Name ____________________________
Due Date___________
Class Period: _________
Unit 4 - What is a Cycle? Test Review
Don’t forget that you have other resources besides class notes. You have the “Unit Review” section
at the end of the Unit on the teacher’s website and the text book to help you review these
concepts.
Moon Phases and Occurrences:
1. Explain why the Earth experiences day and night:
2. How long does it take the Earth to rotate once on its axis?
3. How long does it take the Earth to make a complete revolution around the Sun?
4. Why does the Earth have seasons?
5. Label this diagram that shows the positions of the Earth in relation to the sun for all of
the four seasons.
Position A:
Position B:
Position C:
Position D:
6. When the north end of the Earth’s axis is tilted toward the sun, explain why North
America will experience longer days.
7. Why don’t we see the far side of the moon?
8. The phase of the moon you see depends on what?
9. From a new moon phase to a full moon phase, how does the illuminated side of the
moon change?
10. Shade in and label the moon phases in the diagram below.
11. A student builds a model based on the diagram. The student uses foam balls to
represent the moon and Earth and a flashlight to represent the sun. The student should
shine the flashlight on the model of Earth from Position _______ to represent the
middle of the cycle?
12. What is the difference between a solstice and an equinox?
A solstice is –
An equinox is 13. What causes tides?
14. Explain what is a Spring tide is. Then, draw the positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun during a
spring tide.
15. Explain a Neap tide. Then draw the positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun during a neap tide.
16. How would the ocean tides be affected if Earth did not rotate on its axis?
17. Using the tidal chart above, what is the height and time for the first high tide on Days 1
and 2?
Day 1: ___________________________________________________________
Day 2: ___________________________________________________________
Oceans and Weather:
1. What causes temperatures at the equator to be warmer than near the poles?
2. How does the ocean affect the climate of coastal areas during the summer? What about during the
winter?
3. Using the current map below, describe the climate off the West coast of North America, from
Alaska to Mexico. Explain how ocean currents contribute to the weather.
4. Why do Land Breezes occur?
5. Why do Sea Breezes occur?
6. What is the primary energy source for weather events on earth? ___________________
7. Below is a list of cities and their temperature
ranges. Explain why these cities have such
different temperature ranges.
-San Diego has a temperature range of 10
-Charleston, SC has a temperature range of 11
- Salt Lake City, UT has a temperature range of 21
- Boulder, CO has a temperature range of 31
Explanation:
8. What causes wind to form?
9. Fill in the circles below with a picture demonstrating molecules of warm water vs molecules of cold
water. Then off to the right, explain which one is denser.
Explanation:
= molecule
Warm Water
Cold Water
10. Color the convection current below. Explain in the blank space next to the picture why the warm air
is at the top and why the cold air is lower in the house.
Explanation:
Heat source
11. What are the weather conditions associated with a low pressure system? Why? (explain how a low
pressure system works)
12. What are the weather conditions associated with a high pressure system? Why? (explain how a
high pressure system works)
13. What affect do oceans have on the overall global climate?
14. Fill in the chart for fronts:
Type of
Description of
Front
density
Weather before front
Weather after the
front
Weather Map Symbol
Cold
Warm
15. What direction do fronts typically move in the U.S.?
16. Why do winds seem to curve to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and curve to the left in the
Southern Hemisphere?
17. Wind always moves from ____________ pressure to______________ pressure.
= sunny,
= cloudy,
= wind blowing from NE to SW
18. What does the symbol shown at the right tell you about the weather conditions?
19. Fill in this chart on isobars:
Type of Pressure
Wind Speed
Distance between isobars
High
Low
20. How does the ocean temperature increase cause weather changes during an El Nino year?
21. Describe a la Nina weather pattern.
22. Why do hurricanes usually form off the coast of Africa?
23. Why does a hurricane lose strength when it moves from the ocean onto land?