Misconceptions Take Home Quiz
YOU MAY WRITE ON THIS QUIZ PAPER BUT ONLY YOUR
ANSWER SHEET WILL BE GRADED
1. Mr. Bogus asked his class to share their ideas about what causes the
seasons. This is what some of his students said:
A. Janica: The Earth is closer to the sun in the summer and farther away in
the winter because the Earth’s orbit is an oval.
B. Bruce: The seasons are caused by the differences in latitude. It is
warmer near the equator than it is near the poles because the Earth
curves away from the sun.
C. Lena: The seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth on its axis and the
way the light hits the Earth differently as it orbits the sun.
D. The seasons are caused by changes in Earth’s orbit over time due to the
pull of the moon’s gravitational field.
Choose the letter that matches the student you most agree with. Defend your
choice. Explain why this explanation is better than all of the other choices.
2. Eva wanted to photograph a full moon on January 1, but it was too
cloudy. When will be her next opportunity to take a picture of the full
moon?
a. January 15
b. January 30
c. February 10
d. February 18
Use the diagram below to answer questions 3-6
3. The moon’s shadow may fall on Earth, causing a solar eclipse, when the
moon is in position
a.
b.
c.
d.
A
B
C
D
4. At which position in its orbit can all of the moon’s lighted side be seen
from Earth?
a.
b.
c.
d.
A
B
C
D
5. What season is the northern hemisphere experiencing in this picture?
Why?
a. Summer, because the Earth is closer to the sun than usual.
b. Summer, because the Western side of the Earth is facing the sun.
c. Winter, because the north pole is pointed away from the sun.
d. Winter, because the south pole is on the bottom of the Earth.
6. Can an egg be balanced on the Earth when the moon is in position B?
Why or why not?
a. No, an egg will not stand up on this day because it is not an
equinox; the sun and moon are aligned but not the Earth.
b. Yes, an egg will stand on any day of the year; the positions of the
sun and moon do not matter.
c. Yes, eggs balance on any day of the year but it will be easier on this
day because the Earth and moon pull in opposite directions
creating equal gravity and better balancing conditions.
d. No, an egg will not stand on any day of the year unless you cheat
by using salt or some other trick.
7. The Spring Equinox is the day when
a. All the planets are equally spaced with Earth in the middle.
b. Gravitational pull is equal above and below the equator
c. The amount of sunlight in each hemisphere is equal because the
Earth is not tilted toward or away from the sun.
d. The sun and moon are on opposite sides of the Earth creating a
balance of gravitational pull.
8. The equator is warm year round because
a.
b.
c.
d.
The sun never sets on the equator
The sun always hits the equator at a 90 degree angle.
The sun always hits the equator at a 180 degree angle
The equator always tilts into the sun.
9. We do not have solar and lunar eclipses each month because
a. The moon rotates on its axis at the same rate that it revolves
around the Earth
b. The moon orbits the Earth at an angle relative to the orbit of the Earth
around the sun.
c. The moon is too small to cause eclipses when it is not in the full
moon phase
d. The moon’s orbit changes each month
10. A half moon is called a quarter moon by astronomers because
a. It is about the size of a quarter when seen from Earth
b. Astronomers divide the phases of the moon into four equal parts
c. The portion of the moon that is visible from the Earth is ¼ th of the
entire moon.
d. They want to confuse ordinary people.
11. The North Pole will experience 6 months of daylight without the sun ever
setting because
a.
b.
c.
d.
The sun is hitting the pole at a 90 degree angle
The sun is hitting the pole at a 180 degree angle
The pole is tilting into the sun for half the year
The pole is always cold and this helps it stay warmer
Short Essay:
How is scientific thinking different from everyday thinking and how does it help
to use science in overcoming our misconceptions? Use examples from class
and life in general to show that you understand the difference between
everyday thinking and scientific thinking. You may want to consider including
some of these vocabulary words in your explanation (but this is not required, it is
just a suggestion to help you think about what you want to say.) Occam’s Razor,
validity, misconception, black box.
Name: _________________________________________
Period: _______
1. Letter choice: C
Explanation:
Seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth and our revolution
around the sun. When we tilt into the sun the light rays reach us
more directly and they warm us with greater intensity. When
we tilt away from the sun the light rays hit us at a very indirect
angle, like a stone skimming over water. This oblique light is not
very intense and not very warm.
Please write the letter of your choice as a CAPITAL
2. B
8. B
3. A
9.
4. C
10. C
5. C
11. C
6. B
7. C
Short Essay:
Scientific thinking is designed to help people avoid misconceptions
and missing the Gorilla moments. Everyday thinking usually isn’t very
deep. The scientific method uses special controls to force you to
look at the evidence in an objective manner. Everyday thinking cuts
lots of corners, usually in the interest of saving time. For example, if
your computer isn’t working you might decide that the problem is
that it is overheating. You might turn it off and let it rest and then
turn it back on. If it works after that you might conclude that your
hypothesis was correct. However, this is not a scientific conclusion
because there was no control, you didn’t repeat your trials and you
weren’t thinking like a scientist. Also, everyday thoughts are prone to
wishful thinking. If you want something to be true you might have a
tendency to look the other way when evidence contradicts what
you are hoping for. For example, if you really want there to be Santa
Claus you might throw Occam’s Razor out the window trying to find
ways for the legend to be true.