Orbits, rotations, revolutions

Earth revolves around the sun. Look closely at the illustration below, which shows Earth revolving around the sun.

Earth takes six _____ to travel between POINT 1 and POINT 2.

Is it days, weeks, months, or years?

Answer explanation

The Earth takes a year to orbit the Sun. Therefore, it would take half this length to travel half the distance! Half a year is six months.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The Earth takes one ____ to complete one rotation on its axis.

Is it day, week, month, or year?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Earth orbits the Sun, but it is the Sun that appears to move across the sky each day. What makes the Sun appear to move each day?

• Sun's rotation

• The Earth's orbit around the Sun

• The Earth's rotation

• The Moon's revolution of the Earth

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

One year on Earth is 365 days. A ‘year’ on Mercury is equal to 88 Earth days, while a year on Jupiter is equal to approximately 4,344 Earth days. A planet's year is determined by the _______ of the planet around the Sun.

Answer explanation

An orbit is the almost circular path around another object. A rotation is te spin of the planet around its own axis.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

While Earth orbits (or revolves) around the sun, Earth is also rotating (or spinning on its axis). About how many rotations does Earth complete as it orbits once around the sun?

• 1

• 24

• 30

• 365

Answer explanation

it takes the Earth a little over 365 days, or spins/rotations, as it orbits the Sun.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

• 1st quarter

• full moon

• 3rd quarter

• new moon

Answer explanation

a moon phase is about 28 days, or 4 weeks. The 4 major phases are new moon, 1st quarter, full moon, then third quarter before repeating the pattern.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A fourth-grader in Florida is doing an experiment in her science class. At the same time, a fourth-grader in India is getting a good night's sleep. What is responsible for it being daytime in Florida while it is nighttime in India?

• The Earth's orbit around the Sun

• The Moon's orbit around the Earth

• The Earth's rotation

• The Sun's rotation

Answer explanation

It is the daily spin, or rotation, of the Earth that makes each location pass through periods of light and shadown, or day and night.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The diagram below shows Earth tilted to 23.5 degrees and the sun’s rays. Place an X on the diagram to show a location that is currently experiencing Summer.

Answer explanation

The southern hemisphere is experiencing summer in the diagram as the south pole is pointing toward the sun. Anywere below the equator would be in Summer.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Some constellations are visible from different places on Earth only during a part of the year. Certain constellations are not visible everywhere on Earth all year long due to the _____ ?

• Orbit of the Sun

• Orbit of the Earth

• Revolution of the Earth

• Revolution of the Moon

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Earth's movement around the sun happens at a very constant rate. If Earth took longer to travel around the sun than it does now, what would happen to the length of the year?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1