Chapter 19:
The Earth-Moon System
Practice Test
1.
What causes a solar eclipse?
a.
Earth passes between the moon and the sun.
b.
The moon travels closer to Earth.
c.
The sun passes directly between Earth and the moon.
d.
The moon passes between Earth and the sun.
Hint
2.
Twice in one year, the sun is directly over the equator. What are these times known as?
a.
equinoxes
b.
solstices
c.
seasons
d.
hemispheres
Hint
3.
How can the moon and the sun appear to be the same size, even though the sun's diameter is about 400 times larger than the moon's diameter?
a.
The moon is 400 times closer to Pluto than it is to Earth.
b.
The sun is 400 times closer to Earth than the moon is.
c.
The moon and the sun are about the same distance from Earth.
d.
The moon is 400 times closer to Earth than the sun is.
Hint
4.
The _________ receives the most direct sunlight during summer solstice in the northern hemisphere.
a.
Tropic of Cancer
b.
north pole
c.
Tropic of Capricorn
d.
south pole
Hint
5.
Select the statement that best describes the moon's movement.
a.
It rotates on its axis once per day.
b.
It reverses the direction of its rotations from clockwise to counterclockwise once per day.
c.
It revolves around the sun once every 365 days.
d.
It revolves around Earth and rotates on its axis.
Hint
6.
An imaginary line, about which Earth spins, is known as its __________.
a.
ellipse
b.
center point
c.
revolution
d.
axis
Hint
7.
Why do ships approaching land see only the highest points, such as the tops of mountains or hills, first?
a.
because Earth's surface has very few hills or mountains
b.
because Earth's surface is flat
c.
because Earth's surface is curved
d.
because Earth's surface is mostly water
Hint
8.
Why do we experience seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres?
a.
Earth is closest to the sun in July.
b.
Earth's axis spins toward the south.
c.
Earth's axis is tilted 23 1/2 degrees.
d.
Earth's axis pierces the equator.
Hint
9.
What causes tides?
a.
wind deforming the ocean surface
b.
frictional forces of rock slides entering bays
c.
gravitational pull of the sun and the moon on the ocean surface
d.
water collecting in the intertidal zone
Hint
10.
What is true of a spot on Earth's equator?
a.
It rotates from west to east.
b.
It moves in a zigzag motion.
c.
It spins on Earth's axis once every 28 days.
d.
It revolves around the moon.
Hint
11.
Which events occurred on the moon in the past but are not happening today?
a.
third-quarter phases
b.
volcanic activity
c.
waxing gibbous phases
d.
rotation
Hint
12.
Why does the shape of the moon appear to change over time?
a.
because meteorites have bombarded the moon's surface
b.
because it is experiencing volcanic eruptions on the surface
c.
because the moon occasionally faces its far side toward Earth
d.
because we see different parts of the moon's surface lighted by the sun
Hint
13.
How long does it take for Earth to revolve around the sun?
a.
3 weeks, 18 days
b.
24 months
c.
365 1/4 days
d.
28 days
Hint
14.
How old is the moon?
a.
3.0 million years old
b.
twice as old as Earth
c.
1.5 billion years old
d.
4.6 billion years old
Hint
15.
The shape of the path that Earth takes as it revolves around the sun is __________.
a.
spherical
b.
rectangular
c.
elliptical
d.
linear
Hint
