Planets in our Solar System
What is the best definition of a planet?
A. Planets are swirling balls of gases.
B. Planets are large balls made of rock.
C. Planets are large objects that orbit a star.
D. Planets are bright objects that give off light.
C. Planets are large objects that orbit a star.
What is the best term for a mixture of frozen gases, ice, dust, and rock that orbits the Sun?
A. asteroid
B. comet
C. meteor
D. moon
B. comet
Which characteristic causes Earth's day and night?
A. Earth's gravity
B. Earth's rotation
C. Earth's orbit
D. Earth's core
B. Earth's rotation
Which statement correctly describes moons?
A. Moons are naturally occurring satellites that orbit planets.
B. Moons are spheres of gas that have strong gravitational pull.
C. Moons are very small objects made of mostly rock and metal that orbit the Sun.
D. Moons are small cosmic bodies made of frozen gas, ice, dust, and rock that trail behind it.
A. Moons are naturally occurring satellites that orbit planets.
How are the inner planets alike?
A. They have many rings.
B. They have many moons.
C. They are colder than outer planets.
D. They have harder surfaces than outer planets
D. They have harder surfaces than outer planets
Which of these objects of the Solar System is rocky, irregularly shaped, and can usually be found in a vast belt located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter?
A. an asteroid
B. a comet
C. a moon
D. a planet
A. an asteroid
Which of the following describes what would happen if Earth had no tilt to its axis?
A. Earth would stay in the winter season all year long.
B. Summer days would get longer and hotter; winter days longer and colder.
C. Earth would lose the seasons; days and nights would be the same length all year round.
D. Half of Earth would always be dark and the other half would always be light.
C. Earth would lose the seasons; days and nights would be the same length all year round.
If there was a full moon last night over Tallahassee, Florida, when would the next full moon occur over Tallahassee?
A. in about 1 day
B. in about 1 week
C. in about 1 month
D. in about 1 year
C. in about 1 month
What planet is farthest from the Sun?
A. Jupiter
B. Mars
C. Neptune
D. Uranus
C. Neptune
How is an asteroid different from a comet?
A. An asteroid orbits a star, while a comet orbits a plane.
B. An asteroid orbits a planet, while a comet orbits the Sun.
C. An asteroid contains mostly rock or metal, while a comet contains mostly rock, ice, and dust.
D. An asteroid contains mostly rock, ice, and dust, while a comet contains mostly rock or metal.
C. An asteroid contains mostly rock or metal, while a comet contains mostly rock, ice, and dust.
Because of the tilt of Earth's axis, different parts of Earth get different angles of sunlight. Which statement best describes how sunlight hits Earth?
A. Sunlight directly hits all areas of Earth at some time during the year.
B. Sunlight directly hits the areas near the equator and hits the north and south poles at a steep angle.
C. Sunlight never hits any areas of Earth directly during the year.
D. Sunlight directly hits the areas near the north and south poles, and hits the equator at a steep angle.
B. Sunlight directly hits the areas near the equator and hits the north and south poles at a steep angle.
Imagine that you are standing on Earth, facing the moon, and behind the moon is the Sun.
What phase of the moon will you see?
A. new moon
B. full moon
C. first quarter
D. third quarter
A. new moon
How is Earth most different from Venus?
A. Earth has an atmosphere, but Venus does not.
B. Earth has carbon dioxide, but Venus does not.
C. Earth has volcanoes, but Venus does not.
D. Earth has oceans, but Venus does not.
D. Earth has oceans, but Venus does not.
Which of the following does not describe an impact the Sun has on the planets in the solar system?
A. The Sun's heat energy affects the climate on the planets.
B. The Sun impacts the atmospheres on the planets.
C. The Sun's gravity help create the orbits of the planets.
D. The Sun creates inertia that causes each planet's rotation.
D. The Sun creates inertia that causes each planet's rotation.
Which statement is not true about the impact of the tilt of Earth's axis?
A. Earth's tilted axis causes the distance Earth is from the Sun to change.
B. Earth's tilted axis impacts the amount of sunlight places on Earth receive.
C. Earth's tilted axis has less impact on sunlight in areas near the Equator.
D. Earth's tilted axis causes where we see the Sun in the sky to change.
A. Earth's tilted axis causes the distance Earth is from the Sun to change.
How much of the moon receives sunlight at any given time?
A. the entire moon
B. half of the moon
C. none of the moon
D. one-quarter of the moon
B. half of the moon
Scientists discovered an object in another solar system. The object is massive, gaseous, cold, has rings, and revolves around a star similar to our Sun.
In which category does the object best fit?
A. a comet
B. an asteroid
C. an inner planet
D. an outer planet
D. an outer planet
The information below describes the characteristics of an object in outer space.
CHARACTERISTICS OF OBJECT
Orbit-Around a star
Size-Smaller than Earth
Composition-Rock
Atmosphere-Yes
Gas tail-No
What is this object?
A. an asteroid
B. a comet
C. a moon
D. a planet
D. a planet
A fourth-grade class has been learning about how the rotation of Earth and the apparent movements of the Sun, the Moon, and stars are connected. Which of these statements about their connection is true?
A. Earth's rotation and revolution around the Sun take about the same time.
B. The Moon's rotation and revolution around Earth take about the same time.
C. The Sun appears to move from east to west because Earth is rotating from east to west.
D. The apparent motions of the Moon and the Sun are similar because both rise toward the west and set toward the east.
B. The Moon's rotation and revolution around Earth take about the same time.
There are different phases of the moon throughout the month. In the Northern Hemisphere, tonight's moon phase is a Waxing Crescent.
What is the correct order of the moon phases for the next 29 days in the Northern Hemisphere?
A. New Moon, Full Moon, Last Quarter Moon, First Quarter Moon
B. Full Moon, First Quarter Moon, New Moon, Last Quarter Moon
C. Last Quarter Moon, Full Moon, New Moon, First Quarter Moon
D. First Quarter Moon, Full Moon, Last Quarter Moon, New Moon
D. First Quarter Moon, Full Moon, Last Quarter Moon, New Moon