WorksheetsSolar System Module REVIEW
Total questions: 8
Worksheet time: 7mins
What Earth motion causes SEASONAL climate changes on Earth?
Earth's 24-hour rotation causes it to cool at night and warm during the day.
Earth's movement with the solar system around the Milky Way Galaxy passes through warmer areas of the galaxy.
Earth's annual orbit around the Sun at a 23.5° permanent tilt gives direct sunlight to different areas during its 365-day orbit.
Even though we cannot feel it, Earth is always moving in 4 different ways at the same time (4 primary movements). Which of the following does NOT describe one of the 4 primary movements of Earth?
Earth ROTATES on its AXIS once every 24 hours (once per day).
Earth REVOLVES in an ELLIPTICAL ORBIT around the Sun once every 365.25 days (once per year).
Earth & our Solar System are located on Orion's Arm, a spiral of the Milky Way Galaxy, so we travel in GALACTIC Orbit around the Milky Way (spiral) Galaxy as it rotates/spirals (taking 250 million years to complete 1 orbit).
Earth's galaxy, the Milky Way, belongs the "Local Group" of galaxies, which are all racing through INTERGALACTIC space.
Earth approaches its slowest velocity when it is orbiting closest to the sun (APHELION) and approaches its highest velocity when it is orbiting furthest from the Sun (PERIHELION).
What only occurs during the Autumnal (fall) & Vernal (Spring) EQUINOX? (equals only 2x per year)
The Sun's rays are perpendicular to the Tropic of CANCER causing 12 hours of daylight on both Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
The Sun's rays are perpendicular to the EQUATOR causing 12 hours of daylight on both Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
The Sun's rays are perpendicular to the Tropic of CAPRICORN causing the Northern Hemisphere to have the the least amount of daylight out of the whole year.
The Sun's rays are perpendicular to the Tropic of CANCER causing the Northern Hemisphere to have the the most amount of daylight out of the whole year.
Which day of the year has the SHORTEST amount of daylight in Burton, MI (Northern Hemisphere) because the Sun's rays are directly perpendicular to the Topic of Capricorn?
March 20 (Vernal/Spring Equinox)
June 20 (Summer Solstice)
September 22 (Autumnal/Fall Equinox)
December 21 (Winter Solstice)
How is Earth's TILT related to the Tropic of Cancer?
Earth TILTS in the opposite direction when the Sun's rays are directly perpendicular to the Tropic Cancer at the Winter Solstice.
The Tropic of Cancer is located 23.5° north of the equator, which is the same TILT as Earth’s axis (causing the Sun's rays to be directly perpendicular to the Tropic of Cancer at the Summer Solstice).
The Earth's TILT of 23.5° at the Tropic of Cancer causes 12-hour days in both hemispheres.
At the equinoxes the Sun appears 23.5° north or south of the of the Tropic of Cancer.
Which 2 factors determine how a planet orbits a Sun (star)?
(1) VELOCITY of planet, & (2) GRAVITY between Sun and planet
(1) PLANE of a planet's orbit around a SUN, & (2) if planet has speed for ESCAPE VELOCITY
(1) ORBITS of other planets, & (2) GRAVITY between Sun and planet
(1) VELOCITY of Sun, & (2) GRAVITY between Sun and planet
What is needed to achieve the ELLIPTICAL (oval) orbit that most planets have around their Sun (star)?
A planet's velocity is slightly faster than the circular orbit speed (but slower than escape velocity).
Planets are actually always just "falling" around the Sun in a circular orbit once they reach orbiting speed.
A planet increases speed & breaks circular orbit to ESCAPE into space (escape velocity
An equal center of gravity between a planet & Sun
Suppose a planet enters the solar system from somewhere in deep space. What does it need to escape the Sun's gravity?
the speed to create the necessary escape velocity
a slow enough speed so that it won't be able to keep up with the solar system
to approach the Sun at a different plane than the other planets
