Solar System Test - Grade 5 Multiple Choice Directions: Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. Write this answer on your answer document. 1. The tilt of Earth s axis causes: a. the seasons b. day and night c. 365 days in a year d. Earth to move closer and further from the sun at different times during the year Use the diagram below to answer Question 2: Sun 2. If you lived at Point A, what time of day would it be? a. day b. night 3. Which of the following objects orbit the sun? a. Asteroids b. Comets c. Planets d. All of the above 4. Motions of the solar system are regular and predicable. For example, every four years we add an extra day in February. This is called a Leap Year. Why does this occur? a. Because it takes Earth 24 hours to rotate on its axis b. Because it takes Earth 365 ¼ days to revolve around the sun c. Because it takes Earth 365 ¼ days to rotate around the sun d. Because the Earth s axis is tilted at 23.5º
5. Why do comets and planets revolve around the Sun? a. Comets and planets don t revolve, they rotate around the Sun b. Comets and planets don t orbit around the sun, but rather around the Earth c. Because of the Sun s magnetic pull on these objects d. Because of the Sun s gravitational pull on the these objects 6. Vega a star and is about twice as wide as the sun. Why does Vega look so much smaller than the sun? a. Vega s height is much smaller b. Vega is much further away than the sun c. Vega does not give off as much light d. Vega is not as hot 7. The person in the image below is standing in the Northern Hemisphere. What would be the date and season for the person shown below? a. December 21--winter b. December 21--summer c. June 21--winter d. June 21--summer 8. In the morning, Sandra notices that the sun appears on one side of the sky. In the evening she notices that the Sun appears to be on the other side of the sky. However, in class, Sandra learned that the Sun does not actually move across the sky from one side to another. Why does the sun appear to move across the sky? a. The Earth revolves around the Sun b. The Earth rotates on its axis c. The Moon and Sun rotate on their axis d. The Sun and Moon revolve around the Earth
9. The sun is more than 100 times as wide as planet Earth. How big is the sun when compared to most other stars? a. The sun is a medium size star, but not the largest b. The sun is much smaller than most other stars c. The sun is much larger than all other stars 10. December 21 st is the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere. What season would it be in the southern hemisphere on December 21 st? a. Beginning of winter b. Beginning of spring c. Beginning of summer d. Beginning of autumn (fall) 11. In the diagram above, at which position is the Northern Hemisphere receiving the most direct sunlight? a. Position A b. Position B c. Position C d. Position D 12. In the diagram below, at which position in Earth s orbit will Ohio be experiencing Fall? a. Position A b. Position B c. Position C d. Position D 13. A hot ball of burning gas that emits light and heat is called a: a. Planet b. Asteroid c. Star d. Meteor
14. Gravity is responsible for the: a. Planets staying in orbit around the sun b. Rotation of a planet on its axis c. Tilt of the Earth s axis d. Phases of the moon 15. The rotation of Earth on its axis causes: a. Day and night b. One year c. A leap year d. The seasons The diagram below represents the orbit of Earth (E) the sun and the inner planets. 16. Based on the diagram above, where will the Earth be positioned in 6 months? a. Position 1 b. Position 2 c. Position 3 d. Position 4 17. Solar energy is most effective in areas that receive direct sunlight for long periods of time. Solar panels are placed on homes to gather the sun s light energy. This energy is then used to power a house to run appliances or to heat water. In which geographic location would solar panels work the best? a. Near the North Pole b. Near the South Pole c. Near the Equator
18. A student is looking at the night sky and observes the following image. Which of the following tools allows the student to easily observe the image? a. binoculars b. telescope c. magnifying glass d. microscope 19. Carol saw a streak of light cross the night sky. She called it a shooting star. What object did Carol actually see in the night sky? a. comet b. asteroid c. meteor d. the sun 20. Based on the diagram below, which statement is true? a. The sun revolves around the Earth and the Earth revolves around the moon b. The Earth revolves around the sun and the moon revolves around the Earth c. The Earth revolves around the moon and the Earth revolves around the sun d. The moon revolves around the sun and the sun revolves around the Earth 21. Which solar panel (Position A or Position B) receives more direct sunlight and therefore a higher temperature? a. Position A b. Position B
22. Drew wanted to make a model of the solar system. He decided to model the Sun and the orbits of the two closest planets to the Sun. However, when Drew showed his teacher the model, she noticed there were a few errors. In this diagram, identify the one thing that is correctly drawn. a. Earth is shows as being closest planet to sun b. The model is not to scale, because it shows the Earth as being larger than the sun. c. The shapes of the planets orbits are incorrect d. The sun in center of the solar system 23. The picture below shows the order of the planets from the sun. What do we call the area between Mars and Jupiter where the asteroids are located? a. The Oort Cloud b. The Terrestrial Planet Area c. The Gaseous Planet Area d. The Asteroid Belt 24. Using the chart as a reference, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars would fall into which Group of planets? a. Group 1 b. Group 2 25. Using the diagram, identify which choice is showing winter at that location. a. Location A b. Location B c. Location C
26. A student observed a city in Ohio. Which of the following statements is true? A. More hours of darkness causes warmer temperatures B. Less hours of darkness causes cooler temperatures. C. More hours of darkness cause cool temperatures. D. There is no connection between hours of darkness and temperature. Written Response Questions 27. EXTENDED RESPONSE (5 points) Compare Comets to Asteroids by completing the Venn Diagram below. Write the number of the clue that matches in the appropriate category of the Venn Diagram. You DO NOT need to write each statement. 28. SHORT ANSWER (2 points) Many motions of the solar system are regular and predictable, meaning they happen over and over in a pattern. Describe one regular and predictable motion of the solar system. Then, explain how long that movement takes.