Foss Planetary Science

Explain how observing a ship sailing out to sea can provide evidence for a round Earth.

Saturn rotates on its axis about once every 11 hours. What is the same and what is different about day and night on Saturn compared to Earth?

Select all of the TRUE statements.

• Rotation and revolution are the same thing

• Earth's revolution is the reason we have day and night

• Earth's revolution is the reason we have seasons

• Earth's rotation is the reason we have day and night

• Earth's rotation is the reason we have seasons.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

About how long is Earth's revolution?

• 365 days

• 12 hours

• 24 hours

• 30 days

If Earth did not rotate on its axis, would we still have day and night on Earth as we know it now? Explain how things would be different and the same.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Gravity is the primary force responsible for

• the reflection of sound energy

• the flow of electricity in a closed circuit

• keeping planets in orbit around the Sun

• refracting light energy

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Which objects that are not shown in the diagram are also part of our solar system? (click as many that apply)

• Alpha Centauri

• Comet

• Milky Way

• Pluto

• moons

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

The length of a year is equivalent to the time it takes for one

• rotation of Earth

• rotation of Sun

• revolution of Earth around the Sun

• revolution of the Sun around the Earth

Two students started out working together to draw a model that explains why we have day and night. There were a few things they could not agree on, so they ended up drawing two separate models. Which student did a better job of deciding which parts of the system were needed to explain night and day? Why do you think so?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Did either student accurately represent how the Sun lights Earth?

• Student A’s model is correct, half of Earth is in light and half is in darkness

• Student A’s model is wrong, Earth should be shaded on the other side

• Student B’s model is correct, because of the tilt, the line between dark and light is also tilted.

• Student B’s model is wrong, because the Moon should have been shaded, too

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1