Earth’s Orbit & Rotation

Front

What is Earth's rotation?

Back

Earth's rotation is the spinning of Earth on its axis, which takes about 24 hours to complete, causing day and night.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

What is Earth's orbit?

Back

Earth's orbit is the path Earth takes around the Sun, which takes about 365.25 days to complete.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Front

What causes day and night?

Back

Day and night are caused by Earth's rotation on its axis; when one side faces the Sun, it is day, and when it faces away, it is night.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

What is a shadow?

Back

A shadow is a dark area created when an object blocks light from a source, like the Sun.

Tags

NGSS.5-ESS1-2

Front

What time of day has the shortest shadows?

Back

Noon has the shortest shadows because the Sun is at its highest point in the sky.

Tags

NGSS.5-ESS1-2

Front

What is a Foucault pendulum?

Back

A Foucault pendulum is a device that demonstrates Earth's rotation by swinging in a constant direction while the Earth rotates beneath it.

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What is stellar parallax?

Back

Stellar parallax is the apparent shift in position of a star when viewed from different positions in Earth's orbit, providing evidence that Earth orbits the Sun.

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How long does it take for Earth to complete one rotation?

Back

It takes about 24 hours for Earth to complete one rotation on its axis.

Front

What is the significance of 365.25 days?

Back

365.25 days is the time it takes for Earth to orbit the Sun, which is why we have a leap year every four years to account for the extra quarter day.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

What is the geocentric model?

Back

The geocentric model is an outdated theory that places Earth at the center of the universe, with all celestial bodies orbiting around it.