Earth and nighttime on the other?
Because Earth is a sphere and only the side facing the sun receives sunlight (day), the far side is in shadow (night)
The image on the right shows the path of the Sun across the sky during different seasons when viewed from the Earth. Which season does each path represent?
https://share.google/images/82ssCr6vLLqVo2WMt
Scorpius is a summer constellation. Explain why we cannot see it in the winter.
You can’t see the constellation Scorpoius during the winter because the Earth is located in an area in space where we cannot see the stars of Scorpius. We would have to look in the direction of the Sun, but the Sun is too bright, so we can’t see the constellation.
Which month will I see the constellation Orion?
Winter
How does the length of a shadow change from morning to noon? Explain why.
Shadows get shorter toward noon because the sun is higher in the sky; they are longest in early morning and late afternoon.
What causes day and night on Earth, and how does that cause day and night?
Day and night are caused by…_ the Earth rotating on its axis.
Name the star that appears larger and brighter than other stars in our sky and explain why it looks that way.
Name the star that appears larger and brighter than other stars in our sky and explain why it looks that way.
Why does the Moon appear to change shape during the month?
The Moon revolves around the Earth, so the angle of the Sun’s reflection changes.
How does the Earth move around the sun?
It revolves around the sun.
If it is 12:00 noon will your dog's shadow be short or long in the summer? Explain your answer.
It will be short. In the summer the sun is at its hightest point in the sky, directly overhead, casting a short shadow
If it is noon in your town, what time is it on the opposite side of the Earth
Approximately midnight (12 hours opposite); because Earth rotation causes opposite sides to face away from the sun
Why do some constellations appear only in certain seasons?
Because Earth’s position around the sun changes the night sky; some constellations are visible only when Earth is on certain parts of its orbit.
True or False: The Moon stays in the same position (spot) in the sky each night.
false
Why do we experience day and night?
The Earth rotates on it's axis and part of the Earth faces towards the sun ( day) and the other part faces away from the sun ( night).
Describe how you could use shadows to track the sun’s movement across the sky during one day.
Place a stick in the ground, mark the tip of the shadow each hour, note direction — the marks trace the sun’s path
Create a diagram to show what causes day and night. Clearly label the diagram.
In which season is the path of sun the lowest? How does this affect shadows?
Winter. The shadows in winter are longer because the sun is much lower in the sky.
Where does the sun rise? Where does the sun set?
Rises in east.
Sets in the west.
How long does it take Earth to do one full rotation?
24 hours
A student records the shadow length of a pole every hour for a day and wants to show the pattern on a graph. What two quantities should be on the axes of the graph?
Horizontal axis: time of day; Vertical axis: shadow length (units such as cm).
A dataset shows sunrise and sunset times over a month. What pattern would you look for to decide if days are getting longer or shorter?
Look for sunrise times getting earlier and sunset later.
Why are there more daylight hours in the summer?
The sun is higher in the sky. It sets later and and rises earlier.
A) 8:00 pm
B) 7:30 AM
C) Noon
B.
How long does it take Earth to do one revolution around the sun?
365 1/4 days.