S3 Science: Earth, Moon And The Solar System (Paper 4 (error Clinic))

S3 Science: Earth, Moon and the Solar System (Paper 4 (error clinic))

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 4 (error clinic))

This paper corrects ten common errors about the Earth, the Moon and the solar system, covering the cause of the seasons, phases against shadows, the number of planets, the order in eclipses, the main cause of tides, orbital speed, whether the Sun moves, the meaning of a light year, craters and atmosphere, and the phase needed for a solar eclipse.

Direct answers　The seasons come from revolution plus the tilt; phases are not shadows; there are eight planets; the Moon in the middle gives a solar eclipse; the Moon is the main cause of tides; outer planets orbit more slowly; a star shines by itself but still moves; a light year is a distance; with no atmosphere lunar craters survive; a solar eclipse needs a new moon near a node.

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)

Foundation“The rotation of the Earth causes the seasons.” What is wrong?
Foundation“The phases of the Moon are caused by the shadow of the Earth falling on it.” What is wrong?
Foundation“The solar system has nine planets.” What is wrong?
Intermediate“When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, that is a lunar eclipse.” What is wrong?
Intermediate“The tides are caused only by the gravity of the Sun.” What is wrong?
Intermediate“The farther a planet is from the Sun, the faster it orbits.” What is wrong?
Challenge“The Sun is a star, so it does not move.” What is wrong?
Challenge“A light year is a unit of time.” What is wrong?
Challenge“The Moon has no atmosphere, so it cannot have impact craters.” What is wrong?
Error redo“A solar eclipse can happen at any phase of the Moon.” What is wrong?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	The seasons come mainly from revolution together with the tilted axis, while rotation causes day and night	Rotation takes 24 hours while the seasons repeat over a year.
2	Phases come from the changing share of the sunlit half turned towards the Earth, and the Earth shadow causes only a lunar eclipse	A shadow covers the Moon only during an eclipse, and there are only a few of those in a year.
3	Since 2006 Pluto has been classed as a dwarf planet, so there are eight planets	A planet must clear the neighbourhood of its orbit and Pluto does not do so.
4	When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun it is a solar eclipse, with the Moon hiding the Sun	In a lunar eclipse the Earth stands between the Sun and the Moon.
5	Tides are caused mainly by the gravity of the Moon, with the Sun only secondary	The Moon is far closer, so the difference in its pull is larger than that of the Sun.
6	The farther out, the longer the orbit and the slower the speed, so the orbital period is longer	Mercury goes round in about 88 days while Neptune needs more than a century.
7	A star only means it shines by itself, and the Sun still carries the whole solar system round the galaxy	The difference between a star and a planet is whether it shines by itself, not whether it moves.
8	A light year is the distance light travels in a year, so it is a distance unit	Distances between stars are so large that light years are handier than kilometres.
9	Because there is no atmosphere to burn up meteoroids, the craters are preserved rather better	On the Earth air, wind and rain erode old craters away.
10	A solar eclipse needs the Moon between the Earth and the Sun, at new moon, and near a node of its orbit	The Moon orbit is tilted about 5 degrees, so most new moons bring no eclipse.

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.