L2 Flashcards
How does the Earth rotate?
It rotates on its axis.
How long does it take for the Earth to make one complete turn on its axis?
24 hours, roughly a day.
How much is the earth’s tilt/how much on its axis is the Earth?
23.5º.
What way does the Earth rotate?
Anti-clockwise.
What is a hemisphere?
A half of the Earth. The northern hemisphere is north of the equator and the Southern Hemisphere is south of the equator.
How do we get daytime?
When the northern hemisphere is facing towards the sun, it is experiencing daytime. When the Southern Hemisphere is facing towards the sun, it is experiencing daytime.
How do we get nighttime?
When the northern hemisphere is facing away from the sun, it is experiencing nighttime. When the southern hemisphere is facing away from the sun, it is experiencing nighttime.
Why is there no nighttime in the arctic circle for 6 months?
Because the Earth is rotating on its axis, there are six months where the arctic circle is always facing the sun’s light because it is at the top of the globe.
What causes the seasons?
The tilt of the Earth on its axis. If the Northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, it is summer. If it is facing away from the sun, it is winter. If it is in between, it is spring or autumn.
How long does it take for the Earth to orbit the sun once?
365.25 days, a year.
Why do we have leap years every 4 years?
Since we round the year down to 365 days, there is still a remainder of 0.25, 0.25 x 4 = 1 extra day, hence the leap year.
How do we know that the Earth isn’t flat?
When we see a ship far away, it appears to sink below the horizon. The Earth’s shadow on the moon is always a circle, not a straight, flat line. Gravity always goes down, not towards the centre of a disc. You can see further from higher up.
