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Earth's Place in the Universe

Total questions: 23

Worksheet time: 12mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which statement explains why the Sun appears to rise and set each day?

a)

The Sun revolves around the Earth

b)

The Earth revolves around the Sun

c)

The Earth rotates

d)

The Sun rotates

2.

How does gravity affect the Moon and its relationship with Earth? Earth's gravity ______________.

a)

makes the moon nearly spherical

b)

pulls the Moon closer all the time

c)

keeps the moon moving in a straight line

d)

Keeps the Moon in orbit around the Earth

3.

Why do stars appear to move in the sky? The stars apparent movement is ____________.

a)

result of the life cycle of a star

b)

a result of the Sun's movement

c)

a result of the Earth's movement

d)

caused by the stars' orbits

4.

Which force keeps satellites in orbit?

a)

friction

b)

electricity

c)

gravity

d)

magnetism

5.

Why are different constellations seen in the night sky during different times of the year?

a)

The Earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours

b)

The Milky Way galaxy rotates

c)

The Earth revolves around the Sun

d)

The constellations travel around the sun

6.

What time of day, and time of year, will your shadow be the shortest?

a)

at noon during the winter

b)

at noon during the summer

c)

at breakfast during the winter

d)

at dinner during the summer

7.

It takes the Moon about _____________ to make one revolution around the Earth.

a)

3 seasons

b)

24 hours

c)

28 days

d)

365 days

8.

Which is a true statement about constellations?

a)

All constellations can be see from all parts of the Earth

b)

All constellations can only be seen from the Southern Hemisphere

c)

A constellation is a group of stars that are the same size.

d)

A constellation is a group of stars visible in one area of the sky that forms a path.

9.

Approximately how long does it take for the Earth to make one revolution around the Sun?

a)

one day

b)

one week

c)

one month

d)

one year

10.

What causes the phases of the Moon?

a)

The moon's tilt on its axis

b)

The pull of gravity between the Moon and the Earth

c)

The relative positions of the Moon in relation to the sun and Earth

d)

The Earth's shadow on the Moon

11.

Why do we always see the same side of the moon?

a)

The moon's rotation and orbit occur at the same rate

b)

The same side of the moon always faces the same way as the sun

c)

The moon's orbit is half of the Earth's

d)

The moon's orbit is a perfect circle

12.

Compared to the shadow cast by an object in the early morning, its shadow at noon would be _______________.

a)

longer and thinner

b)

shorter and thinner

c)

shorter and fatter

d)

longer and fatter

13.

Why do the stars seem to move from east to west in the night sky?

a)

The stars move relative to each other

b)

The Earth rotates in its axis

c)

The galaxy rotates around the Earth

d)

The Earth revolves around the sun

14.

Which picture shows a shadow at noon?

a)

Picture A (with the dog)

b)

Picture B (with the people's feet)

c)

Both

d)

neither

15.

The Earth takes 365.25 days to orbit the sun. Which of the following results from this fact?

a)

An extra day is added to February every 4 years

b)

All of our calendars have 365 days

c)

Some holidays are on different dates each year

d)

February has 28 days instead of 30

16.

What causes an object to fall to Earth when dropped?

a)

Gravity

b)

Magnetism

c)

Weight

d)

Inertia

17.

Looking at the dog in the picture. Knowing that the top of the picture is North, what time of day was this picture taken?

a)

Morning, because the sun rises in the east so the shadow would be going towards the west.

b)

Morning, because the sun rises in the west so the shadow would be going towards the east.

c)

Evening, because the sun sets in the west so the shadow would be going towards the east

d)

Evening, because the sun sets in the east so the shadow would be going towards the west.

18.

Jay makes a scientifically correct claim about how Earth’s gravitational force affects all objects. He throws a ball three times, as shown, to support his claim. Which observation for what happens to the ball after each throw best supports Jay's claim?

a)

When it hits the ground, the ball bounces.

b)

After each throw, the ball continues to move forward.

c)

When it is thrown with more force, the ball travels farther

d)

After each throw, the ball travels through the air then falls to the ground.

19.

Mary observes three bright stars in the night sky. Star C appears the brightest and Star B appears the least bright, as shown in the diagram. Based on Mary’s observation, order the three stars from closest to Earth from farthest from Earth.

a)

A, B, C

b)

B, C, A

c)

C, B, A

d)

C, A, B

e)

B, A C

20.

Sam uses the Internet to find the distances of four stars from Earth, as shown in the table. A light year is the distance light travels in one year or about 9.5 trillion kilometers. Based on the data in the table, put the stars in order from brightest to least bright as they would appear to someone on Earth.

a)

P, T, M, S

b)

S, M, T, P

c)

M, T, S, P

d)

T, S, M, P

21.

Jason looks at his shadow, as shown in the picture. Identify whether the Sun is to the north, south, east, or west of Jason, using the compass rose in the picture.

a)

North

b)

South

c)

East

d)

West

22.

Identify whether the time of day in the picture is morning, noon, afternoon, or night.

a)

Morning

b)

Noon

c)

Afternoon

d)

Night

23.

Otto puts a stick into the ground. The stick is straight up and down as shown.

a)
b)
c)
d)