GED Science: Use daylight evidence to explain seasons

Earth’s axis stays tilted in roughly the same direction in space over a year. As Earth orbits the Sun, the hemisphere tilted toward the Sun receives more direct sunlight and has longer days at comparable middle latitudes.

Worked example

Use a fixed lamp and a tilted globe. Hold the north end pointing toward one wall as you carry the globe to the opposite side of the lamp. If the north end initially leaned toward the lamp, it now leans away. The axial direction in the room stayed fixed while the direction relative to the lamp changed.

Contrast and common error

A single distance change is shared by both hemispheres. It does not explain why daylight rises in one hemisphere while falling in the other. Tilt explains the paired pattern. Avoid saying Earth stops rotating or that changing daylight means the Sun’s output changed.

Transfer check

Compare locations at 35° N and 35° S when the south end of Earth’s axis tilts toward the Sun. Which has longer daylight? Check: the southern site spends more of each rotation in sunlight under this geometry.

Try it, then explain it.

Complete a short set without looking at the example. After each answer, explain which evidence or rule supports your decision and why the alternatives do not fit.

Practice 3 questions

Sources & authorship

Original OpenExam explanations and examples. References support the concepts; they are not the source of copied questions. Independent educator review is pending.

NASA Space Place What Causes the Seasons