Rotation and Revolution

Front

What is rotation?

Back

Rotation is the spinning of the Earth on its axis, which takes about 24 hours to complete one full turn.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Front

What is revolution?

Back

Revolution is the movement of the Earth around the Sun, which takes about 365.25 days to complete one full orbit.

Front

Why do we have seasons?

Back

Seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis as it revolves around the Sun, leading to varying angles of sunlight.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

What is the axis of the Earth?

Back

The axis is an imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole, around which the Earth rotates.

Front

What is the equator?

Back

The equator is an imaginary line that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, located equidistant from the poles.

Front

What is the significance of the vernal equinox?

Back

The vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring around March 21 when day and night are approximately equal.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Front

What is an orbital path?

Back

An orbital path is the curved trajectory that an object follows as it revolves around another object in space, like the Earth around the Sun.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Front

How does Earth's tilt affect temperature?

Back

Earth's tilt causes different areas to receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year, affecting temperatures and creating seasons.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Front

What is the difference between rotation and revolution?

Back

Rotation refers to the spinning of the Earth on its axis, while revolution refers to the Earth's orbit around the Sun.

Front

What happens during a solstice?

Back

During a solstice, one hemisphere is tilted closest to the Sun, resulting in the longest day (summer solstice) or the shortest day (winter solstice) of the year.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1