Science · Space
Moon Phases Quiz
New moon to full moon and back: why the moon's shape seems to change, plus eclipses and tides.
- 🎓 Grades 4–6
- 🧪 Science
- 📐 MS-ESS1-1
- ❓ 20 questions
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Why does the moon seem to change shape?
- A It shrinks and grows
- B Earth's shadow covers it each night
- C Clouds cover it
- D We see different amounts of its lit half
About how long does it take to go through all the moon phases?
- A About 29.5 days
- B About 24 hours
- C About 365 days
- D About 7 days
What do we call the phase when we cannot see the moon?
- A Gibbous
- B First quarter
- C New moon
- D Full moon
What do we call the phase when the whole face is lit?
- A Third quarter
- B Crescent
- C New moon
- D Full moon
When the lit part is growing each night, the moon is…
- A Waning
- B Eclipsing
- C Waxing
- D Orbiting
When the lit part is shrinking each night, the moon is…
- A Waxing
- B Rising
- C Spinning
- D Waning
A thin sliver of a moon is called a…
- A Crescent
- B Quarter
- C Gibbous
- D Full moon
A moon that is more than half lit but not full is…
- A Gibbous
- B Crescent
- C Quarter
- D New
Which phase comes right after the new moon?
- A Third quarter
- B Waning gibbous
- C Waxing crescent
- D Full moon
Which phase comes right after the full moon?
- A Waning gibbous
- B New moon
- C Waxing crescent
- D Waxing gibbous
At first quarter, how much of the moon's face do we see lit?
- A All
- B A thin sliver
- C Half
- D None
Why do we always see the same side of the moon?
- A Earth blocks the other side
- B It spins once for each trip around Earth
- C The other side is dark forever
- D It does not spin
What causes a lunar eclipse?
- A Earth's shadow falls on the moon
- B The sun turns off
- C The moon blocks the sun
- D Clouds block the moon
What causes a solar eclipse?
- A Earth blocks the moon
- B The sun goes behind Mars
- C A cloud covers the sun
- D The moon blocks the sun from Earth
During which phase can a solar eclipse happen?
- A Waxing gibbous
- B First quarter
- C Full moon
- D New moon
During which phase can a lunar eclipse happen?
- A Third quarter
- B New moon
- C Waxing crescent
- D Full moon
What mainly causes ocean tides?
- A The moon's gravity
- B Fish
- C Wind
- D Earthquakes
Does the moon make its own light?
- A Yes, from volcanoes
- B Yes, like a star
- C No, it reflects sunlight
- D Only when full
Which phase comes between waxing crescent and waxing gibbous?
- A Third quarter
- B First quarter
- C Full moon
- D New moon
Who were the first people to walk on the moon, in 1969?
- A Christopher Columbus and Magellan
- B The Wright brothers
- C Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
- D Lewis and Clark
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