Earth and Space Science
Earth's structure and rocks
Earth has a solid inner core, liquid outer core, mantle, and thin crust. The crust and upper mantle form tectonic plates that move on the mantle, causing earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building at plate boundaries. Rocks are igneous (formed from cooling magma), sedimentary (layers of deposited material, may contain fossils), or metamorphic (changed by heat and pressure). The rock cycle links them. Traps include calling sedimentary rock 'melted' - melting produces igneous rock.
Earth's cycles
The water cycle moves water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. The carbon cycle involves photosynthesis, respiration, combustion, and decomposition. Weathering and erosion break down and move rock; deposition builds new layers. Soil forms slowly from weathered rock and organic matter.
Solar system and beyond
Earth orbits the Sun in about 365.25 days; the tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons, not distance from the Sun - a very common misconception. The Moon orbits Earth in about 28 days, causing tides and phases. The Sun is a star; planets orbit it; moons orbit planets. The solar system includes eight planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, and comets. Beyond, stars form galaxies; the Universe is expanding, evidenced by redshift. Day and night are caused by Earth's rotation (about 24 hours).
Worked example
A question asks why summer is warmer in the Northern Hemisphere. The answer is not 'Earth is closer to the Sun', but that the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, so sunlight hits at a steeper angle and is more concentrated, with longer daylight hours.