Name ______Class ______Date ______
Earth, Sun, and Moon Test Review – 8th Grade Science
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____1.Which of these factors is most responsible for causing variations in the length of day and night on Earth?
a. / The distance between the sun and Earth. / c. / 23.5 degree tilt of Earth on its axis.b. / The distance between the moon and Earth. / d. / The elliptical orbit of Earth.
____2.Approximately how long does it take for the Earth to rotate once?
a. / 365 days / c. / 18 hoursb. / 12 months / d. / 24 hours
____3.Why do we always view the same side of the moon from Earth?
a. / The moon does not rotate / c. / The moon rotates at the same rate as its revolution.b. / The gravity is stronger on our side of the moon. / d. / The Earth rotates at the same rate as the moon.
____4.What causes day and night on Earth?
a. / The revolution of Earth around the Sun. / b. / The rotation of Earth on its axis.b. / The moon revolving around Earth / d. / The Sun moving around Earth.
____5.Approximately how long does it take Earth to revolve around the Sun?
a. / 24 hours / c. / 28 daysb. / 365 days / d. / 10 months
____ 6. The movement of the Earth spinning on its axis -
a. / occurs in a month / c. / is a rotationb. / occurs in a year / d. / is a revolution
____7.If the North Pole is pointed toward the Sun, what season is it in the northern hemisphere?
a. / winter / c. / summerb. / spring / d. / fall
____8.If the South Pole is pointed away from the Sun, what season is it in the southern hemisphere?
a. / winter / c. / summerb. / spring / d. / fall
____9.What causes the seasons on Earth?
a. / tilt only / c. / tilt and revolution of the Earthb. / revolution only / d. the rotation of Earth.
10. Label the Equinoxes and the Solstices on the diagram below.
____11.At what position above would the Northern Hemisphere experience spring?
a. / Position A / c. / Position Cb. / Position B / d. / Position D
____12.At what position above would the Northern Hemisphere experience summer?
a. / Position A / c. / Position Cb. / Position B / d. / Position D
____13.The Northern Hemisphere would most likely experience winter conditions when the Earth is at -
a. / position A / c. / position Cb. / position B / d. / position D
____14.What happens to the tides when the moon, sun, and Earth are aligned?
a. / The Earth experiences only low tides. / c. / The Earth experiences only high tides.b. / The Earth experiences the smallest difference between low and high tide. / d. / The Earth experiences the biggest difference between low and high tide.
____15.Which of these facts listed about the Earth/Sun/Moon system is least responsible for the cyclical phases of the moon?
a. / The moon’s surface reflects light. / c. / The Earth’s north pole points towards Polaris (North Star)b. / The sun produces heat energy / d. / The moon revolves around the Earth.
____16.How long does it take the moon to revolve once around the Earth?
a. / 1 day / c. / 28 daysb. / 7 days / d. / 1 year
____17.When the Sun, Earth, and moon perfectly align, Earth casts a shadow on the moon. This is when a ______occurs.
a. / Lunar Eclipse / c. / Waning Gibbousb. / Solar Eclipse / d. New Moon
____18.The equator receives _____ sunlight, while the poles receive ______sunlight.
a. / direct, indirect / c. / indirect, directb. / Indirect, indirect / d. direct, direct
____19.As you move away from the equator it gets colder because
a. / There is less direct sunlight / c. / The equator is closer to the sunb. / There is more direct sunlight / d. The poles are closer to the sun
____20.Which of these answers best describes the revolution and rotation periods of the moon?
a. / 28 day revolution, 1 day rotation / c. / 365 day revolution, 1 day rotationb. / 28 day revolution, 28 day rotation / d. / 365 day for both
____ 21. Complete the following analogy. Waxing: ______; Waning: ______
a. / Growing: Shrinking / c. / Full: Newb. / Shrinking: Growing / d. / New: Full
Use the diagram to answer questions 22-25.
____22.The phase of the moon that could replace letter Y in the diagram is ---
a. / / c. /b. / / d. /
____23.The phase of the moon that could replace letter X in the diagram is ---
a. / / c. /b. / / d. /
____24.During phase X of the lunar cycle, the moon reflects ---
a. / large amount of light / c. / a crescent shape of lightb. / the same amount of light as in phase Y / d. / little to no light
____25.During phase Y of the lunar cycle, the moon reflects ---
a. / large amount of light / c. / a crescent shape of lightb. / the same amount of light as in phase X / d. / little to no light
Use the diagram to answer questions 26 -30.
_____ 26. Which of the following phases is the moon in at location 1?
A. Full MoonC. First Quarter
B. New MoonD. Last Quarter
_____27. Which of the following phases is the moon in at location 2 and 4?
A. Full MoonC. Quarter
B. CrescentD. Gibbous
_____ 28. Which of the following phases is the moon in at location 3?
A. Full MoonC. First Quarter
B. New MoonD. Last Quarter
_____ 29. At which positions would a spring tide occur?
A.Position 1 and 3C. Position 1 and 2
B.Position 2 and 4D. Position 3 and 4
_____ 30. At which positions would a neap tide occur?
A.Position 1 and 3C. Position 1 and 2
B.Position 2 and 4D. Position 3 and 4