Chapter 3 Study Guide
1. What are the terrestrial planets? Describe the
characteristics of these planets.
2. What are the giant planets? Describe the
characteristics of these planets.
3. Describe the shape of the earth.
4. Locate the highest and lowest point on the earth.
5. List and describe the three movements of the
earth?
Chapter 3 Study Guide
6. Define the plane of the ecliptic.
7. On a diagram identify the equator, earth's axis, and the
plane of the ecliptic.
8. Describe parallelism.
9. Explain why we have seasons and why the seasons are
opposite in the northern and southern hemisphere. How
does insolation affect the seasons. (use diagrams!)
10. Describe angular and linear velocity.
11. Describe the summer solstice, the winter solstice and the
equinox.
12.What latitude is the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of
Capricorn?
Dimensions and distances
Speed of light
299,792 kmps (186,282 mps)
Light year is the distance light travels in one
year. 6 trillion miles in 1 year.
Universe is 12 billion light-years across
Milky Way Galaxy 100,000 ly across
Our Solar System 11 light-hours across
Moon is 1.28 light-seconds away
Milky Way Galaxy/Galactic
Movement
Energy for life
on Earth comes
from the sun.
Movement
overall is
counterclockwise
movement.
Elliptical paths.
Fig. 3.2
Our Solar System
All planets spin
or rotate on their
axis.
A solar system is defined as all heavenly bodies
associated with a particular star due to that star’s mass
and gravitational attraction
Members of Our Solar System
•
•
1. Terrestrial Planets? Mercury, Venus, Earth,
Mars---Relatively small warmed by proximity
to sun. Composed of rock and metal. Solid
surfaces with geologic forces such as
mountains, crater volcanoes.
2. Giant Planets? Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
Neptune--- Much larger, composed of ices,
liquids, gases. Solid cores at center, Huge
balls of gas and liquid. What is Pluto???--None more like a moon.
Earth Facts
Angular velocity
360 degrees
Earth is flat at poles and
bulges at the equator. Where is this?
Pole
Oblate spheroid
Highest point
Mount Everest
29,028 ft above sea level
Fig. 3.11
Linear velocity –
Greatest at the
Equator. Degrees
Plus area covered.
Northern
Hemisphere
Equator
Southern
Hemisphere
Lowest point  Challenger Deep in the
Pole Mariana Trench 36,198 feet below sea
level. Pacific Ocean near Guam.
Earth’s 3 types of Movement
1.
2.
3.
F
Rotation
Revolution
Galactic Movement
More Earth Facts
Revolution
Earth revolves around the Sun
Voyage takes 365 and ¼ days. Leap year.
Earth’s speed is 107,280 kmph (66,660 mph)
Rotation
Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours
Rotational velocity at equator is 1674 kmph
(1041 mph)
Solar Energy to Earth and
the Seasons
Solar Energy: From Sun to Earth
The Seasons
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Sun radiates shortwave energy
Shorter wavelengths have higher energy
Earth radiates longwave energy
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Figure 3.10
Earth’s Energy Budget
Aphelion and Perihelion
Similar Fig. 3.14
Not why we have
seasons!
Seasonality
Seasonal changes
 Sun’s
altitude – angle above horizon
 Day length
 Important days/ Reversal of Seasons in different
hemispheres.
Southern
 Summer Solstice/Winter Solstice
Hemisphere
June 21 Winter
June 21 Northern Hemisphere Summer Solstice
 December 21 Northern Hemisphere Winter solstice Solstice
December 21
 Southern Hemisphere?

Southern
Hemisphere:
March 21 Fall
Equinox
September 22
Spring Equinox
Summer solstice
 Equinoxes=Equal



March 21 Spring Equinox Northern Hemisphere
September 22 Fall Equinox in Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere?
Reasons for Seasons
Tilt of Earth’s axis
Axis is tilted 23.5° from the perpendicular to the plane
of ecliptic
Axial parallelism
Axis maintains alignment during orbit around the Sun
North pole points toward the North Star (Polaris)
 Amount
of daylight hours
 Amount of insolation received at particular
location.
Axial Tilt and Parallelism
Similar Figure 3.15
Annual March of the Seasons
Similar Fig. 3.16
Earth-Sun Relations
Insolation received
June 21
Fig. 3.19a
Insolation
Direct
Oblique
Which is direct and
oblique?
Direct- same energy just
concentrated in smaller
area.
Oblique-spread over
larger area
Zones of Climate
Fig. 3.20