Primary General Studies: The Solar System And The Movement Of The Earth (Paper 4 (error Clinic))

Primary General Studies: The Solar System and the Movement of the Earth (Paper 4 (error clinic))

2026-11-13

Tutor Prep Guide · rotation and revolution, planet order, moon phases and the cause of seasons

Primary General Studies: The Solar System and the Movement of the Earth (Paper 4 (error clinic))

Paper four drills the ten commonest slips: swapping spin and orbit, star versus satellite light, angle conversion, light travel time and the cause of seasons.

Direct answers　After each answer ask whether the question is about a day or a year, then attach the unit; half the mistakes show up at once.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	20
Difficulty mix	Foundation 3 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 3 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: Primary General Studies: The Solar System and the Movement of the Earth
Level	parts of a closed circuit, conductors against insulators, series against parallel, adding up battery voltage, and electrical safety

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationHow long are one spin and one orbit?
FoundationHow do the Sun and the Moon differ in giving light?
FoundationIn which direction does the Earth spin?
IntermediateThrough how many degrees does the Earth turn in four hours?
IntermediateOne cycle of moon phases is 29.5 days. How long are two cycles?
IntermediateHow many planets are there, and where does the Earth come?
ChallengeHow long does sunlight take to reach us, and why so long?
ChallengeHow far is the axis tilted, and what does the tilt cause?
ChallengeOn the spring equinox, what do the hours of daylight and darkness add up to?
Error redoError clinic: “The Moon makes its own light, which is why it is bright at night.” Where is the mistake?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	A spin is 24 hours, one day; an orbit is about 365 days, one year.	These two periods are the foundation; mixing them spoils every later question.
2	The Sun is a star and makes its own light; the Moon is a satellite and only reflects sunlight.	The Moon shines only with sunlight bounced off its surface.
3	From west to east.	Turning west to east makes the Sun and Moon appear to rise in the east and set in the west.
4	60 degrees.	15 degrees an hour times 4 gives 60, one sixth of a turn.
5	59 days.	29.5 × 2 = 59, about two months from full moon to full moon twice over.
6	Eight, and the Earth is third from the Sun.	The order runs Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
7	About 8.3 minutes, because the 150 million km takes light about 500 seconds.	Even at 300,000 km a second, light needs roughly 500 seconds to cross that gap.
8	About 23.5 degrees; it causes the seasons and the changing length of day and night.	The lean changes the angle of sunlight through the year, giving seasons and longer summer days.
9	12 + 12 = 24 hours.	A day is always 24 hours, so daylight plus darkness must total 24.
10	The Moon makes no light of its own; we see sunlight reflected from it.	Only stars shine by themselves; the Moon goes dark in an eclipse when the Earth blocks the sunlight.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

With all four done, go back to the chapter page and revise the three parts of a closed circuit plus three safety habits.Tutor Registration →

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