Name___________________________________________Date_______ ROY G BIV
Time Zones
The Earth rotates on its imaginary axis. To people on Earth, the turning of the planet makes it seem as though the Sun, the
moon, and the stars are moving around Earth once a day. Rotation provides a basis for our system of local time; meridians of
longitude are the basis for time zones.
In 1883, Earth was divided into 24 time zones. The United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) has four time zones,
which are indicated by different shadings on the map. Each zone is roughly centered on lines of longitude that are 15° apart.
These lines are shown as dashed lines on the map. Most locations within a time zone have the same time. This time is called
standard time. As you move to the west, the time in each zone is one hour earlier than the previous time zone.
BIG IDEAS!
- - lines of
longitude
*The sun rises in the East;
therefore it is ________ (later or earlier)
___ time
zone borders
on the Eastern coast and
______________ (later or earlier)
on the Western Coast of the US.
*The Earth rotates 360 degrees in
24 hours or _____ degrees per
hour. Show work:
*The Earth rotates from West to
East, or counterclockwise if you
are looking at the North Pole.
Draw a yellow arrow in the box on
top of the diagram showing the
direction of Earth’s rotation.
Jan 08 Aug 05
Questions:
1.
When it is 1 am in New York City, what time is it in Denver? Provide evidence.
2. Explain, in terms of Earth’s rotation, why the time zones are 15° of longitude apart.
3. If the time in Buffalo, New York, is 5 a.m., what time would it be in San Francisco, California? Provide Evidence.
4. The basis for the time difference between adjoining time zones is Earth’s
(1) 1° per hour rate of revolution
(2) 1° per hour rate of rotation
(3) 15° per hour rate of revolution
(4) 15° per hour rate of rotation
Base your answers to questions 5-7 on the diagram below which shows latitude measurements every 10 degrees and longitude
measurements every 15 degrees.
5. Draw an arrow around the North Pole showing the direction of Earth’s rotation.
6. What is the latitude and longitude of point X?
7. If it is noon at the Prime Meridian, what is the time at point X?
Base your answers to 8-10b on the diagram below which shows the latitude measurements at 30 degrees and longitude lines
on Earth. Points A and B are locations on Earth’s surface.
8. What is the latitude and longitude of point B?
9. What is the latitude and longitude at point A?
10. At the point where the equator meets the 60 degree meridian, is it sunrise
or sunset? Explain.
10a. Based on your evidence in answer 10, what time is it at point A.
10b. Explain.
11. How are latitude and longitude lines drawn on a globe of Earth?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Latitude lines are parallel and longitude lines meet at the poles.
Latitude lines are parallel and longitude lines meet at the equator.
Longitude lines are parallel and latitude lines meet at the poles.
Longitude lines are parallel and latitude lines meet at the equator.
12. An airplane takes off from a location at 17°S latitude and flies to a new location 55° due north of its starting point. What
latitude has the plane reached?
1.
2.
3.
4.
28°N
38°N
55°N
72°N
Explain. You may use a diagram to support your explanation: