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Chapter 2: Problem 3

Day and night are caused by a. the tilt of Earth on its axis. b. the rotation of Earth on its axis. c. the revolution of Earth around the Sun. d. the revolution of the Sun around Earth.

Short Answer

Expert verified
b. the rotation of Earth on its axis.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Earth's Rotation

The Earth rotates on its axis, completing one full rotation approximately every 24 hours. This rotation causes different parts of the Earth to experience daylight and nighttime.
02

Examining the Options

Option a. refers to the tilt of Earth's axis, which is responsible for seasons rather than day and night.Option b. refers to the Earth's rotation on its axis, which directly causes day and night.Option c. refers to the Earth's revolution around the Sun, responsible for the yearly cycle and seasons, not daily changes.Option d. is incorrect as the Sun does not revolve around the Earth.
03

Choosing the Correct Answer

Since day and night are caused by the Earth's rotation on its axis, the correct answer is option b.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Earth's Rotation
The Earth's rotation is fundamental to understanding the day and night cycle. The Earth spins around an imaginary line called an axis, which runs from the North Pole to the South Pole. This rotation is counterclockwise when viewed from above the North Pole. As the Earth rotates, different parts of its surface move into and out of the sunlight, causing day and night.

One complete rotation takes approximately 24 hours. This consistent motion results in predictable patterns of daylight and darkness around the planet. Understanding this rotation helps you comprehend why we experience regular intervals of day and night.
  • Earth rotates west to east.
  • This rotation period is roughly 24 hours.
  • It causes the Sun to appear to rise in the east and set in the west.
Earth's Axis
The Earth's axis is the invisible line around which the Earth rotates. This axis is tilted at an angle of about 23.5 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun. While this tilt is crucial for understanding seasons, it's the rotation around this axis that impacts the daily cycle.

The axis remains stable as the Earth orbits the Sun, meaning the orientation of the tilt doesn't change. This stability ensures that while the position of the sunlight shifts over the course of a year, the daily cycle of rotation stays the same. The tilt is more connected with why we have different seasons than with daily patterns.
  • The axis is tilted at around 23.5 degrees.
  • This tilt affects how sunlight is distributed across the planet year-round.
  • Rotation around the axis causes the cycle of day and night.
Daily Cycle
The daily cycle of day and night is a direct result of Earth's rotation on its axis. When a particular part of Earth faces the Sun, it experiences daytime. Conversely, when it faces away from the Sun, it experiences nighttime.

This cycle influences all life on Earth, from human activities to the behavior of plants and animals. Broadly known as the circadian rhythm, these are natural processes that respond to Earth's day-night cycle and affect living organisms. Understanding this cycle helps explain the predictability of daytime activities followed by rest at night.
  • The daily cycle is 24 hours long.
  • Daytime occurs when a region of Earth faces the Sun.
  • Nighttime occurs when that region turns away from the Sun.
  • This cycle influences biological rhythms and daily activities.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Imagine that you are standing on the South Pole at the time of the southern summer solstice. a. How far above the horizon will the Sun be at noon? b. How far above (or below) the horizon will the Sun be at midnight?

Where on Earth can you stand and, over the course of a year, see the entire sky? a. only at the North Pole b. at either pole c. at the equator d. anywhere

Astronomers are sometimes asked to serve as expert witnesses in court cases. Suppose you are called in as an expert witness, and the defendant states that he could not see the pedestrian because the full Moon was casting long shadows across the street at midnight. Is this claim credible? Why or why not?

Suppose you would like to witness the midnight Sun (when the Sun appears just above the northern horizon at midnight) but you don't want to travel any farther north than necessary. a. How far north (that is, to which latitude) would you have to go? b. At what time of year would you make this trip?

Go to the U.S. Naval Observatory website (USNO "Data Services," at http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data). Look up the times for sunrise and sunset for your location for the current week. (You can change the dates one at a time or bring up a table for the entire month.) How are the times changing from one day to the next? Bring up the "Duration of Days/Darkness Table for One Year" page for your location. Are the days getting longer or shorter? When do the shortest and the longest days occur? Look up a location in the opposite hemisphere (Northern or Southern). When are the days shortest and longest?
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