Question

The time at which the Moon rises changes by about 50 minutes every day. Why is this the case?

A. The speed at which the Moon moves through space varies according to the time of day.

B. The Earth spins on its axis in a counterclockwise direction and the Moon revolves around Earth in a clockwise direction.

C. The Moon's period of revolution is 24 hours and 8 minutes.

D. The Moon revolves around the Earth at a different rate than the Earth rotates on its axis.

Answer 1

D. The moon revolves around the Earth at a different rate then the Earth rotates on its axis.

Step-by-step explanation:

It takes the Moon 27 days and 8 hours to complete its period of revolution. Thus, the moon travels 13.8 degrees around the Earth in one day. Meanwhile, the Earth makes a full 360 degree turn. Because of this, the Moon seems to rise approximately 1 hour later every day.

Answer 2

The fact that the Moon comes out about an hour later each day is explained by knowing the orbit of the Moon around the Earth.

The turn of the Earth and the orbital motion of the Moon combine, so that the Moon's departure is delayed by the order of 50 minutes each day.

Considering that the Moon takes approximately 28 days to complete its orbit around the Earth, and it takes 24 hours to complete a revolution around its axis, it is easy to calculate the Moon's "delay" every day.

The answer is: D. The Moon revolves around the Earth at a different rate than the Earth rotates on its axis.