Scientific Vocabulary Pt. 1
What is rotation?
The spinning of a planet on its axis.
The Sun orbits the Earth.
False. Earth orbits the Sun.
What season is the Southern Hemisphere experiencing when Canada has Summer?
Winter.
What is an axis?
An imaginary line that runs through the center of a planet
What is the angle of Earth's axial tilt?
Approximately 23.5 degrees
What is a solstice?
The longest or shortest day of the year. Happens when the Earth is tilted most towards or away from the Sun.
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year.
True.
What kind of sunlight do we receive in the summer?
Direct sunlight.
What is a revolution?
The path Earth takes around the sun (365 days to complete).
Why does the Moon appear to change shape?
The Moon does not change its shape. We see different phases because the Sun lights up different parts of the Moon as it orbits Earth.
What is penumbra?
The lighter, outer region of a shadow where the light is partially blocked.
The Moon produces its own light.
False. The Moon reflects sunlight, it does not produce its own light.
Why are winters colder?
We receive less direct sunlight and shorter days due to the Earth's tilt. Tilted away from the sun.
What is umbra?
The darkest part of the shadow in an eclipse.
What causes The Aurora Borealis?
What is a star?
A ball of gas that produces its own light and energy.
It takes 365 days (1 year) for the Earth to rotate once.
False. It takes 365 days for the Earth to complete a revolution.
How many solstices are there, when do they occur and how many hours does each solstice have?
Two.
Summer Solstice (June 21) which marks the longest day of the year ~17 hours
Winter Solstice (December 21) shortest day of the year ~7 hours.
What is an Equinox?
Explain how Earth's tilt affects sunlight during Spring and Fall.
Earth's tilt is neither towards or away from the Sun during these seasons but positioned sideways. This gives us roughly an equal amount of daylight and night (~12 hours each).
What is the Aurora Borealis?
A natural, colourful display of lights in the night sky.
A Solar Eclipse happens when Earth is between the Sun and Moon.
False. A Solar Eclipse happens when the Moon is between the Sun and Earth.
Due to the Earth's tilt, we receive direct sunlight and longer days in the summer or indirect sunlight and shorter days in the winter. The tilt changes the amount of sunlight and day length we receive.
What is a planet?
A large object that orbits a star and does not produce its own light.
Explain what would happen if the Earth had no tilt.
No seasons. Everywhere on the planet would receive 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. The Equator would always stay warm and humid while poles would always remain cold.