Earth's Motion
Moon Phases
Tides
Seasons and the Sun
Space Exploration
Planets, Small Bodies & Galaxies
100
What motion of Earth causes day and night?
Rotation
100
What phase of the Moon comes after the new moon?
Waxing Crescent
100
What force causes tides on Earth?
Gravitational Force
100
What best explains why the planets orbit around the Sun?
The sun exerts the largest gravitational force due to its mass.
100
What is a space probe?
An unmanned robot that goes places that would be too dangerous for us.
100
A day on Saturn takes about 10 Earth hours. Which fact would best explain the shorter day?
Saturn rotates more rapidly than Earth.
200
How long does it take Earth to rotate once on its axis?
24 hrs
200
Why do we see different phases of the Moon?
Because of the Moon’s position relative to Earth and the Sun
200
Which object has the greatest effect on Earth’s tides?
The Moon
200
Why do seasons NOT occur because Earth is closer to or farther from the Sun?
Seasons are caused by Earth’s tilt, not distance from the Sun.
200
What does NASA stand for?
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
200
What type of galaxy is the Milky Way?
Spiral galaxy
300
What motion of Earth causes one year to pass? What direction does the Earth travel?
Revolution, Counterclockwise
300
About how long does it take the Moon to complete one cycle of phases?
About 28 days
300
Why does the Moon have a greater effect on tides than the Sun, even though the Sun is much larger?
The Mood is much closer to the Earth.
300
Which season occurs when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun?
Summer
300
Which specific role did space shuttles play in building the International Space Station?
The space shuttles transported people and parts to build the International Space Station.
300
What are asteroids mostly made of?
Rock and metal
400
What is the imaginary line Earth spins around called?
Axis
400
Moon Cycles Students are investigating solar and lunar eclipses. They know that the Moon orbits Earth, and that Earth revolves around the Sun. They create a simple model with three spheres to represent the Sun, Earth, and the Moon. They create the model so that the spheres can move around each other. The picture shows their model.
The students' model shows a solar eclipse because the Moon is blocking the Sun's light from reaching part of Earth.
400
Which tide has the least difference between high and low tide?
Neap Tide
400
What event marks the longest day of the year?
Summer Solstice
400
What is an observatory? What can we learn from them?
It is a structure that holds a telescope. It can show us stars, planets, comets.
400
What is the difference between a planet and a dwarf planet?
Planets have cleared their orbit; dwarf planets have not
500
Orbit Demonstration Cal’s teacher swings a tennis ball on a string above her head. She tells the class that the demonstration shows how a planet, like Earth, remains in orbit around the Sun.
In the demonstration by Cal’s teacher, the string represents the force that keeps the planet in orbit. Which statement BEST describes what would happen first if the string broke while swinging the ball during the demonstration?
The ball would continue orbiting.
500
Explain why the Moon does not produce its own light and how much of the moon is light at all times?
It reflects sunlight, 50%
500
Explain how the Moon’s gravity creates two high tides on opposite sides of Earth at the same time.
Gravity pulls water toward the Moon, and inertia causes water to bulge on the opposite side.
500
Explain why seasons are opposite in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
One hemisphere tilts toward the Sun while the other tilts away.
500
What country was the first to go to space? Which was the second?
Soviet Union, US.
500
Explain the difference between an asteroid, a comet, and a meteor.
Asteroid: rocky object orbiting the Sun
Comet: icy body that forms a tail when near the Sun
Meteor: streak of light from space debris burning in Earth’s atmosphere