Posted By Admin @ September 03, 2022
1. In what direction does the Earth rotate?
2. How long does it take for the Earth to complete one rotation?
3. What causes day and night?
4. Why is it daytime on one side of the Earth and nighttime on the other side?
5. Is Earth’s rotation important? Explain your answer.
Answer:
Earth rotates eastward, in prograde motion. As viewed from the north pole star Polaris, Earth turns counterclockwise.
The time it takes Earth to rotate so the sun appears in the same position in the sky, known as a solar day, is 24 hours. However, the time it takes Earth to complete one full rotation on its axis with respect to distant stars is actually 23 hours 56 minutes 4.091 seconds, known as a sidereal day.
Earth's axis is an imaginary pole going right through the center of Earth from "top" to "bottom." Earth spins around this pole, making one complete turn each day. That is why we have day and night, and why every part of Earth's surface gets some of each. Earth has seasons because its axis doesn't stand up straight.
Earth and sun are part of the solar system, with the sun at its centre. An Earth day is 24 hours because the Earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours. At any one time half of the Earth's sphere is in sunlight (day) while the other half is in darkness (night).
The Earth's axis runs from the North Pole to the South Pole. It takes the Earth 24 hours, or one day, to make one complete rotation around this invisible line. As the Earth rotates, each area of its surface gets a turn to face and be warmed by the sun. This is important to all life on Earth