One common misconception is that the seasons are caused by how close the Earth is to the Sun. Today you get to do an experiment that shows how seasons are affected by axis tilt, not by distance from the Sun. And you also find out which planet doesn’t have sunlight for 42 years.
The seasons are caused by the Earth’s axis tilt of 23.4o from the ecliptic plane.
Materials
- Bright light source (not fluorescent)
- Balloon
- Protractor
- Masking tape
- 2 liquid crystal thermometers
- Ruler, yardstick or meter stick
- Marker