Rotation and Revolution Reading

Instructions

Read through the following text and answer the questions for each section.

How Does Earth Move?
Until a few hundred years ago, most people thought that Earth stood still and the sun, moon and stars moved around it.  But today, scientists know that Earth itself moves and that objects seem to move across the sky because of Earth's motion.  Earth moves in space in two major ways: rotation and revolution.

Required

1

Until a few hundred years ago, what did did people think did the moving? (Choose all that apply.)

Rotation
The imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and the North and South poles is Earth's axis.  The spinning of Earth on it's axis is called rotation.

Earth's rotation causes day and night.  As Earth rotates eastward, the sun appears to move west across the sky.  As Earth continues to turn to the east, the sun appears to set in the west.  Sunlight can't reach the side of the Earth facing away from the sun, so it is night there.  It takes Earth about 24 hours to rotate once.  As you know, each 24-hour cycle of day and night is called a day.

Revolution
In addition to rotating, Earth travels around the sun.  Revolution is the movement of one object around another.  One revolution of Earth around the sun is called a year.  Earth's path, or orbit, is a slightly elongated circle, or ellipse.

Required

1

One complete revolution of the Earth causes what?

Required

1

Draw a diagram showing Earth's motions. Include both rotation and revolution in your diagram and make sure you label them.

Required

1

Until a few hundred years ago, what did did people think did the moving? (Choose all that apply.)

What does Earth's rotation on its axis cause?

How much of Earth is lit by the Sun at any given time?

One complete revolution of the Earth causes what?

Draw a diagram showing Earth's motions. Include both rotation and revolution in your diagram and make sure you label them.

What are the ways Earth moves in space?