Original Project
Weather and Climate II: Seasonal Differences
The orientation of earth's axis of rotation with respect to the sun changes as the earth moves around the sun.
Item CL094002:
What is TRUE about where the earth’s axis of rotation points as the earth moves along its yearly path around the sun?
- The earth’s axis of rotation gradually shifts over the course of one year so that every day it points to a different place in space.
- The earth’s axis of rotation shifts twice each year, so it points to two different places in space during a year.
- The earth’s axis of rotation shifts four times each year, so it points to four different places in space during a year.
- The earth’s axis of rotation does not shift, so it always points to the same place in space during a year.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 2253 |
6–8 n = 1249 |
9–12 n = 996 |
Male n = 1070 |
Female n = 1106 |
English n = 1940 |
Other n = 218 |
||
| A. | The earth’s axis of rotation gradually shifts over the course of one year so that every day it points to a different place in space. | 31% | 30% | 32% | 30% | 32% | 32% | 24% |
| B. | The earth’s axis of rotation shifts twice each year, so it points to two different places in space during a year. | 23% | 23% | 23% | 25% | 22% | 22% | 30% |
| C. | The earth’s axis of rotation shifts four times each year, so it points to four different places in space during a year. | 23% | 25% | 20% | 23% | 24% | 24% | 22% |
| D. | The earth’s axis of rotation does not shift, so it always points to the same place in space during a year. | 23% | 22% | 24% | 22% | 23% | 22% | 24% |