Earth’s Orbit & Rotation

Front

What causes day and night?

Back

Earth's rotation on its axis

Answer explanation

Day and night are caused by Earth's rotation on its axis. As the Earth spins, different parts face the sun, creating daylight, while the opposite side experiences night.

Front

What time of day does this picture represent? HINT: There is a long shadow to the west of Izzy.

Back

morning

Answer explanation

The long shadow to the west indicates that the sun is low in the sky, which typically occurs in the morning. At noon, shadows are shorter and point directly beneath, while evening shadows would be longer to the east.

Tags

NGSS.5-ESS1-2

Front

What time of day does this picture represent based on the length and position of the shadow? Options: noon, 5 pm, night, 9 am

Back

noon

Answer explanation

The shadow is shortest and directly beneath the object at noon, indicating the sun is at its highest point in the sky. This aligns with the characteristics of shadows at noon, making it the correct answer.

Tags

NGSS.5-ESS1-2

Front

Why does the sun appear to move across the sky?

Back

Earth's rotation on its axis

Answer explanation

The sun appears to move across the sky due to Earth's rotation on its axis. As the Earth spins, different parts of its surface face the sun, creating the illusion of the sun moving from east to west.

Front

How long does it take for the Earth to do one rotation on its axis?

Back

24 hours

Answer explanation

The Earth takes 24 hours to complete one full rotation on its axis, which defines the length of a day. The other options, such as 60 seconds and 365 days, refer to different time measurements, while 1 light year is a distance.

Front

What does this Foucault pendulum provide evidence for?

Back

the rotation of Earth on its axis

Answer explanation

The Foucault pendulum demonstrates the rotation of Earth on its axis by showing how its plane of swing appears to rotate relative to the Earth's surface, providing clear evidence of Earth's rotation.

Front

How long does it take the Earth to orbit around the sun?

Back

365.25 days

Answer explanation

The Earth takes approximately 365.25 days to complete one orbit around the sun. This is why we have a leap year every four years to account for the extra 0.25 days, making 365.25 days the correct answer.

Front

What causes different constellations to be visible from Earth at different times of year?

Back

Earth's orbit around the sun

Answer explanation

Different constellations are visible at different times of the year due to Earth's orbit around the sun. As Earth moves, our perspective changes, revealing different stars and constellations in the night sky.

Tags

NGSS.5-ESS1-2

Front

What is the phenomenon that provided evidence against a geocentric model called?

Back

stellar parallax

Answer explanation

The phenomenon of stellar parallax provides evidence against the geocentric model by demonstrating that stars appear to shift position relative to distant backgrounds as Earth orbits the Sun, indicating that Earth is not the center of the universe.

Tags

NGSS.5-ESS1-1

Front

What causes the need for time zones?

Back

Earth's rotation on its axis

Answer explanation

The need for time zones arises from Earth's rotation on its axis. As the Earth spins, different parts experience daylight and darkness at different times, necessitating the division of the world into time zones to standardize time.