Earth and Sun Exemplar Review

Which statement explains why Earth has day and night?

• A. Earth rotates on its axis.

• B. Earth is tilted on its axis.

• C. Earth revolves around the Sun.

• D. The Moon revolves around Earth.

On August 15, Earth is located in the position shown in the diagram. The following year, on

August 15, Earth will be in the same place. Why is Earth in the same place on August 15 each year?

• A. Earth rotates around the Sun once each year.

• B. Earth revolves around the Sun once each year.

• C. Earth reverses its direction around the Sun each year.

• D. Earth stays in the same location near the Sun each year.

Which of the following changes would most likely occur if the speed of Earth's rotation were

faster?

• A. Days and nights would be longer.

• B. Days and nights would be shorter.

• C. The distance to the Sun would be longer.

• D. The distance to the Sun would be shorter.

Without looking directly at it, Angela observed the position of the Sun. For one day, she noted

where it was in the sky each hour from morning to evening. The position of the Sun changed

throughout the day, and it was no longer visible in the evening. Which of these explains

Angela's observations?

• A. The Sun moves around the Earth once each day

• B. The Sun moves away from Earth at night. It returns each day.

• C. The Earth turns away from the Sun at night, and then reverses back the other way toward

  the Sun each day

• D. The Sun appears to move across our sky each day, but actually it is the Earth's rotation

  that makes it look that way

A student group went on a camping trip and decided to sleep out under the stars. At night, they

lay down in their sleeping bags and looked up at the sky.

If they watched all night, what might they see?

• A. They might see the Moon and the stars appear to travel across the sky.

• B. They might see the Moon and the stars remain in the same place all night.

• C. They might see the Moon remain in the same place all night, while the stars appeared to

  travel across the sky.

• D. They might see the stars remain in the same place all night, while the Moon appeared to

  travel across the sky.

A teacher gives two balls to a student. The small ball represents Earth and the larger ball

represents the Sun. The teacher asked the student to use the balls to correctly show the

position and movement of Earth and the Sun. Which diagram shows the correct position and movement?

• 
• 
• 
• 

Which of these appears to move across the sky because the Earth rotates on its axis?

• Only the Sun

• Only the Sun and Moon

• Only the Moon and stars

• The Sun, Moon and the stars

Which of the following processes takes one 24-hour day to complete?

• A. Earth completes one full rotation on its axis.

• B. Earth completes one full revolution on its axis.

• C. Earth completes one full rotation around the Sun.

• D. Earth completes one full revolution around the Sun.

Four students are studying Earth’s movements. They each make a prediction about the length

of time they think it takes for Earth to make one complete revolution. Their predictions are

recorded in the chart below. Which student is correct?

• Student 1

• Student 2

• Student 3

• Student 4

How long does it take for the Earth to make one complete revolution around the Sun?

• 1 day

• 7 days

• 365.25 days

• 28 days