NYSTCE CST Multisubject Part 3 (245) Actual Study Test Exam
Questions and elaborated Answers
1. Scientific Inquiry: The diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and
propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work.
2. Features of Scientific Inquiry: 1. Learner engages in scientifically oriented questions
2. Learner gives priority to evidence in responding to questions
3. Learner formulates explanations from evidence
4. Learner connects explanations to scientific knowledge
5. Learner communicates and justifies explanations
3. Steps of Scientific Inquiry: 1. Figure out the problem - use 5 senses, observe world
around you
2. Research - educate yourself on how to solve your problem/answer question, go to
library/online/ask an expert, gather information
3. Hypothesis - educated guess on how to solve your problem/answer question (if
... then ...)
4. Experiment
5. Analyze results
6. Conclusion - did you solve your problem/answer question? why/why not? what is next?
7. Communicate your results
4. Earth-Moon-Sun Interactions: 1. Rotation and Revolution
2. Moon Phases
3. Eclipses
4. Seasons
5. Tides
5. 1. Rotation and Revolution: The moon and Earth revolve and rotate. Rotation is when a
planet or moon turns all the way around or spins on its axis one time.
The axis of rotation is an imaginary line going from the north pole to the south pole. When a
planet or moon travels once around an object this is considered a revolution.
On Earth, a rotation is pretty short - it happens once a day! It is the rotation that makes the su
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,appear to come up in the morning and set at night. On Earth, a revolution is quite a bit longer
one year!
The moon is a little different. The moon rotates once about every 27-29 days, and revolves
once about every 27-29 days. So every time the moon goes around Earth it turns around one
time. That is why the moon always looks the same - we only ever see one side of it!
6. 2. Moon Phases: The Moon has phases because it orbits Earth, which causes the portion
we see illuminated to change.
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, The Moon takes 27.3 days to orbit Earth, but the lunar phase cycle (from new Moon to new
Moon) is 29.5 days.
The Moon spends the extra 2.2 days "catching up" because Earth travels about 45 million
miles around the Sun during the time the Moon completes one orbit around Earth.
At the new Moon phase, the Moon is so close to the Sun in the sky that none of the side facing
Earth is illuminated. In other words, the Moon is between Earth and Sun. At first quarter, the
half-lit Moon is highest in the sky at sunset, then sets about six hours later.
At full Moon, the Moon is behind Earth in space with respect to the Sun. As the Sun sets, the
Moon rises with the side that faces Earth fully exposed to sunlight.
7. 3. Eclipses: An eclipse occurs at those times when the Moon moves into a position
of direct alignment with the Sun and the Earth.
There are two basic types of eclipses - lunar and solar.
Total lunar eclipse: when the full Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth. In this case,
the Sun and the Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth. If you observe a lunar eclipse
(visible only at night at the time of certain full Moons), you'll see the bright lunar disk turn
dark -- sometimes a coppery red color -- for as long as an hour or more.
Total solar eclipse: which occurs when the new Moon passes directly between the Sun and th
Earth.
In the narrow path of totality swept across the Earth by the Moon's complete shadow (the
umbra), daytime briefly turns to an eerie darkness, and during these few precious minutes
the wispy halo of the Sun - the corona -comes into view as the dark disk of the Moon totally
obscures the bright Sun.
Outside the path of totality, in the Moon's partial shadow (the penumbra), some portion of the
Sun's bright disk remains visible.
8. 4. Seasons: The seasons are the result of the tilt of the Earth's axis. The Earth's axis is
tilted from perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic by 23.45°. This tilting is what gives us the
four seasons of the year - spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter.
Since the axis is tilted, different parts of the globe are oriented towards the Sun
at different times of the year. Summer is warmer than winter (in each hemisphere) because t
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Questions and elaborated Answers
1. Scientific Inquiry: The diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and
propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work.
2. Features of Scientific Inquiry: 1. Learner engages in scientifically oriented questions
2. Learner gives priority to evidence in responding to questions
3. Learner formulates explanations from evidence
4. Learner connects explanations to scientific knowledge
5. Learner communicates and justifies explanations
3. Steps of Scientific Inquiry: 1. Figure out the problem - use 5 senses, observe world
around you
2. Research - educate yourself on how to solve your problem/answer question, go to
library/online/ask an expert, gather information
3. Hypothesis - educated guess on how to solve your problem/answer question (if
... then ...)
4. Experiment
5. Analyze results
6. Conclusion - did you solve your problem/answer question? why/why not? what is next?
7. Communicate your results
4. Earth-Moon-Sun Interactions: 1. Rotation and Revolution
2. Moon Phases
3. Eclipses
4. Seasons
5. Tides
5. 1. Rotation and Revolution: The moon and Earth revolve and rotate. Rotation is when a
planet or moon turns all the way around or spins on its axis one time.
The axis of rotation is an imaginary line going from the north pole to the south pole. When a
planet or moon travels once around an object this is considered a revolution.
On Earth, a rotation is pretty short - it happens once a day! It is the rotation that makes the su
1/
16
,appear to come up in the morning and set at night. On Earth, a revolution is quite a bit longer
one year!
The moon is a little different. The moon rotates once about every 27-29 days, and revolves
once about every 27-29 days. So every time the moon goes around Earth it turns around one
time. That is why the moon always looks the same - we only ever see one side of it!
6. 2. Moon Phases: The Moon has phases because it orbits Earth, which causes the portion
we see illuminated to change.
2/
16
, The Moon takes 27.3 days to orbit Earth, but the lunar phase cycle (from new Moon to new
Moon) is 29.5 days.
The Moon spends the extra 2.2 days "catching up" because Earth travels about 45 million
miles around the Sun during the time the Moon completes one orbit around Earth.
At the new Moon phase, the Moon is so close to the Sun in the sky that none of the side facing
Earth is illuminated. In other words, the Moon is between Earth and Sun. At first quarter, the
half-lit Moon is highest in the sky at sunset, then sets about six hours later.
At full Moon, the Moon is behind Earth in space with respect to the Sun. As the Sun sets, the
Moon rises with the side that faces Earth fully exposed to sunlight.
7. 3. Eclipses: An eclipse occurs at those times when the Moon moves into a position
of direct alignment with the Sun and the Earth.
There are two basic types of eclipses - lunar and solar.
Total lunar eclipse: when the full Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth. In this case,
the Sun and the Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth. If you observe a lunar eclipse
(visible only at night at the time of certain full Moons), you'll see the bright lunar disk turn
dark -- sometimes a coppery red color -- for as long as an hour or more.
Total solar eclipse: which occurs when the new Moon passes directly between the Sun and th
Earth.
In the narrow path of totality swept across the Earth by the Moon's complete shadow (the
umbra), daytime briefly turns to an eerie darkness, and during these few precious minutes
the wispy halo of the Sun - the corona -comes into view as the dark disk of the Moon totally
obscures the bright Sun.
Outside the path of totality, in the Moon's partial shadow (the penumbra), some portion of the
Sun's bright disk remains visible.
8. 4. Seasons: The seasons are the result of the tilt of the Earth's axis. The Earth's axis is
tilted from perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic by 23.45°. This tilting is what gives us the
four seasons of the year - spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter.
Since the axis is tilted, different parts of the globe are oriented towards the Sun
at different times of the year. Summer is warmer than winter (in each hemisphere) because t
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