WVGSA Grade 5 Science Practice Questions - West Virginia General Summative Assessment Grade 5 Science Exam

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A student measures solar noon shadow length and direction for a 1-meter vertical stick on the 21st of every month in Charleston, WV (Latitude 38.3° N): - Jan 21: 145 cm (North) - Mar 21: 80 cm (North) - May 21: 32 cm (North) - Jun 21: 24 cm (North) - Aug 21: 35 cm (North) - Oct 21: 95 cm (North) - Dec 21: 160 cm (North) Why does the solar noon shadow ALWAYS point North in West Virginia, and why is it shortest in June?

Charleston lies north of the Tropic of Cancer, so solar noon Sun is always in the southern sky, casting shadows North; in June, Earth's Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, placing the midday Sun highest overhead. The Sun rises in the North and sets in the South during West Virginia summers. Earth spins backward during June. The Moon pulls shadows toward the North Pole.

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