______ a
______ d
______ c
Student Name: _________________________________
Mrs. Lee – 8 th
Grade Physical Science
Period #: ______
Page 1
Chapter 12 Practice Test – Answer Key
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______ d
______ a
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______ b
1) What is the source of most of Earth’s heat and natural light? a) the moon b) Earth itself c) the sun d) stars other than the sun
2) What force keeps Earth in motion around the sun? a) friction between Earth & the planets b) gravity between Earth & the moon c) friction between Earth & the sun d) gravity between Earth & the sun
3) How many natural satellites does Earth have? a) one b) two c) six d) dozens
4) What causes day and night? a) the tilt of Earth’s axis c) Earth’s movement around the sun b) the sun moving behind the moon d) Earth’s rotation on its axis
5) Earth’s spinning on its axis is called its ______. a) revolution b) orbit c) rotation d) cycle
6) Which of the following events occurs once every 24 hours? a) Earth revolves around the sun c) The moon revolves around Earth b) The moon rotates on its axis d) Earth rotates on its axis
7) When the south end of Earth’s axis is tilted toward the sun, a) it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere b) it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere c) the sun is low in the sky in the Southern Hemisphere d) the sun is farthest north of the equator
______ b
______ c
8) In a leap year, the number of days is ______. a) 365 b) 366 c) 364 d) 365 ¼
9) Spring tides occur ______. a) when the sun and moon are right angles to Earth b) when day and night are equal c) when the sun, moon, and Earth line up d) only when the sun and moon are the same distance from Earth
10) The tendency of an object to resist a change in motion is ______. a) inertia b) orbital motion c) gravity d) universal gravitation
11) The pull of gravity on the surface of the moon is ______. a) six times that of Earth b) one quarter that of Earth c) one eightieth that of Earth d) one sixth that of Earth
12) Maria are ______. a) seas on the moon c) regions formed from huge lava flows b) regions with many craters d) lunar highlands
Ch 12 Practice Test Answer Key 1

Student Name: _________________________________
Mrs. Lee – 8 th
Grade Physical Science
Period #: ______
Page 2
Chapter 12 Practice Test – Answer Key
______ b
13) The darkest part of the moon’s shadow is the ______. a) penumbra b) umbra c) solar eclipse d) new moon
______ c 14) The moon’s surface gets very hot in direct sunlight because ______. a) one side is always turned toward the sun b) the moon has no liquid water to absorb the sun’s energy c) the moon has no atmosphere d) only some areas have crater walls to shield against sunlight
______ b (rotations) 15) In one year, Earth completes 365 revolutions . a) True b) False
______ b (vernal equinox) 16) The day in March on which the sun is overhead at noon at the equator is called the autumnal solstice . a) True b) False
______ b (lunar eclipse) 17) A solar eclipse occurs during a full moon when Earth is directly between the moon and the sun. a) True b) False
______ a 18) When the moon is in Earth’s umbra , you see a total lunar eclipse. a) True b) False
______ a 19) The distance between two objects and the masses of the objects determine the strength of the force of gravity. a) True b) False
______ c 20) The path that Earth follows around the sun is called its ______. a) rotation b) axis c) orbit
______ b
______ a
______ b
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21) Earth’s spinning on its axis is called its ______. a) revolution a) force b) mass b) rotation
22) A push or pull is a ______. c) orbit c) phase
23) The tendency of an object to resist a change in motion is ______. a) orbit b) inertia c) gravity
24) What causes the phases of the moon, eclipses, and tides? a) the tilt of Earth on its axis b) the changing relative positions of the moon, Earth, and sun c) the masses of objects and the distance between them
______ b 25) The moon formed when ______. a) Earth began orbiting the sun b) A large object crashed into Earth c) The first solar eclipse occurred
Ch 12 Practice Test Answer Key 2

Student Name: _________________________________
Mrs. Lee – 8 th
Grade Physical Science
Period #: ______
Page 3
Chapter 12 Practice Test – Answer Key
______ a 26) The force of gravity on an object is its a) True b) False weight .
______ b (neap tide) 27) A tide with the smallest difference between low and high tides is called a solstice . a) True b) False
______ b (full moon) 28) A lunar eclipse occurs only when the moon is in the neap tide phase. a) True b) False
______ b (crater) 29) A large round pit on the moon is called an equinox . a) True b) False
______ b
______ a
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30) In one year, Earth completes 365 revolutions. a) True b) False
31) Earth has seasons because its axis is tilted as it revolves around the sun. a) True b) False
32) A solar eclipse occurs during a full moon when Earth is directly between the moon and the sun. a) True b) False
______ a
33) When the moon is in Earth’s umbra, you see a total lunar eclipse. a) True b) False
______ a 34) The strength of gravity depends on the masses of the objects and the distance between them. a) True b) False
The picture below shows the sun, Earth, and the moon orbiting around Earth. You can also see a person standing on Earth at points A, B, C, and D. The picture shows four positions of the moon as it orbits
Earth. Notice that in each position, the moon is sunlit on only one side. Use the picture to answer the following 3 questions:
Ch 12 Practice Test Answer Key 3

Student Name: _________________________________
Mrs. Lee – 8 th
Grade Physical Science
Period #: ______
Page 4
Chapter 12 Practice Test – Answer Key
______ c
______ a
35) a) A
36) a) F
Interpreting Diagrams: b) C
Interpreting Diagrams: b) H
On which place on Earth would a person experience nighttime? c) D
Which position of the moon shows a new moon? c) G
______ c 37) Applying Concepts: At which position of the moon would it be possible for a total lunar eclipse to occur? a) F b) G c) H
The picture below shows the sun, Earth, and the moon orbiting around Earth. Use the picture to answer the next 2 questions:
______ b
______ a
38) Interpreting Diagrams: In which positions of the moon would Earth be experiencing spring tides? a) B and D b) C and E c) D and E
39) Applying Concepts: The person standing on Earth at point A sees the moon in its third quarter. At the time, what tides would the person also see? a) neap tides b) highest high tides c) spring tides
Ch 12 Practice Test Answer Key 4