Name____________________________________ Date____________________ Class#____________
1. The day/night cycle is caused by the –
A.
B.
C.
D.
Rotation of Earth – correct answer
Rotation of the Sun
revolution of the Moon
revolution of the planets
A - as the Earth spins on its axis the
part away from the sun has night and the
part facing the sun has day.
2. Explain the difference between rotation and revolution. Use the words orbit and axis in your answer.
Rotation is when an object spins on its axis but revolution is when an object orbits another object. One
revolution would be a complete orbit around the center object, and one rotation would be on full spin on the
object’s axis._________________________________________________________________
3. The sun appears to move across the sky (apparent motion), but actually the Earth is Rotating on its axis.
4. Why does your shadow change lengths throughout the day? As the Earth rotates your position to the sun
changes. These different angles with the sun create different lengths of shadows.
Which times of the day is your shadow the longest? In the early morning or late evening (dusk)
When is your shadow the shortest? At noon – when the sun is directly over head.
5. Which planet is closest to the sun? Mercury
6. Which planet is farthest from the sun? Neptune
My Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nachos --- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
7. What does the location of the planet tell you about its orbit? The further a planet is from the sun the longer
its orbit will be. The outer planets also have more elliptical (oval shaped) orbits than the inner planets.
8. What are the two main gasses that make up the sun? Hydrogen and Helium
9. Does the moon have water on it? If so where is it located? Yes, it is in the form of ice in the moon’s craters
where the sun’s rays cannot reach it.
10. What force holds our solar system together? Gravity
11. What causes the tides? The gravitational pull of the moon.
12. A lower than normal high tide is called a ____Neap Tide______. Briefly explain why this happens.
Neap tide occurs when the sun and moon are at right angles with each other (quarter moons). At this time the
sun’s gravitational pull is working against the moons and therefore it pulls some of the water towards it.
13. A higher than normal high tide is called a ____Spring Tide____________. Briefly explain why this happens.
This happens when the sun and moon are in a straight line with each other (180o angle). The gravity of the sun
now works with the moon’s gravity to pull the oceans with a greater force causing a higher than normal tide.
14.
In the picture above, what season is it in the Northern Hemisphere? ______Winter__________
What season is it in the Southern Hemisphere?______Summer__________
Ann was on a camping trip and noticed that the stars seemed to change position during the night.
15.
What explains the apparent movement of the stars?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Earth’s revolution makes it appear the stars are moving.
The stars are moving away from the Earth.
Earth’s rotation makes it appear the stars are moving. – Correct
The Milky Way galaxy is moving.
C – The rotation (spin) of
the Earth causes other
objects in space, including
stars, to change positions in
our sky.
16.
17. What makes the sun more important to Earth than other stars?
A.
Unlike other stars, the sun is very large.
B. When compared to other stars, the sun is the hottest.
C – The shadow will get larger as the
angle of the sun to the tree increases.
When the sun shines on the side of the
object its shadow extends further.
D – it is our closest star and the only
one in our solar system. This allows
it to influence the Earth much more
than other stars.
C. Unlike other stars, the sun is the right color for living things.
D. When compared to other stars, the sun is very close to Earth.
18. Which of the following BEST explains why there are more craters on the moon than on the earth?
A. Earth has an atmosphere. - correct
B. The moon is smaller than the earth
C. Earth has rarely been struck by meteors
A – Earth’s atmosphere acts as a shield
and it will cause most meteors to burn
up before hitting the Earth.
D. The moon has a weaker gravitational force
19. Sunspots may erupt into
A. solar flares correct
B. volcanoes
C. firestorms
D. earthquakes
A – Sunspots are the darker areas on the
sun where gasses are cooling. This
causes them to contract and sink, where
they are exposed to the radiation zone.
This causes explosions in the gas which
are known as solar flares.
20. Our solar system is part of the __________________________ galaxy.
A. Snickers
B. Nestle
C. Milky Way correct – You better know this one!!! 
D. Reese’s