To show hiw Earth revolves around the sun, hold a volleyball 1meter away from a table lamp with its light bulb exposed. Turn the volleyball on its axis, and move in a large circle around the light bulb. How does this model demonstrate Earth's motion around the sun?
This model demonstrates Earth's motion around the sun by showing how the volleyball (representing Earth) rotates on its axis as it orbits around the light bulb (representing the sun). The circle that is traced by the volleyball represents Earth's orbit around the sun, which takes one year to complete. The distance that the volleyball is held from the light bulb also simulates the distance between Earth and the sun, which is approximately 93 million miles. By observing this model, one can see how the rotation and orbit of the volleyball mimic the movement of Earth in space.
