Final answer:
The idea that Earth rotates toward the north is false; Earth rotates from west to east. The primary reason for seasons is the 23.5-degree tilt of Earth's axis and direct sunlight, not the varying distance from the Sun. During the vernal equinox, day length is slightly over 12 hours due to atmospheric refraction and the definition of sunrise and sunset.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that 'Earth rotates toward the north, the day starts earlier in the East than it does farther north' is false. Earth rotates from west to east, not toward the north. This rotation of Earth means that locations in the eastern part of any time zone will experience sunrise and the start of the day earlier than locations in the western part. This is the reason the sun rises earlier in the East than in the West, not because of any rotation 'toward the north.'
Seasons and Earth's Distance from the Sun
One argument that could contradict the idea that the Northern Hemisphere's warmth in June is due to being closer to the Sun is the fact that Earth is closest to the Sun in January, during the Northern Hemisphere's winter. Earth's orbit is elliptical but the tilt of Earth's axis at 23.5° is the primary reason for the differing seasons, not the relatively small changes in distance from the Sun. In June, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, that hemisphere experiences summer primarily because of the more direct sunlight and longer daylight hours.
Day Length during Equinox
On the day of the vernal equinox, day length for all places on Earth is slightly longer than 12 hours due to atmospheric refraction, which causes the Sun to appear above the horizon when it is actually just below it, and the way sunrise and sunset are defined, with the 'edge' of the Sun's disk and not the center being the reference point.