S3 Science: Earth, Moon And The Solar System (Paper 1 (basics))

S3 Science: Earth, Moon and the Solar System (Paper 1 (basics))

2026-11-14

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Tutor Prep Guide · Rotation and revolution of the Earth, day and night, seasons and the 23.5 degree tilt, the orbit of the Moon and its phases, solar and lunar eclipses, tides, the order of the eight planets and the scale of the solar system

S3 Science: Earth, Moon and the Solar System (Paper 1 (basics))

This paper starts from the periods of rotation and revolution, covers the causes of day and night and the seasons and the order of the planets, and uses the Earth-Moon distance and the length of a lunar month to introduce time and distance calculations.

Direct answers　Rotation takes 24 hours and gives day and night; revolution takes 365.25 days and gives a year; the Earth turns 15 degrees an hour; the Moon is 27.3 percent of the Earth diameter; sunlight reaches the Earth in 500 seconds and moonlight in 1.28 seconds; twelve lunar months make 354 days; four years make 1461 days.

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: S3 Science: Earth, Moon and the Solar System
Level	S3

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationHow long does the Earth take to rotate once, and what does rotation cause?
FoundationHow long does the Earth take to orbit the Sun once?
FoundationWhat is the order of the eight planets from the Sun outwards?
IntermediateThrough how many degrees does the Earth turn in one hour?
IntermediateThe diameter of the Moon is about what percentage of the Earth diameter?
IntermediateHow long does sunlight take to reach the Earth?
ChallengeHow many seconds does moonlight take to reach the Earth?
ChallengeOne lunar month is 29.5 days, so how long are twelve lunar months and how far is that from a year?
ChallengeHow many days are there in three ordinary years plus one leap year?
Error redo“The Moon makes its own light, which is why it is bright at night.” What is wrong?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	About 24 hours; rotation causes the cycle of day and night	The side facing the Sun has day while the side facing away has night.
2	About 365.25 days, that is one year	The extra quarter day adds up to one leap day every four years.
3	Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune	The inner four are rocky while the outer four are large and made mainly of gas and ice.
4	15 degrees	360 divided by 24 gives 15, so 15 degrees of longitude equals one hour of time difference.
5	About 27.3 percent	The Moon is 3474 km across and the Earth 12742 km, a ratio of about one quarter.
6	About 500 seconds, that is 8 minutes 20 seconds	The Earth is 150 million km from the Sun and light travels 300000 km each second.
7	About 1.28 seconds	The Moon is 384400 km away, and dividing by the speed of light 300000 km per second gives this.
8	354 days, about 11 days shorter than the 365.25 day year	That is why a lunar calendar needs a leap month to catch up.
9	1461 days	365 times 4 plus 1 gives 1461, an average of 365.25 days a year.
10	The Moon does not emit light of its own, it only reflects sunlight	The phases change because the share of the lit half facing the Earth changes.

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.

For Earth and Moon questions ask three things: whether rotation or revolution causes the effect, which body stands in the middle, and whether the answer should be an angle, a time or a distance.Tutor Registration →

Questions and answers are written originally by the TutorZone team and are not taken from any school, publisher or examination authority paper. Every value is checked by computer.