Question

The movement of Earth around its own axis is called
(A). Rotation
(B). Translation
(C). Revolution
(D). Oscillation

Answer 1

Hint: Earth moves around the sun in a circular orbit and takes a year to complete one round. It also rotates about its own axis. The motion is circular in nature and there is not a to and fro motion taking place.

Complete step by step solution:
Earth is a part of a planetary system which consists of the sun at centre and eight planets revolving around it in separate fixed orbits. The motion of planets around the sun is called revolution. When the earth completes one complete round around the sun it is called 1 revolution.
Along with revolving around the sun, earth also spins about its own axis. This motion of earth is called rotation.
Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Additional information:
The axis about which earth rotates does not pass through the north pole of earth. Earth has a little tilt about its axis. This tilt is responsible for occurrence of various seasons as due to tilt there is variation in exposure of direct sunlight to northern and southern hemisphere of earth. Where there is direct sunlight reaching, it is a summer season while where there is least sunshine reaching, it is winter season and intermediate seasons being spring and autumn.

Note: The motion of a body in a straight line is called translation, for example, a car moving on a straight road. Oscillations are a type of motion in which the body moves about a certain point in a to and fro motion which is periodic in nature, for example, a pendulum’s bob when displaced from its rest position undergoes oscillations. Earth’s motion is neither translational nor oscillatory. It is rather periodic in nature, that is, it repeats the same motion after a certain period.