The tilt of the Earth causes seasonal weather changes.
It can be difficult to explain how the rotation of the Earth (along with its revolution around the sun) produces the drastic changes in weather that occur in most parts of the world. As with so many other science topics, the concept is best learned through a hands-on demonstration. A few household items can readily demonstrate how the weather--particularly the change of seasons--is actually an effect of a rather simple relationship between the sun and the angle of the Earth's rotation.
Instructions
Set Up the Experiment
1. Look at your globe and make sure it is tilted at an angle close to 23 degrees. If not, find a way to mount it in a tilted position for the duration of the experiment.
2. Find some open floor space and mark out a circle. About six feet in diameter should work, but this will depend on your flashlight and the size of the globe.
3. Lay the flashlight on the bowl in the middle of the circle. The bowl should raise the flashlight off the ground so it is pointing at the middle of the globe. The bowl also makes it easier to rotate the flashlight.
Perform the Experiment
4. Turn on the flashlight and adjust its position or beam size so it shines over the entire width of the globe.
5. Rotate the globe in place. This demonstrates how the rotation of the Earth causes day and night. Even though the sun is always shining, it is dark on the side of the Earth that is not facing the sun.
6. Rotate the globe so a particular country is facing the sun.
7. Move the globe around the circle until it is on the opposite side of the flashlight (but keep the flashlight pointing at the globe).
8. Rotate the globe so the same country as before is facing the flashlight. This shows how the tilted rotation of the Earth causes half of Earth to face the sun more directly as our planet moves in its orbit. The seasons gradually change as different parts of the Earth move to face the sun more directly or more indirectly.
Tags: Earth causes, Rotate globe, rotation Earth, face more, face more directly, globe Rotate
