Lesson T7.2.2

T7.2.2 Seasons and Earth's tilt Quiz: KS3 Physics, Unit 7

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T7.2.2, Seasons and Earth's tilt: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Physics (National Curriculum), Unit 7: Space physics, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What causes the seasons on Earth?

    • Earth moving closer to and further from the Sun each day
    • The tilt of Earth's axis as it orbits the Sun
    • The Moon blocking sunlight in winter
    • Changes in the Sun's output each year

  2. What is the approximate tilt of Earth's axis?

    • Exactly zero degrees
    • About 90 degrees
    • About 23.5 degrees
    • About 45 degrees

  3. How long does Earth take to make one complete orbit of the Sun?

    • About 365 days
    • About 24 hours
    • About 30 days
    • About 100 days

  4. How long does Earth take to rotate once on its axis?

    • About 12 hours
    • About 24 hours
    • About 7 days
    • About 365 days

  5. In which season is the northern hemisphere tilted towards the Sun?

    • Winter
    • Summer
    • Autumn only
    • Spring only

  6. Why are days longer in summer in the northern hemisphere?

    • Earth rotates much more slowly during the summer months than it does in winter
    • The Moon stays up in the sky for much longer during the summer months each year
    • The Sun moves much faster across the whole sky during the summer months each year
    • The Sun is in the sky for a longer time because the hemisphere is tilted towards it

  7. When it is summer in the northern hemisphere, what season is it in the southern hemisphere?

    • Autumn
    • Summer
    • Winter
    • Spring

  8. What are the two days of the year when day and night are roughly equal everywhere?

    • The solstices
    • The full moons
    • The equinoxes
    • The eclipses

  9. What is the name of the longest day in the northern hemisphere?

    • The autumn equinox
    • The summer solstice
    • The spring equinox
    • The winter solstice

  10. What happens to day length in the northern hemisphere during winter?

    • Days are longer than in summer
    • Days are shorter than in summer
    • Days last 48 hours
    • Days are the same length all year

  11. Why does Earth's distance from the Sun NOT explain the seasons?

    • The Sun's distance changes every day
    • Earth's distance from the Sun changes only a little during the year
    • Earth is always the same distance from the Sun for all time
    • Earth moves far from the Sun every winter

  12. A place near the equator has roughly the same day length all year. Why?

    • The equator is close to the middle of the tilt, so it gets roughly equal daylight
    • The equator is always in summer, so the days are always long and bright
    • The equator has no seasons because it is cold and dark for most of the year
    • The equator is never tilted towards the Sun, so it gets little light at all

  13. Why is the midday Sun higher in the sky in summer than in winter in the northern hemisphere?

    • The Sun gets closer to Earth in summer
    • The northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun in summer
    • The Moon blocks the Sun in winter
    • The Sun moves to a different position in the sky each day

  14. What does the term 'hemisphere' mean?

    • Half of the Sun's surface, which is divided by a line across its middle
    • The tilt of the Earth's axis, measured from the plane of its orbit
    • Half of the Earth, either north or south of the equator
    • A large star in the Milky Way that is close to the solar system

  15. Which of these is the best description of the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere?

    • Day and night are about equal, and the days are getting longer
    • It is the shortest day of the year
    • Day and night are unequal and days are getting shorter
    • It is the longest day of the year

  16. A student says the seasons are caused by the Earth getting closer to the Sun in summer. What is wrong?

    • Nothing is wrong, because the distance from the Sun is the main cause of seasons
    • The seasons are caused by the Moon moving between Earth and the Sun each year
    • The seasons come from the tilt of the axis, not from changes in distance
    • The Earth is never closer to the Sun than it is in the middle of summer

  17. Which pattern describes day length in the northern hemisphere from the winter solstice to the summer solstice?

    • Days stay the same length
    • Days get longer and longer
    • Days get shorter and shorter
    • Days get longer and then shorter

  18. Why do the Sun's rays hit the ground more directly in summer?

    • The rays are stronger because the Earth shrinks slightly in the summer
    • The rays are closer together at night, when the ground is cooler
    • The rays are blocked by the atmosphere in winter but not in summer months
    • The hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, so the rays arrive more straight on

  19. What is the best reason that day length varies in different hemispheres at the same time of year?

    • Earth rotates at different speeds in each hemisphere
    • The Sun shines on only one hemisphere
    • The Moon controls day length on each hemisphere
    • The hemispheres are tilted in opposite directions

  20. Which of these is a true statement about seasons on Earth?

    • They are caused by the tilt of Earth's axis and change over the year
    • They are caused by the Earth rotating faster in summer than in winter
    • They happen only in the southern hemisphere, not in the northern one
    • They are caused by the Moon moving across the face of the Sun each year

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