Rotation & Revolution
What motion of Earth causes day and night?
Earth’s rotation
Describe the order of the earth, moon, and sun that would cause a full moon in the sky.
The Earth would be in between the moon and the sun.
About how many hours does it take to go from daylight to nighttime? (Think daylight detectives
Which two planets are very similar in size and are often paired together as "ice giants"
Neptune and Uranus.
Which motion takes about one year to complete and moves Earth around the Sun?
Earth’s revolution
What causes the pattern of high and low tides?
The moon's gravity pulling on Earth's oceans is the main cause. (The sun also has a gravitational pull, but not as strongly.)
A student says seasons occur because Earth "moves around the axis" and around the Sun. Which part is wrong?
Saying seasons occur because Earth "moves around the axis" is wrong — seasons happen because Earth's axis is tilted so sunlight hits at different angles as Earth revolves.
What 4 planets make up our rocky planets?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars.
Name one result of Earth’s rotation that you can observe in one day.
One side of Earth is in daylight while the other side is in night / sunrise and sunset.
Which 2 moon phases produce the highest tidal ranges (spring tides)?
New moon and full moon.
When Virginia, in the Northern northern hemisphere, is experiencing winter, what season is Australia, in the Southern Hemisphere, experiencing?
Summer
What planet is the furthest away from the sun in our solar system?
Neptune
Explain why the sun appears in a different part of the sky at noon on different days of the year. (Think daylight detectives!)
Revolution changes Earth’s position around the Sun which changes how fast or slow the sun moves across the sky as the seasons change.
How long is the cycle of the moon phases? How long would it take to go from a first quarter moon to a full moon?
The moon cycle is 27 days, about 4 weeks. It would take one week to go from first quarter to a full moon.
A student draws a model of the Earth with its axis sticking straight up and down. Is this correct? Why or why not?
No it is not, because the Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees.
Which planet takes 365 days to orbit the sun?
Earth
A student lists these statements: "Moves around an axis" "Takes 24 hours" "Why we have night and day". What movement are they talking about?
Rotation
Explain how the moon’s position relative to Earth and Sun creates a full moon and affects tides.
Full moon = Moon opposite Sun so the side facing Earth is lit; full (and new) moons align gravitational pulls to produce larger tides (spring tides).
Why does one hemisphere have summer while the other has winter at the same time?
The hemisphere tilted toward the Sun receives more direct sunlight and longer days (summer); the other gets less direct sunlight and shorter days (winter).
What are two of the most common ways people categorize the planets in our solar system?
1. Inner, terrestrial (rocky) planets
2. Outer, gas giant planets