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Science: Elementary School: Grades 3, 4 and 5 Quiz - Earth, Moon and Sun (Questions)

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Earth is one of the 8 planets (Pluto is no longer regarded as a planet) which orbit the Sun. It has a circumference of 40,000 km which may sound big - until you realize that the Sun's circumference is 109 times larger! The Moon is not a planet - it is a moon and it orbits the Earth. Some planets have many moons - Jupiter for example has at least 67 in orbit around it! The Sun's temperature is approximately 5,500 degrees Celsius on its surface. If you think that's hot, consider the Sun's core, which is about 13,600,000 degrees Celsius! Luckily for us, the Earth is much, much cooler!

Which of the following is a planet?

[ ]	The Earth
[ ]	The Moon
[ ]	The Sun
[ ]	All of the above

Which of these orbits the Earth?

[ ]	The Sun
[ ]	The Moon
[ ]	The Earth's axis
[ ]	The North and South Poles

Which of the following lasts approximately 24 hours?

[ ]	The Earth's orbit of the Sun
[ ]	A full rotation of the Earth on its axis
[ ]	The Sun's orbit of the Earth
[ ]	The Moon's orbit of the Earth

Which of the following lasts approximately 28 days?

[ ]	The Earth's orbit of the Sun
[ ]	The Sun's orbit of the galaxy
[ ]	The Earth's orbit of the Moon
[ ]	The Moon's orbit of the Earth

Which of the following is false?

[ ]	The Earth's orbit of the Sun causes seasons
[ ]	The Earth's rotation causes day and night
[ ]	The Moon's orbit causes its shape to change
[ ]	The Moon's orbit causes its appearance to change

Why does the Moon look different during its different phases?

[ ]	The Earth's shadow sometimes blocks the Sun's light from reaching the Moon
[ ]	One side of the Moon is not as reflective as the other side
[ ]	Different parts of the sunlit side of the Moon become visible as it makes its orbit around Earth
[ ]	The Sun's gravity causes the Moon to change its shape

Which one of the following is not a phase of the moon?

[ ]	Full moon
[ ]	First Quarter
[ ]	New moon
[ ]	Blue moon

When is the Moon full?

[ ]	When it's the first day of the month
[ ]	When the sunlit hemisphere is completely facing the Earth
[ ]	When the dark side of the Moon is completely facing Earth
[ ]	When it's the last day of the month

Which celestial body is the Earth closest to?

[ ]	The Moon
[ ]	The Sun
[ ]	Mars
[ ]	Venus

10.

What causes a lunar eclipse?

[ ]	The Sun blocks our view of the Moon
[ ]	The Earth blocks the Sun's light from reaching the Moon
[ ]	The Moon blocks our view of the Sun
[ ]	The Earth blocks the Moon's rays from reaching the Sun

Science: Elementary School: Grades 3, 4 and 5 Quiz - Earth, Moon and Sun (Answers)

Which of the following is a planet?

[x]	The Earth
[ ]	The Moon
[ ]	The Sun
[ ]	All of the above

The Sun is a star and the Moon is a moon

Which of these orbits the Earth?

[ ]	The Sun
[x]	The Moon
[ ]	The Earth's axis
[ ]	The North and South Poles

The Moon is the Earth's natural satellite, which means it orbits the Earth

Which of the following lasts approximately 24 hours?

[ ]	The Earth's orbit of the Sun
[x]	A full rotation of the Earth on its axis
[ ]	The Sun's orbit of the Earth
[ ]	The Moon's orbit of the Earth

24 hours is the length of one day and is caused by the Earth spinning (rotating) on its axis. Remember: the Sun does not orbit the Earth!

Which of the following lasts approximately 28 days?

[ ]	The Earth's orbit of the Sun
[ ]	The Sun's orbit of the galaxy
[ ]	The Earth's orbit of the Moon
[x]	The Moon's orbit of the Earth

The Moon takes approximately 28 days to travel around the Earth. It also takes approximately 28 days to rotate on its own axis

Which of the following is false?

[ ]	The Earth's orbit of the Sun causes seasons
[ ]	The Earth's rotation causes day and night
[x]	The Moon's orbit causes its shape to change
[ ]	The Moon's orbit causes its appearance to change

The Moon's shape doesn't change - it is always near-spherical - instead, its appearance changes throughout its 28 day orbit as different parts of it are in shadow

Why does the Moon look different during its different phases?

[ ]	The Earth's shadow sometimes blocks the Sun's light from reaching the Moon
[ ]	One side of the Moon is not as reflective as the other side
[x]	Different parts of the sunlit side of the Moon become visible as it makes its orbit around Earth
[ ]	The Sun's gravity causes the Moon to change its shape

Only one half (one hemisphere) of the moon is lit by the Sun, just as only one half of the Earth at any one time is lit by the Sun - on the other side it is night-time, and dark. Because the Moon is continuously orbiting, we can't always see all of its sunlit hemisphere from the Earth

Which one of the following is not a phase of the moon?

[ ]	Full moon
[ ]	First Quarter
[ ]	New moon
[x]	Blue moon

The Moon also passes through a Last Quarter phase, as well as Crescent (less than half full) and Gibbous (more than half full) phases

When is the Moon full?

[ ]	When it's the first day of the month
[x]	When the sunlit hemisphere is completely facing the Earth
[ ]	When the dark side of the Moon is completely facing Earth
[ ]	When it's the last day of the month

When the dark hemisphere of the moon is completely facing the Earth, it is described as a new moon

Which celestial body is the Earth closest to?

[x]	The Moon
[ ]	The Sun
[ ]	Mars
[ ]	Venus

The Moon is only 239,000 miles away from the Earth. In space terms, that makes the Moon our next-door neighbor!

10.

What causes a lunar eclipse?

[ ]	The Sun blocks our view of the Moon
[x]	The Earth blocks the Sun's light from reaching the Moon
[ ]	The Moon blocks our view of the Sun
[ ]	The Earth blocks the Moon's rays from reaching the Sun

Lunar eclipses last a few hours. It's completely safe to look at the Moon during an eclipse without using eye protection - of course, you must never look directly at a solar eclipse (which is when the Moon blocks our view of the Sun for a few minutes)