Question 1

A ______________ is always longer than a ______________ .
A) solar day; sidereal day
B) solar day; mean solar day
C) sidereal day; solar day
D) mean solar day; solar day

Accepted Answer

A sidereal day is the time it takes for the Earth to complete one rotation on its axis relative to the fixed stars, while a solar day is the time it takes for the Earth to complete one rotation on its axis relative to the Sun. Since the Sun is not a fixed point in space, a solar day is slightly longer than a sidereal day.

Question 2

The apparent amount of time it takes for Earth to complete a rotation on its axis is called a
A) meridian day.
B) 24-hour day.
C) sidereal day.
D) mean solar day.
E) solar day.

Accepted Answer

E

Question 3

An imaginary line from one geographic pole to the other along the surface of Earth perpendicular to the equator, and that passes through Greenwich, England, is called
A) a longitude.
B) a meridian.
C) the International Date Line.
D) a parallel.
E) the prime meridian.

Accepted Answer

The line described is the prime meridian, which is the zero-degree longitude line from which all other longitudes are measured. It passes through Greenwich, England, and is used as the reference point for time zones around the world.

Question 4

The zeroth latitude is at
A) 90°N.
B) 90°S.
C) the equator.
D) the Greenwich Meridian.

Accepted Answer

The zeroth latitude is at the equator, which divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Question 5

An imaginary line from one geographic pole to the other along the surface of Earth perpendicular to the equator is called
A) a longitude.
B) a meridian.
C) the International Date Line.
D) a parallel.

Accepted Answer

A meridian is an imaginary line from one geographic pole to the other along the surface of Earth perpendicular to the equator.

Question 6

A line of equal longitude is called a
A) meridian.
B) zone.
C) circle.
D) parallel.

Accepted Answer

A meridian is a line of longitude, which runs from the North Pole to the South Pole and is used in geographic and celestial coordinate systems to determine the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface.

Question 7

When one travels west while passing over a time zone boundary (ignoring daylight savings time issues),
A) the date is decreased one day.
B) the time is decreased one hour.
C) the time is advanced one hour.
D) the date is advanced one day.
E) none of these occurs.

Accepted Answer

When you travel west across a time zone boundary, you move into a zone where the local time is one hour earlier than where you were before, hence the time is decreased by one hour.

Question 8

The ______________ angle is measured between the horizon and the line of sight to the object.
A) declination
B) altitude
C) inclination
D) zenith

Accepted Answer

The altitude angle is measured between the horizon and the line of sight to the object, indicating how high above the horizon an object is.

Question 9

A ______________ is always shorter than a ______________ .
A) solar day; sidereal day
B) solar day; mean solar day
C) sidereal day; solar day
D) mean solar day; solar day

Accepted Answer

A solar day is the time it takes for the Earth to rotate once on its axis relative to the Sun. A sidereal day is the time it takes for the Earth to rotate once on its axis relative to the stars. Since the Sun is not a fixed point in space, a solar day is always shorter than a sidereal day.

Question 10

The maximum east or west longitude possible is also called the
A) meridian.
B) longitude.
C) International Date Line.
D) equator.

Accepted Answer

The maximum east or west longitude possible, which is 180 degrees, is called the International Date Line.

Question 11

Parallels of latitude are parallel to the
A) longitude.
B) International Date Line.
C) equator.
D) meridian.

Accepted Answer

Parallels of latitude are imaginary lines that run east and west around the Earth and are parallel to the equator, which is the largest circle of latitude.

Question 12

When one travels east while passing over a time zone boundary (ignoring daylight savings time issues),
A) the date is decreased one day.
B) the time is decreased one hour.
C) the time is advanced one hour.
D) the date is advanced one day.
E) none of these occurs.

Accepted Answer

When you travel east across a time zone boundary, you move into a zone where the local time is one hour ahead of the time zone you just left, meaning the time is advanced one hour.

Question 13

The actual amount of time it takes for Earth to rotate 360° on its axis is called a
A) meridian day.
B) 24-hour day.
C) sidereal day.
D) mean solar day.
E) solar day.

Accepted Answer

A sidereal day is the time it takes for Earth to complete one full rotation (360°) relative to the background stars, which is approximately 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds.

Question 14

______________ is defined as the angular measurement, in degrees, east or west of the Greenwich, or prime, meridian.
A) The equator
B) The International Date Line
C) Latitude
D) Longitude

Accepted Answer

Longitude is the angular measurement used to describe a location's distance east or west from the Prime Meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England.

Question 15

An attempt to remedy the difference in apparent solar days was the calculation of a
A) meridian day.
B) 24-hour day.
C) sidereal day.
D) mean solar day.

Accepted Answer

The mean solar day was calculated to remedy the difference in apparent solar days, averaging the solar day length over a year to account for variations.

Question 16

The imaginary line encircling Earth at its surface, halfway between the north and south geographic poles, is called the
A) meridian.
B) equator.
C) International Date Line.
D) longitude.
E) latitude.

Accepted Answer

The equator is the imaginary line that encircles Earth at its surface, halfway between the north and south geographic poles, dividing the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Question 17

The international time standard is
A) GMT.
B) UTC.
C) solar time.
D) Zulu.

Accepted Answer

The international time standard is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is used to regulate clocks and timekeeping around the world.

Question 18

When one travels west while passing over the International Date Line,
A) the date is decreased one day.
B) the time is decreased one hour.
C) the time is advanced one hour.
D) the date is advanced one day.
E) none of these occurs.

Accepted Answer

When traveling west across the International Date Line, the date advances one day.

Question 19

When one travels east while passing over the International Date Line,
A) the date is decreased one day.
B) the time is decreased one hour.
C) the time is advanced one hour.
D) the date is advanced one day.
E) none of these occurs.

Accepted Answer

When you travel eastward and cross the International Date Line, you move into an earlier time zone, which effectively decreases the calendar date by one day.

Question 20

The International Date Line in theory is ___________, with variations to accommodate the needs of various countries.
A) a longitude
B) a meridian
C) a latitude
D) a parallel
E) none of these

Accepted Answer

The International Date Line is a meridian, which means it is a line of longitude, not latitude. It has been adjusted in various places to accommodate the political and geographical needs of nearby countries.

Quiz 15: Place and Time

A is always longer than a .

The apparent amount of time it takes for Earth to complete a rotation on its axis is called a

An imaginary line from one geographic pole to the other along the surface of Earth perpendicular to the equator, and that passes through Greenwich, England, is called

The zeroth latitude is at

An imaginary line from one geographic pole to the other along the surface of Earth perpendicular to the equator is called

A line of equal longitude is called a

When one travels west while passing over a time zone boundary (ignoring daylight savings time issues) ,

The ______________ angle is measured between the horizon and the line of sight to the object.

A is always shorter than a .

The maximum east or west longitude possible is also called the

Parallels of latitude are parallel to the

When one travels east while passing over a time zone boundary (ignoring daylight savings time issues) ,

The actual amount of time it takes for Earth to rotate 360° on its axis is called a

______________ is defined as the angular measurement, in degrees, east or west of the Greenwich, or prime, meridian.

An attempt to remedy the difference in apparent solar days was the calculation of a

The imaginary line encircling Earth at its surface, halfway between the north and south geographic poles, is called the

The international time standard is

When one travels west while passing over the International Date Line,

When one travels east while passing over the International Date Line,

The International Date Line in theory is ___________, with variations to accommodate the needs of various countries.