Earth and space

Question 1

What is the name of our galaxy?

1 mark

Answer 1

The Milky Way

Question 2

Define gravity.

1 mark

Answer 2

Gravity is the universal force of attraction between all matter.

Question 3

Describe how day and night occurs.

2 marks

Answer 3

The Earth spins on its axis and makes one complete turn every 24 hours - this is called a day. As the earth spins, half of it is lit up by the sun, which is daytime. The other half is in darkness, which is night-time.

Question 4

What is a satellite?

1 mark

Answer 4

A satellite is the general name given to a body that orbits another body.

Question 5

Give examples of both an artificial and natural satellite.

2 marks

Answer 5

The ISS is an artificial satellite. The Moon is a natural satellite.

Question 6

Is the moon a luminous or non-luminous object?

1 mark

Answer 6

Non-luminous

Question 7

Describe how a lunar eclipse occurs.

1 mark

Answer 7

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is between the Moon and the Sun.

Question 8

Describe how a solar eclipse occurs.

1 mark

Answer 8

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun.

Question 9

Describe how shadows form and how they differ depending on the time of day.

2 marks

Answer 9

Opaque objects that block out sunlight cause shadows. Shadows are longer when the Sun is lower in the sky and shadows are shorter when the Sun is higher in the sky.

Question 10

Describe how the seasons occur.

2 marks

Answer 10

The Earth’s axis is not vertical but is tilted by about 23.5°. This means that at any one time, part of the Earth’s surface recieves more concentrated sunlight than the rest, giving us seasons.