Earth & Space

Question 1

What are the 3 layers of the Earth?

Answer 1

• Crust
• Mantle
• Core

Question 2

What is the outermost layer of rock which supports all life called?

Answer 2

Crust

Question 3

Describe the composition of the Earth’s crust?

Answer 3

It is composed of solid rock, primarily made up of oxygen, silicon, aluminum and iron.

Question 4

What is magma and where is it found?

Answer 4

Magma is molten, or semi-molten material which forms igneous rock. It is found in the upper mantle.

Question 5

What is the difference between magma and lava?

Answer 5

Magma: molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface.
Lava: magma that has erupted onto Earth’s surface.

Question 6

How may layers does Earth’s core have?

Answer 6

Two (the inner core and the outer core).

Question 7

What causes the creation of mountains and eruptions of volcanos on Earth?

Answer 7

Tectonic plate movements and interactions e.g. a collision.

Question 8

What are the 4 spheres of the Earth?

Answer 8

• Atmosphere
• Biosphere
• Geosphere
• Hydrosphere

Question 9

What creates the Earth’s magnetic field?

Answer 9

The movement of the liquid outer core.

Question 10

How many major tectonic plates account for the continents of the world?

Answer 10

7

Question 11

What is a tectonic plate?

Answer 11

A massive irregular shaped slap of solid rock.

Question 12

Name the supercontinent that existed over 250 million years ago?

Answer 12

Pangaea

Question 13

What is the Universe?

Answer 13

All of space, matter, energy, time and it’s contents. Including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy.

Question 14

What is a galaxy?

Answer 14

A huge collection of gas, dust, and billions of stars and their solar systems, all held together by gravity.

Question 15

What is the solar system?

Answer 15

Consists of the sun and everything bound to it by gravity; planets, moons, asteroids, comets and meteoroids.

Question 16

When did our solar system form?

Answer 16

About 4.5 billions years ago.

Question 17

What is larger, the universe or the solar system?

Answer 17

The Universe.

Question 18

In which galaxy do we live?

Answer 18

The Milky Way Galaxy.

Question 19

What are the 2 main gases that stars are composed.

Answer 19

• Hydrogen
• Helium

Question 20

What is the closest star to Earth?

Answer 20

Our sun

Question 21

What is the center of our solar system?

Answer 21

Our sun

Question 22

What are moons?

Answer 22

• Similar to planets in shape.
• Orbit a planet rather than the sun.

Question 23

What is the order of the planets, based on their distance from the sun?

Answer 23

• Mercury
• Venus
• Earth
• Mars
• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Uranus
• Neptune

Question 24

What is a planet?

Answer 24

A celestial body that orbits stars.

Question 25

What is the acronym for remembering the planets in our solar system?

Answer 25

My Very Easy Method Just Sums Up Naming

Question 26

Which planet is the hottest in our solar system due to the greenhouse effect?

Answer 26

Venus

Question 27

Which planet in the only one in our solar system with tectonic plates.

Answer 27

Earth

Question 28

What is the 4th planet away from the sun (known as our 'red neighbour')

Answer 28

Mars

Question 29

How many moons does Jupiter have?

Answer 29

Roughly 79 moons

Question 30

Which planet is closest to the sun?

Answer 30

Mercury

Question 31

What are asteroids?

Answer 31

Made up of metal, rock or both. They are larger than meteoroids.

Question 32

What are comets made of?

Answer 32

Small, icy bodies of frozen gases, rocks and cosmic dust.

Question 33

How many moons does Earth have?

Answer 33

One

Question 34

What is a meteor?

Answer 34

A meteoroid that enters Earth's atmosphere and heats up due to friction.

Question 35

What gives Saturn its distinctive appearance?

Answer 35

Its rings, primarily made of ice and rock particles.

Question 36

Which planet has the Great Red Spot, a giant storm.

Answer 36

Jupiter

Question 37

What are the interactions between the sun, earth, and moon?

Answer 37

- The Earth orbits the sun (once every 365 days). - The Moon orbits the Earth (once every 28 days).

Question 38

What causes seasons on Earth?

Answer 38

The Earth's rotational axis being tilted (at 23.5 degrees), relative to the sun.

Question 39

What causes the phases we see in the moon?

Answer 39

As the moon orbits Earth, we see different fractions of its illuminated half, creating the phases.

Question 40

How long does it take for the Earth to rotate once on its axis?

Answer 40

24 hours

Question 41

What causes day and night on Earth?

Answer 41

The rotation of Earth on it's axis.

Question 42

What force keeps the moon in orbit around the Earth?

Answer 42

The gravitational pull of the Earth.

Question 43

What is a 'new moon'?

Answer 43

When the moon is between the Earth and the sun, and the side facing Earth is in shadow. During a new moon, the moon is not visible from Earth.

Question 44

What is a full moon?

Answer 44

- When the Earth is between the moon and the sun, and the side facing Earth is fully lit. - A full moon is fully illuminated as seen from Earth (occurs once per month).

Question 45

What is the angle of Earth's tilt?

Answer 45

Approximately 23.5 degrees.

Question 46

What happens to Earth's seasons if the tilt angle changes?

Answer 46

The intensity and distribution of the seasons would be affected.

Question 47

Why don't we always see a solar or lunar eclipse each month?

Answer 47

Because the orbits of the moon and Earth are tilted, relative to each other.

Question 48

What is an eclipse season?

Answer 48

A period when the moon's orbit aligns with the Earth and sun, making eclipses possible.