What causes day and night?

What causes day and night?

By Mike Cummings

​Earth has two specific movements that it makes as it travels around the Sun. It is important to understand the differences between these two movements.

The movement around the Sun as we have learned is known as a revolution. The Earth follows its orbital path around the Sun in 365 ^1/4 day​s or one year. This movement as we have studied helps create the seasons of the year along with our tilted axis and

our rotation.​

Multiple Choice

Earth's movement around the Sun is known as;

• an orbit

• a spin

• a revolution

• a rotation

Multiple Choice

Which of the following would NOT be a reason for having seasons?

• our tilted

  axis

• our revolution

  around the Sun

• Earth's rotation

• the Moon's

  revolution around Earth

​The second movement is our rotation. This is the spin of the Earth on its 23.5^o degree tilted axis. Our spin is what makes night and day occur all over the Earth every day.

Multiple Choice

What do we call Earth's spinning motion?

• a revolution

• a rotation

• a spin

• a turn

Multiple Choice

Our spin is responsible for what to occur all over the Earth every 24 hours?

• Moon Phases

• Seasons

• Tides

• Day and Night

​Our spin, or rotation, takes 24 hours to occur. Earth's rotation takes place from West to East. That means as Earth rotates into the Sun, the East Coast gets sunlight first, so we say the Sun rises in the East. Remember a sunrise is also known as "dawn." So we say the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West due to our direction of rotation.

Multiple Choice

In what direction does the Earth rotate?

• North to South

• West to East

• East to West

• West to North

Multiple Choice

Earth's rotation takes;

• 24 days

• 24 hours

• 365 ^1/4 days

• a week

​While Earth moves from West to East, objects in the sky appear to move in the opposite direction. This is why the Sun appears to rise in the East and set in the West.

Multiple Choice

The Earth moves West to East, so because of this

movement, the Sun appears to rise;

• in the West

• in the East

• in the North

• in the South

​Due to Earth's 23.5^o tilt, nighttime and daytime hours vary depending on where we are in relation to the Sun. As we move, remember we tilt toward the Sun and away from the Sun, and our days get longer and shorter as the Sun's direct rays move from the Tropic of Cancer over the Equator to the Tropic of Capricorn.

Multiple Choice

What is the primary reason we have different amounts of

day and night throughout the year?

• Earth's rotation

• Earth's moon

• Earth's tilt

• Earth's orbit

Remember, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, the direct rays of the Sun are located at the Tropic of Cancer and we are having summer. This is when we have the longest days of the year.

Multiple Choice

When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun the most we are having;

• Summer

• Autumn

• Winter

• Spring

Multiple Choice

When the Earth is tilted toward the Sun, we are

having summer, the direct rays of the Sun are located;

• at the Arctic Circle

• at the Tropic of

  Cancer

• at the Tropic of Capricorn

• at the Equator

When Earth is in its revolution and the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, we have winter. At this time the Sun's direct rays are located at the Tropic of Capricorn and we are having winter. When we are in winter, our days are shorter and our nights are longer.

Multiple Choice

Days are shorter when the Sun's rays are at the Tropic of Capricorn,

when this happens the Northern Hemisphere is having;

• Summer

• Autumn

• Winter

• Spring

Multiple Choice

What do we call the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere?

• Winter Solstice

• Vernal Equinox

  (spring)

• Summer Solstice

• Autumnal Equinox

  (fall)

As Earth rotates, time changes in relation to the Sun's location in the sky. At noontime the Sun is directly at its peak in any one location. The changing of time creates time zones around the world. So locations east of us will be later in time while locations west of us will be earlier in time.

Multiple Choice

If we travel East into other time zones, we;

• gain an hour

• lose an hour

Multiple Choice

If it is 8:00 AM in the Eastern Time Zone, it is what time in the Pacific Time Zone?

• 8:00 AM

• 9:00 AM

• 5:00 AM

• 8:00 PM

Multiple Choice

If you are in Hawaii, in the Western Time Zone and it is 4:00 PM,

what time is it where we live?

• 9:00 AM

• 9:00 PM

• 4:00 PM

• 12:00 AM