Topic 11 Test- Earth-Sun-Moon System

Jackson enjoys looking up at the night sky and writing about the variety of objects he sees. On one special occasion, he wrote in his journal that he saw a streak of light going across part of the sky. Which answer best describes what Jackson saw?

• Meteorite: A cold mixture of dust and ice that develops a long tail as it nears the sun

• Meteor: A cold mixture of dust and ice that develops a long tail as it nears the sun

• Meteorite: A streak of light made when an object burns up as it enters Earth's atmosphere

• Meteor: A streak of light made when an object burns up as it enters Earth's atmosphere

Clara's grandfather is a captain of a cargo ship. He prefers to navigate his ship through the moderate neap tides. At these times, the line between Earth and the sun is at a right angle to the line between Earth and the moon. Which phase or phases of the moon describe this alignment?

• first and third quarter

• first quarter

• full moon

• full moon and new moon

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Ancient scientists proposed many theories based not only on scientific observations, but also on religion and philosophy. These scientists, including Aristotle and Ptolemy, had developed an early model of the solar system. This model appeared to describe the motions they observed in the heavens. Which of the following objects is at the center of this model?

• sun

• star

• moon

• Earth

How do these forces keep the moon from flying off into space?

• Gravity keeps the moon in motion, and inertia attracts the moon toward Earth.

• Gravity attracts the moon toward Earth, and inertia keeps the moon in motion.

• Gravity attracts the moon toward Earth, and the distance keeps it from going further away.

• Mass weighs the moon down so it stays close to Earth, and inertia keeps the moon in motion.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Emma is creating a model of the sun, Earth, and moon. She uses wire to keep the three objects in orbit around each other. Emma knows that Isaac Newton’s law of universal gravitation states that every object in the universe attracts every other object. This attraction keeps Earth in orbit around the sun and the moon in orbit around Earth. Different alignments of the Earth, moon, and sun can cause phenomena to occur on Earth. These phenomena are caused by differences in gravitational pulls. What are these phenomena called?

• tides

• equinoxes

• eclipses

• full moons

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

The different phases of the moon are caused by the alignments of the sun, moon, and Earth. Which of the following best explains this phenomenon?

• The moon produces its own light, which changes as it moves.

• The phases are caused by the changing positions of the sun, moon, and Earth, affecting how much of the moon's lit side is visible from Earth.

• The Earth's shadow always covers half of the moon.

• The sun's brightness changes, causing the phases.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Adam and his family are planning a trip to Alaska in either June or December. During the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, the weather is typically warmer and the days are longer. During the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere, the weather is typically cooler and the days are shorter. Adam’s family decides to travel in June based on this information. Why does Earth have seasons?

• because Earth rotates on its axis as it revolves around the sun

• because Earth’s axis is tilted as it revolves around the sun

• because the moon blocks the sun during the winter months

• because the moon’s gravitational pull is stronger during the summer months

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Explain why the sun does not completely set at higher latitudes during the summer.

• Because the Earth's axis is tilted, causing continuous daylight in these regions during summer.

• Because the sun is closer to the Earth at higher latitudes during summer.

• Because the atmosphere bends sunlight more at higher latitudes.

• Because the moon reflects more sunlight to these regions during summer.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Abby volunteers at the planetarium at the Museum of Natural History. She is putting together a presentation about the solar system in which she will describe the shape of the solar system. She uses the term ____________________ when she discusses the plane in which the planets orbit.

• orbit

• axis

• core

• hemisphere

Sally wants to design a model that will show how the Earth-Sun-Moon system causes the Moon’s phases. She has a lamp, a tennis ball, and a cotton ball. Sally decides to set the lit lamp on a table to represent the Sun. How can Sally use the tennis ball and cotton ball to represent the new moon phase?

• She can place the tennis ball, representing Earth, and the cotton ball, representing the Moon, on opposite sides of the lamp.

• She can hold the tennis ball, representing the Moon, and the cotton ball, representing Earth, in the same hand and move them in a circle around the lamp.

• She can rotate the tennis ball, representing Earth, in one hand within the lamp’s light and hold the cotton ball, representing the Moon, in her other hand between the lamp and the tennis ball.

• She can hold the tennis ball, representing the Moon, in her right hand and the cotton ball, representing Earth, in her left hand within the lamp’s light. Then she can have someone else turn the lamp on and off repeatedly.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1