Earth
How many degrees is the tilt of the Earth's axis?
23.5 degrees
What are some of the geological features of the Moon's surface?
Craters, maria, mountains, regolith, and caves.
Roughly how long is the solar cycle?
~11 years. Sunspot activity is expected to peak in 2025!
How do magnetic poles interact with each other?
Two magnets can attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are closest together.
What is Ohm's Law?
V=IR, I=V/R, R=V/I
V=Voltage, R=Resistance, and I=Current
How many degrees is a time zone on Earth?
15 degrees
What are the phases of the Moon? Hint: There are 8 of them.
New Moon
Waxing Crescent
First Quarter
Waxing Gibbous
Full Moon
Waning Gibbous
Third/Last Quarter
Waning Crescent
~4.6 billion years old
What is an electromagnet?
An electromagnet is a temporary magnet made by wrapping a wire coil carrying a current around an iron core. When a current flows through a wire loop the magnetic field inside the loop is stronger than the field around a straight wire.
What are the three types of particles that comprise an atom?
Protons = Positively charged particles
Electrons = Negatively charged particles
Neutrons = Neutrally charged particles
How many time zones does the Earth have?
24 time zones
How come we can only see one side of the Moon from Earth?
The Moon, like Earth, is also slightly tilted on its axis. The Moon’s rotation around its axis is synchronized with its orbit around the Earth. The Moon takes ~27 days to orbit the Earth, which is the same amount of time it takes to rotate once on its axis.
What are sunspots? How do they form?
Sunspots are composed of strong magnetic fields and are shaped much like a horseshoe magnet that rises from below the Sun’s surface. These flexible magnetic tubes, or “flux tubes,” give rise to the magnetic fields that we see. The rising hot gas is trapped by the sunspots’ intense magnetic field which cools the sunspots from 6000C to about 4200C. The cool area appears dark compared to the area around it.
What happens when an electric current flows through a wire?
When electric current flows through a wire, a magnetic field forms around the wire.
What are the two types of current and which type is available in wall outlets in the US?
Alternating current (AC): Electrons flow in different directions in a wire. Direct current (DC): Where electrons flow in the same direction in a wire. Alternating current is what comes out of wall sockets. Direct current is what is used with things powered by batteries and other small voltage devices.
What is the difference between rotation and revolution when it comes to the motion of the Earth?
Rotation is the spinning of Earth on its axis, an imaginary line drawn through Earth from its rotational north pole to its rotational south pole.
Revolution is the motion of Earth in its orbit around the Sun.
What causes the tides to change?
The Moon exerts gravitational force on the Earth's bodies of water. The attractive gravitational force exerted by the Moon on the water in an ocean depends on the distance of the water from the Moon. The closer the Moon is to the water, the stronger the Moon’s pull. As a result, water on the side of the Earth facing the Moon is pulled more strongly toward the Moon than water on the opposite side
What is a solar flare?
A solar flare is a tremendous explosion on the Sun that happens when energy stored in 'twisted' magnetic fields (usually above sunspots) is suddenly released.
How the properties of a bar magnet would change if it were broken in half.
If you cut a bar magnet in half, the magnetic domains will still be lined up and the newly cut faces will become the new north or south poles of the smaller pieces. You will end up with two smaller bar magnets, each with a north and south pole.
In its most simplest terms, what is electricity?
Electricity is the movement of electrons.
How do seasons change on Earth?
Earth’s rotational axis always points in the same direction as Earth revolves around the Sun. This causes the northern and southern hemispheres to be tilted toward the Sun at different times of the year. The Sun’s rays strike Earth’s surface at higher angles in the northern hemisphere when the north pole is tilted toward the Sun.
Why is the Moon important for life on Earth?
The Moon stabilizes the Earth's orbit which increased the length of days on Earth. The Moon's impact tilted the Earth's axis which gives the Earth seasons. The Moon used to be closer to Earth and this closeness made for extreme tidal shifts that eroded costal areas, filling the Earth's oceans with the minerals necessary for life to evolve.
What is the difference between and equinox and a solstice?
A solstice occurs when Earth’s rotation axis is tilted directly toward the Sun or away from the Sun.
At an equinox Earth’s axis is perpendicular to a line drawn from the center of Earth to the center of the Sun.
How do magnets work?
All matter is made out of atoms. An atom can be thought of as a small nucleus of material around which orbit even smaller particles of matter called electrons. The electrons have an electrical charge, so when they orbit they form small loops of electrical current around each nucleus. Magnetic fields are formed by electricity. In most materials the little magnets formed by each atom are all pointing in different directions, and so they cancel each other out. In some materials such as lodestone, an iron ore, the Earth's magnetic field lined up all the atom-magnets and left the whole stone one large magnet. You can also create temporary magnets by rubbings magnets against iron. We did this with sewing needles.
What is the difference between voltage, current, and resistance? Feel free to use the water analogy?
Voltage is the difference in charge between two points. Current is the rate at which charge is flowing. Resistance is a material's tendency to resist the flow of charge (current).