Earth and Space
Each subtopic includes About section, revision page link, 10 preview questions, and practice CTAs.
The Solar System and the planets
SubtopicThe Solar System and the planets under Earth and Space for Grade 4 IGCSE.
Preview questions (no answers)
- 1.
Which planet is often visible just after sunset or before sunrise and is sometimes called the 'Evening Star'?
A.Mars
B.Venus
C.Jupiter
D.Neptune
- 2.
What do we call a group of stars that form a pattern in the sky?
A.A galaxy
B.A constellation
C.A solar system
D.A planetarium
- 3.
Which planet is the second one from the Sun?
A.Earth
B.Venus
C.Mars
D.Jupiter
- 4.
What are the rings of Saturn mostly made of?
A.Gas and fire
B.Ice and dust
C.Liquid water
D.Solid gold
- 5.
Density is a measure of how 'tightly packed' the material in a planet is. Scientists compare planetary density to water, which has a density of . A planet with a density lower than would theoretically float. Based on the data in the diagram, which planet would be able to float in a giant ocean of water?
A.Mercury
B.Venus
C.Jupiter
D.Saturn
- 6.
Sunlight travels through space at a very high speed, yet it still takes time to reach each planet. The diagram shows the time in minutes () that light takes to travel from the Sun to Earth and Mars. Based on this information, how much extra time does it take for sunlight to reach Mars compared to Earth?
A.5 minutes
B.8 minutes
C.13 minutes
D.21 minutes
- 7.
Which of the following is true about the size of the planets?
A.All planets are the same size.
B.The outer gas giants are much larger than the inner rocky planets.
C.The inner rocky planets are larger than the gas giants.
D.Mercury is the largest planet.
- 8.
Why do stars look like tiny points of light while the Moon looks like a large disc?
A.The stars are much smaller than the Moon
B.The stars are much further away than the Moon
C.The Moon produces its own light but stars do not
D.The atmosphere makes the stars look smaller
- 9.
What is the correct order of the gas giant planets starting from the one closest to the Sun?
A.Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
B.Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus
C.Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, Saturn
D.Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune
- 10.
If you looked at the Sun from Neptune, how would it compare to looking at the Sun from Earth?
A.It would look much larger and brighter
B.It would look much smaller and like a very bright star
C.It would look exactly the same
D.It would be invisible to the naked eye
Download the worksheet for Earth and Space - The Solar System and the planets to practice offline. It includes additional chapter-level practice questions.
Earth’s rotation and the cycle of day and night
SubtopicEarth’s rotation and the cycle of day and night under Earth and Space for Grade 4 IGCSE.
Preview questions (no answers)
- 1.
During which part of the 24-hour cycle is your town facing away from the Sun?
A.Morning
B.Afternoon
C.Night
D.Noon
- 2.
What would happen to shadows if the Sun was directly at the very top of the sky?
A.They would be very long
B.They would point East
C.They would be very small or right under the object
D.They would point North
- 3.
Which direction are you looking if you are watching the Sun 'go down'?
A.North
B.South
C.East
D.West
- 4.
What do we call the line where the sky and the Earth seem to meet?
A.The equator
B.The horizon
C.The axis
D.The finish line
- 5.
The Earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours. If a city is currently facing the Sun at 12:00 PM (noon), what time will it be in that city after the Earth has completed a half-rotation of ?
A.6:00 PM
B.12:00 AM (midnight)
C.6:00 AM
D.12:00 PM the next day
- 6.
One full rotation of the Earth is equal to which of these units of time?
A.One month
B.One year
C.One day
D.One hour
- 7.
If you travel from East to West, you might need to change your watch. Why?
A.The Earth is flat
B.The Earth rotates, causing sunrise to happen at different times
C.The West is always faster than the East
D.Batteries run out faster in the West
- 8.
What is the primary source of energy that causes the 'day' side of Earth to be warmer than the 'night' side?
A.Earth's core heat
B.Moonlight
C.Solar radiation
D.Atmospheric friction
- 9.
If you look at a globe and spin it to simulate Earth's rotation, which way should you turn it?
A.Left to Right (West to East)
B.Right to Left (East to West)
C.Top to Bottom (North to South)
D.Bottom to Top (South to North)
- 10.
How does the Earth's rotation contribute to the shape of the Earth?
A.It makes the Earth a perfect sphere
B.It causes the Earth to bulge slightly at the Equator
C.It makes the Earth taller from pole to pole
D.It has no effect on the Earth's shape
Download the worksheet for Earth and Space - Earth’s rotation and the cycle of day and night to practice offline. It includes additional chapter-level practice questions.
The Moon and its phases
SubtopicThe Moon and its phases under Earth and Space for Grade 4 IGCSE.
Preview questions (no answers)
- 1.
Why is the Moon often visible at night but not during the day?
A.The Moon only exists at night
B.The Sun's brightness often makes it hard to see during the day
C.The Moon turns off its light during the day
D.The Earth blocks the Moon every day
- 2.
How many days pass between one Full Moon and the next Full Moon (approximately)?
A.7 days
B.14 days
C.29.5 days
D.365 days
- 3.
Which of these describes the Moon's surface best?
A.Smooth and glassy
B.Covered in liquid oceans
C.Rocky, dusty, and full of craters
D.Soft and grassy
- 4.
What is the name of the phase when the Moon is more than half lit but not yet full?
A.Crescent
B.Quarter
C.Gibbous
D.New
- 5.
A student is tracking the Moon's phases in a diary. Which pair of names correctly identifies the missing phases in the waxing sequence shown below?
A.Phase 1: Waning Crescent; Phase 2: Waning Gibbous
B.Phase 1: Waxing Crescent; Phase 2: Waxing Gibbous
C.Phase 1: Waxing Gibbous; Phase 2: Waxing Crescent
D.Phase 1: First Quarter; Phase 2: Third Quarter
- 6.
Which phase is the opposite of the New Moon in the lunar cycle?
A.First Quarter
B.Third Quarter
C.Full Moon
D.Waxing Crescent
- 7.
Which of these is NOT a phase of the Moon?
A.Waning Gibbous
B.First Quarter
C.Full Orbit
D.New Moon
- 8.
What is the reason we cannot see a New Moon from Earth?
A.The Earth's shadow is blocking the Moon
B.The side of the Moon that is lit by the Sun is facing away from Earth
C.The Moon is behind the Sun during this phase
D.The Moon only exists during the night
- 9.
Which statement best describes the Moon's environment?
A.It has liquid water and a thin atmosphere
B.It has no atmosphere and no liquid water
C.It has active volcanoes and heavy winds
D.It has a thick atmosphere that keeps it very warm
- 10.
If you are looking at a First Quarter Moon, which side of the Moon appears lit to an observer in the Northern Hemisphere?
A.The top half
B.The bottom half
C.The right side
D.The left side
Download the worksheet for Earth and Space - The Moon and its phases to practice offline. It includes additional chapter-level practice questions.
The movement of the Earth relative to the Sun
SubtopicThe movement of the Earth relative to the Sun under Earth and Space for Grade 4 IGCSE.
Preview questions (no answers)
- 1.
Which of these is the primary source of light for the Moon?
A.The Earth
B.The Sun
C.The Moon makes its own light
D.The Stars
- 2.
What provides the gravitational pull that keeps Earth in its orbit?
A.The Moon
B.The Sun
C.The Oceans
D.The Clouds
- 3.
In the morning, where will a shadow point if the Sun is in the East?
A.Towards the East
B.Towards the West
C.Towards the South
D.Directly down
- 4.
How many hours of darkness would you roughly have if you had 10 hours of daylight?
A.10 hours
B.14 hours
C.24 hours
D.5 hours
- 5.
The diagram shows Earth at two different positions in its yearly orbit around the Sun. Why are the constellations (patterns of stars) visible in the night sky in January different from those visible in July?
A.Because the stars are orbiting the Sun every six months in the opposite direction of Earth
B.Because as Earth orbits the Sun, its night-time side points toward different areas of space
C.Because the Earth's rotation on its axis changes speed during different seasons of the year
D.Because the Sun's gravity pulls different constellations closer to Earth depending on the month
- 6.
If you wanted to measure how long a day is using only the Sun, what would you look for?
A.The time between one sunrise and the next
B.The time it takes for the Moon to rise
C.The length of your shadow at 3 PM
D.The color of the sky at noon
- 7.
Which of the following statements about the Sun is correct?
A.The Sun orbits the Earth every 24 hours
B.The Sun is a solid rock
C.The Sun is at the center of our solar system
D.The Sun gets smaller in the winter
- 8.
Which of these is a direct consequence of the Earth being spherical and rotating on its axis?
A.The change in seasons
B.The occurrence of day and night in a cycle
C.The Earth's orbit being elliptical
D.The -day year
- 9.
In the Northern Hemisphere, in which direction does a shadow point at noon?
A.Towards the East
B.Towards the West
C.Towards the North
D.Towards the South
- 10.
What is the primary reason that summer is warmer than winter?
A.The Earth is closer to the Sun during summer
B.The tilt causes sunlight to strike the Earth more directly
C.The Sun burns brighter during the summer months
D.The Moon reflects more heat during the summer
Download the worksheet for Earth and Space - The movement of the Earth relative to the Sun to practice offline. It includes additional chapter-level practice questions.