Star Brightness
What is the brightest star in Earth's sky?
The Sun
What happens to a shadow when an object blocks light?
An area of darkness forms
What force pulls objects toward the center of Earth?
Gravity
What season has the longest amount of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere?
Summer
What is rotation?
Earth spinning on its axis
If two stars are about the same size, which one will appear brighter: the star closer to Earth or the star farther away?
Closer star
When is a flagpole's shadow usually shortest: morning, noon, or evening?
Noon
What happens when you drop a ball from your hand?
It falls toward Earth and the ground stops it from falling further.
During which season do we usually have the fewest hours of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere?
Winter
What is revolution?
Earth traveling around the Sun
Star A is 10 light-years away. Star B is 200 light-years away. Which star would appear brighter from Earth?
Star A
In the morning, the Sun appears in the east. Which direction would a shadow point?
West
Does gravity pull objects toward Earth or push objects away from Earth?
Pull
During the summer, are the days generally longer or shorter than the days in winter?
Longer
How long does it take Earth to complete one full rotation?
Earth traveling around the Sun
Why does the Sun appear so much brighter and larger than other stars in our sky?
The Sun is much closer to Earth than other stars.
A student measures a flagpole's shadow at three different times. Morning: 12 meters. Noon: 3 meters. Evening: 9 meters. What pattern do you notice?
Shadows are shortest at noon and longer in the morning and evening.
An apple falls from a tree. Is the tree pushing the apple down, or is Earth's gravity pulling it down? Explain.
Earth's gravity pulls it down towards the center of Earth
What two things about Earth cause the pattern of seasons and changing daylight hours?
Earth's tilt and orbit around the Sun
Which movement of Earth causes day and night: rotation or revolution?
24 hours (one day)
Four stars are different distances from Earth: Star A is 25 light-years away, Star B is 300 light-years away, Star C is 5 light-years away, and Star D is 150 light-years away. Which star would most likely appear brightest? Explain why.
Star C; it is closest to Earth.
Explain why a flagpole's shadow changes in length and direction throughout the day.
The Sun's apparent position changes throughout the day, changing the length and direction of shadows.
A student says, "A ball falls to the ground because the person lets go of it." What is missing from this explanation? Explain how gravity causes the ball to fall.
Gravity is the force pulling objects toward Earth's center.
A town in the Northern Hemisphere has 14 hours of daylight in August and only 9 hours in December. Explain why the amount of daylight changes throughout the year.
Earth's tilt and orbit cause daylight hours to change throughout the year.
Earth is moving in two different ways at the same time. Explain the difference between rotation and revolution and how long each takes.
Rotation takes about 24 hours; revolution takes about 365 days (one year).