Final answer:
False, seasons on Earth are not caused by its elliptical orbit but by the 23.5° axial tilt. The key factors for seasonal temperature changes are the angle of sunlight and the length of daylight. Earth's varying distance from the Sun has a negligible effect on seasonal temperatures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The seasons on Earth are not caused by its elliptical orbit around the Sun. The main answer to why seasons occur is the 23.5° tilt of Earth's axis, not the distance from the Sun. Earth's orbit causes just a 3% change in distance from the Sun, which is not enough to significantly alter the temperature seasonally. Additionally, this hypothesis doesn't explain why, for instance, Earth is closest to the Sun in January when the Northern Hemisphere experiences winter.The two main reasons for the seasons include the angle at which the Sun's rays hit Earth and the duration of daylight. During summer, when a hemisphere tilts towards the Sun, sunlight hits more directly and for a longer period, causing warmer temperatures. During winter, that same hemisphere tilts away from the Sun, resulting in indirect sunlight and shorter days, thus cooler temperatures.In conclusion, the primary cause of the seasons is Earth's axial tilt. Distance from the Sun due to Earth's elliptical orbit plays a minimal role, if any, in the changing of the seasons.