Year 5 Science: The Sun, Earth and Moon are spheres
Part of the Year 5 Science the earth, sun and moon chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
The Sun, Earth and Moon are spheres
A sphere is a ball-shaped object. It looks like a circle from every direction. The Sun, the Earth and the Moon are approximately spherical: they are nearly round balls, with very slightly flattened shapes.
Round objects in space pull each other into rounded shapes, so the bodies in space tend to be spherical.
Key ideas
- A sphere looks like a circle from every direction.
- The Sun, the Earth and the Moon are approximately spherical.
- The word approximately means nearly, not exactly.
- A flat card circle is not a sphere, but a ball made from it would be.
Method. Read the key ideas in section 8.3.
- Read the key idea. The Earth is approximately spherical.approximately spherical
- Name the shape. So the shape is a sphere.sphere
- Write the answer. sphere
Check. A sphere looks like a circle from every side. ✓
Method. Read the key ideas.
- Read the key idea. The Sun, the Earth and the Moon are approximately spherical.the Moon
- Decide. So the answer is yes.yes
- Write the answer. yes
Check. The Moon is nearly a round ball. ✓
Method. Think about a ball.
- Think about the ball. A ball looks like a circle from every side.every side
- Name the answer. So a sphere looks like a circle from every direction.every direction
- Write the answer. every direction
Check. The circle is the same from any side. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: approximately spherical does not mean perfectly round. The Earth is slightly flattened at the top and bottom, but it is still very nearly a ball.
Try it (with your teacher). Use a ball of modelling clay, and a flat circle cut from card. Turn the ball and the circle in your hands. Which one looks like a circle from every side? Write one sentence about your answer.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask: “Which shape looks the same from every side? Which shape is a ball?” Let your child explain the word approximately.
Exercise 8C The Sun, Earth and Moon are spheres
Method. Read section 8.3.
- Read the description. A sphere is a ball-shaped object.ball-shaped
- Name it. The word is sphere.sphere
- Write the answer. sphere
Check. A sphere looks like a circle from every direction. ✓
Method. Read the key ideas.
- Read the key idea. The Sun, the Earth and the Moon are approximately spherical.the Sun
- Decide. So the answer is yes.yes
- Write the answer. yes
Check. The Sun is nearly a round ball. ✓
Method. Read the watch-out box in section 8.3.
- Read the watch-out. Approximately spherical does not mean perfectly round.not perfectly round
- Decide. So the Earth is approximately, not exactly, spherical.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. The Earth is nearly a ball, but very slightly flattened. ✓
Method. Read the key ideas.
- Read the key idea. The word approximately means nearly, not exactly.nearly
- Name the word. So the word is nearly.nearly
- Write the answer. nearly
Check. Accept nearly or roughly. ✓
Method. Read section 8.3.
- Read the description. A sphere looks like a circle from every direction.every direction
- Name the answer. So the answer is every direction.every direction
- Write the answer. every direction
Check. The outline is the same from any side. ✓
Method. Count the circles in the picture.
- Count the circles. The picture shows three circles: the Sun, the Earth and the Moon.three circles
- Write the number. So three objects are shown as circles.3
- Write the answer. 3
Check. Each circle stands for a nearly spherical body. ✓
Method. Read the labels in the picture.
- Read the labels. The middle circle is labelled Earth.middle
- Name it. So the labelled object is the Earth.Earth
- Write the answer. Earth
Check. The Earth is shown in the middle, and is nearly a ball. ✓
Method. Think about the shape of a card circle.
- Think about the card. A card circle is flat, and only looks like a circle from one side.flat
- Decide. So the statement is false.false
- Write the answer. false
Check. A ball made from the card would be a sphere. ✓
Method. Think about what both shapes look like.
- Think about both. Both a sphere and a flat circle look like a circle from one side.one side
- Write the word. So the shared word is circle, or round.circle
- Write the answer. Accept circle, or round.
Check. Both look round from one direction. ✓
Method. Think about the shape of a ball.
- Think about the ball. A ball is the same distance from its centre in every direction.same distance
- Write the reason. So its outline is a circle from every side.circle from every side
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says a ball is round in every direction, so its outline is a circle from every side.
Check. A sphere is round in every direction. ✓
Method. Think about the word approximately.
- Think about the shape. The Sun, Earth and Moon are nearly round balls.nearly round
- Write the reason. They are slightly flattened, so the word approximately is used.slightly flattened
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says the bodies are nearly round balls, but very slightly flattened, so approximately is the right word.
Check. Approximately means nearly, not exactly. ✓