The Earth and beyond Flashcards
Describe what gravity is?
It is a force which attracts all masses
What is mass?
the amount of stuff in an object
What is mass measured in?
kg
What is weight?
It is a force
What is weight measured in?
newtons
Describe the difference between the mass and the weight of a kg of peanut butter on earth and on the space station
The mass 1 kg will stay the same in space and on earth
The weight of the peanut butter will be 9.8N on earth but almost nothing in space because there is very little gravity
What is at the centr of our solar system?
The sun
How many planets orbit our sun?
8
What is the order from the sun of the planets in our solar system
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
What is the main difference between a star and a planet?
Stars give out light and planets do not
What is a collection of stars called
A galaxy
Which galaxy is our solar system in?
The milky way
What is a solar system
A sun orbited by planets
What is a galaxy?
A large collection of stars
What is a light year?
It is the distance travelled by light in one year
How long does it take light to reach the earth from the sun?
8.3 minutes
What is the name of the 2nd closest star to the earth
Proxima centauri
How long does it take for light to reach the earth from the 2nd furthest star Proxima centauri?
4 years
How close are we to the sun?
150 million km
How long does it take the earth to rotate on it’s own axis?
24 hours
How long does it take the earth to orbit the sun?
365 and 1/4 days
What is a leap year?
a year with an extra day - Feb 29th.
Why do we have a leap year?
Every fourth year we add an extra day to sort out the 1/4 day of the suns orbit around the earth
What is the equator?
The invisible central line drawn around the circumference of the earth
What is the Northern hemisphere?
The half of the earth above the equator
What is the Southern hemisphere?
The half of the earth below the equator
What causes the earth to have seasons?
The earths axis is not perfectly vertical but slightly tilted
During which season is the tilt of the earth towards the sun?
Summer
During which season is the tilt of the earth away from the sun?
Winter
Why are the seasons opposite for the Northern and Southern hemispheres?
Due to the tilt of the earth one hemisphere is nearer the sun so having summer and the other is further away so having winter
What date in the UK are we tilted closest to the sun so have the most daylight
June 21st
What date in the UK are we tilted furthest away from the sun so have the least daylight
December 21st
When does the sun appear to be highest in the sky?
During summer
When does the sun appear to be lowest in the sky?
During winter
Where does the sun rise in the Northern hemisphere?
In the East
Where does the sun set in the Northern hemisphere?
In the west
What is the pole star
It is a star which is located directly above the axis of the earth over the North pole.
Do the sun and other stars move in the sky
No, they appear to because the earth is rotating around the sun but they all stay in the same place- only the earth moves
Explain what night time is
The period of time where the point on the earth that you are in is facing away from the sun.
Explain what day time is
The period of time where the point on the earth that you are in is facing towards the sun.
Explain a solar eclipse
The moon passes between the sun and the earth blocking the light from the sun from reaching earth
What is the difference between a partial and a total eclipse?
The light from the sun is either totally blocked or partly blocked
Explain a lunar eclipse
The earth passes between the sun and the moon blocking the light from reaching the moon so it cannot be seen.
What is a satellite?
something which orbits a planet
What is a moon?
A natural satellite which orbits a planet
Apart from our moon what other types of satellite orbit the earht
- Communication and navigation
- Weather
- Observation of earth
- Exploration
Give 3 examples of how a Communication and navigation may be used
- Phone signals
- TV signals
- GPS (global satellite system) location services
Give 2 examples of how an observation satellite may be used
- Making up to date maps
- Spying for the military
What is a probe?
They are unmanned spaceships
Give 2 reasons why probes are used instead of manned spacecraft.
- cheaper
- safer
Who was the first man in space and when?
Yuri Gargarin 1961
Who was the first man on the moon and when?
Neil Armstrong 1969
When was the first space station launched?
1971
Which planets have we sent probes to?
all of them but they have only landed on Mars, Venus and Titan ( a moon of Saturn)
