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Seasons and Phases

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 9mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The phase of the moon that you see depends on

a)

whether or not you are looking at the moon

b)

how much of the sunlit side of the moon is facing the Earth

c)

How much of the moon's surface is lit by the Sun

2.

What causes phases, eclipses and tides

a)

These are all caused by the Earth's rotation on it's axis

b)

These are all caused by the Earth's gravitational pull on the moon

c)

These are all caused by the relative positions of the Earth, the moon and the Sun

3.

In an eclipse, the darkest part of the shadow is called the

a)

penumbra

b)

umbrella

c)

umbra

4.

What is the name of the phase of the moon when the entire sunlit side of the moon faces Earth

a)

Crescent

b)

Third Quarter

c)

Full Moon

5.

The type of eclipse that is safe to look at is a

a)

lunar eclipse

b)

solar eclipse

c)

equilateral eclipse

6.

Using sports equipment, which of the following will accurately model the relative motions of the Earth(Baseball), Moon(Golf ball) and Sun(Basketball)?

a)

Basketball moving around the baseball, baseball moving around the golf ball

b)

Golf ball moving around the baseball. baseball moving around the basketball

c)

Golf ball moving around the basketball,basketball moving around the baseball?

7.

Which moon phase (shown here) represents a waning quarter moon? How can you tell?

a)

“A” because it is a quarter moon with “white on right,” which is the clue for waning.

b)

“B” because it is halfway through the cycle.

c)

“C” because it shows “light on left,” which is the clue for waning.

d)

“D” because it is a quarter moon and shows “light on left,” which is the clue for waning.

8.

Which of the following positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon produces a new moon?

a)

Earth, Moon, Sun

b)

Moon, Earth, Sun

c)

Earth with Moon at a 90 degree angle above it, Sun

d)

Earth with Moon at a 90 degree angle below it, Sun

9.

Regular eclipses of the Sun and the Moon are best explained by which of the following?

a)

The irregular shape of the orbits of Earth and the Moon

b)

The different chemical compositions of the Sun and the Moon

c)

The revolution of Earth and the Moon around the Sun

d)

The rotation of Earth and the Moon on their axes

10.

Which of the following is responsible for the changing of seasons on Earth?

a)

Orbit of Earth around the Sun and Rotation of Sun

b)

Tilt of the axis of Earth and orbit of Earth around the Sun

c)

Orbit of Earth around the Sun and Rotation of Earth

d)

Rotation of Earth and Rotation of Sun

11.

Some students are using objects to model the Earth-Sun-Moon system. They wish to represent the positions of these objects during a solar eclipse. To accurately model the solar eclipse, the golf ball should be placed in which labeled position?

a)

Position W

b)

Position Y

c)

Position Z

d)

Position X

12.

A diagram of the Earth-Sun-Moon system is provided below. The diagram shows the relative position of the Moon at various times in the lunar cycle. We would observe a totally dark moon starting to become illuminated when the Moon moves between which two phases?

a)

Position X and Position W

b)

Position Z and Position Y

c)

Position Y and Position X

d)

Position W and Position Z

13.

Which of the following best explains why the tilt of Earth on its axis creates the seasons? Because the axis of Earth is tilted

a)

the angle of sunlight varies on different parts of Earth at different times.

b)

the amount of time it takes for the light to reach Earth changes a little throughout the year.

c)

the surface area of Earth is not constant at all parts of its orbit.

d)

the north pole of Earth will always be pointed away from the Sun, making it colder.

14.

What explanation best represents the shape and motion of the Milky Way galaxy?

a)

Moves in a chaotic motion with no pattern.

b)

Rotates around the galactic center.

c)

Contains older low-energy stars so has a general lack of motion.

d)

the Milky Way galaxy is so massive that scientists are still researching its shape and motion.

15.

Which of the following is a true statement?

a)

The Sun is the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

b)

Our solar system is near the galactic center of the Milky Way.

c)

The Sun is the center of the solar system.

d)

The galactic center is also the center of our solar system.