Earth & Space Vocabulary

Question 1

Maya is writing a short explanation of why the Sun appears to rise and set each day and why a full cycle of seasons takes a whole year. Which sentence uses the words “rotation” and “revolution” correctly and tells exactly what each motion creates?

Accepted Answer

Earth’s rotation on its tilted axis makes one complete spin about every 24 hours, giving us day and night, while its revolution around the Sun takes about 365 days and produces the yearly cycle of seasons.

Answer

Earth’s rotation around the Sun creates a day, and its revolution on its axis creates a year.

Answer

Earth’s rotation on its axis causes the seasons, and its revolution around the Sun causes day and night.

Answer

Earth’s rotation and revolution are the same motion; together they decide how long a day lasts.

Question 2

Which sentence correctly uses the words “solstice” and “equinox” to explain why day length changes during the year?

Accepted Answer

During an equinox the Sun is directly above the equator, so day and night are about the same length; at a solstice the Sun is farthest north or south of the equator, giving the longest or shortest day of the year.

Answer

The summer solstice is the day when the Sun is directly over the equator, making daylight and nighttime equal, while the winter equinox is when the Sun is farthest from Earth, giving the longest day.

Answer

A solstice occurs when Earth is closest to the Sun, so the whole planet gets more heat and longer days, and an equinox happens when Earth is farthest from the Sun, making days shorter.

Answer

The spring solstice and autumn equinox happen when Earth’s axis tilts toward the Sun, causing the seasons, while the winter equinox and summer solstice happen when the axis tilts away.

Question 3

Space explorer Maya is writing a short report about how Earth moves. Which of the following sentences correctly describes both of Earth's motions and what each motion produces?

Accepted Answer

Earth rotates on its axis roughly every 24 hours, which causes day and night, and it revolves around the Sun about once every 365 days, which creates a year.

Answer

Earth spins around the Sun each day, giving us day and night, and it also tilts on its axis once a year, making the seasons.

Answer

Earth rotates on its axis over the course of a whole year, producing day and night, while its orbit around the Sun takes just one day, making a year.

Answer

Earth circles the Sun in an orbit that lasts 24 hours, creating day and night, and it spins on its axis every 365 days, giving us a year.

Try three questions

Maya is writing a short explanation of why the Sun appears to rise and set each day and why a full cycle of seasons takes a whole year. Which sentence uses the words “rotation” and “revolution” correctly and tells exactly what each motion creates?

Which sentence correctly uses the words “solstice” and “equinox” to explain why day length changes during the year?

Space explorer Maya is writing a short report about how Earth moves. Which of the following sentences correctly describes both of Earth's motions and what each motion produces?

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