Let’s go through each question one by one.
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Question 1:
> Daylight hours are shorter for the hemisphere that is tilted toward the Sun during the solstice.
Think about what happens during a solstice. When a hemisphere is tilted
toward the Sun, it gets more direct sunlight and longer days — that’s summer there! So if you’re tilted toward the Sun, your daylight hours are
longer, not shorter.
That means this statement is
false.
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Question 2:
> When it is summer in the United States, Earth is closest to the Sun.
This is a common trick! The seasons are caused by Earth’s tilt, not how close we are to the Sun. In fact, Earth is actually
farthest from the Sun (called aphelion) around early July — which is right in the middle of U.S. summer!
So when it’s summer in the U.S., Earth is NOT closest to the Sun — it’s actually farthest. That makes this statement
false.
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Question 3:
> The Sun’s rays strike Earth at their northernmost and southernmost positions during _____.
The Sun’s rays hit the Tropic of Cancer (northernmost) around June 21 — that’s the
summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. They hit the Tropic of Capricorn (southernmost) around December 21 — that’s the
winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
So the correct answer is when the Sun reaches its extreme north or south position — that happens during the
solstices.
Looking at the options:
- A) winter and summer solstices →
✔ Correct!
- B) equinoxes → No, those are when day and night are equal — Sun hits the equator.
- C) lunar eclipses → Not related to Sun’s ray position on Earth.
- D) solar eclipses → Also not related to seasonal ray positions.
So the answer is
A.
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Final Answer:
1) False
2) False
3) A
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of sun earth moon system worksheet.
