Earth, Moon, & Sun Study Guide Questions:



ANSWERS Study Guide Questions:

1. Why does earth have seasons? (4 reasons) 1. Axial tilt, 2 earth revolves, 3 #of daylight hours vs. darkness, 4 altitude of Sun at different times of the year.

2. When does each season begin, and what are the special names given to each?

summer solstice(June 21) winter solstice(Dec 21) fall equinox(Sept 22) spring equinox(March 21)

3. What is strange about the moon’s rotation and revolution? It is the same(rotates at the same speed it revolves) which is why we always have the same side of the moon facing us.

4. Make a sketch of all of the phases of the moon.

5. What are three differences between a solar and a lunar eclipse?

1Positions of Sun-Earth-Moon (MOON phase), 2 what is casting the shadow, 3 how long they last

6. List the three theories of how scientists believe the moon formed, and completely explain the one that scientists believe the most. The FISSION Theory, CAPTURE Theory, (CO-ACCRETION Theory), * COLLISION RING Theory: A planetesimal the size of Mars struck the earth, ejecting large volumes of matter. A disk of orbiting material was formed, and this matter eventually condensed to form the Moon in orbit around the Earth.

7. What are three conditions that make an eclipse probable to happen?

1 Moon is at a node, 2 new or full phase position, 3 nearing perigee

8. How are spring and neap tides different? When do spring and neap tides occur? (How often?) Spring tides occur when the Sun-Earth-Moon are in line—Neap tides occur when they are at a right angle, Spring tides occur at ne and full phase whereas neap tides occur at the quarter phases, Spring tides are the highest highs and lowest lows compared to neap being not very high highs and not very low lows, Spring S-E-M work togetherNeap S-E-M cancel each other out----------*they each occur twice a month

9. Name 3 important parallels on the Earth that receive direct radiation during certain seasons and their latitudes. Equator 0, tropic of cancer 23.5N, tropic of Capricorn 23.5S

10. List and briefly describe the different features of the Moon’s surface. What is the powdery soil called? Craters cover the surface meteorite impacts caused them. Rays- Streaks extending out from craters caused by violent meteorite impacts. Mare- (Latin for seas or oceans) Low areas of dark soil where ancient lava flows covered the surface.

(terra/highlands) mountains as large as any on Earth.

11. A synodic month is how long the moon takes to go from new moon to new moon. A sidereal month is how long it takes the moon to orbit earth. How many days does each take?

SYNODIC=29.5, SIDEREAL=27.3

12. What is the difference between apogee& perigee compared to aphelion & perihelion? Apogee/perigee deal with the moon’s furthest and closest point in orbit around Earth. Aphelion and perihelion deal with Earth’s furthest and closest point in orbit around the Sun.

13. Explain how to use Kepler’s laws of planetary motion and Newton’s of universal gravity. Use class examples to help! 1st Law (ELLIPSES)- Planets orbit the Sun in ellipses with the Sun at one focus of the ellipse [pic]

2nd Law (Law of Equal Areas)- A planet will move faster when it is closer to the sun then when it is further away. Each triangle below has the same area or A = hb/ 2

[pic]

3rd Law-The square of a planet's orbital speed around the Sun is directly proportional to the cube of the distance that planet is away from the sun, or P² = A³

[pic]

Newton Law 1 Law 1- An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by another force. An object in motion continues in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by another force. [pic]

Law 2- Acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass. The greater the mass (of the object being accelerated) the greater the amount of force needed (to accelerate the object). F=M x A [pic]

Law 3- For every action there is an equal and opposite re-action. [pic]

Universal Law of Gravitation

1. Gravity- The force of attraction between all objects.

2. There are two rules we need to understand before we can use the law:

a.) The bigger the object the more gravity it has.

b.) The closer you are to a big thing the more gravity you will feel.

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