Claim: The shape of the Moon appears to change throughout the month due to the relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, which affects the portion of the Moon that is illuminated by sunlight and visible from Earth.
Evidence: In the simulator activity, observations showed that during the New Moon phase, the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun, resulting in the side of the Moon facing Earth being in complete shadow. As the Moon moves in its orbit, the First Quarter phase occurs when the Moon is at a 90-degree angle relative to the Earth and Sun, making half of the Moon visible. Eventually, during the Full Moon phase, the Earth is positioned between the Moon and the Sun, illuminating the entire face of the Moon that is facing Earth. In the data table, it was observed that the illuminated portion of the Moon increased from 0% (New Moon) to 100% (Full Moon), before decreasing back to 0% over the course of approximately 29.5 days.
Reasoning: This evidence supports the claim because the changing phases of the Moon are a direct result of the changing angle and position of the sunlight as it interacts with the Moon in relation to the Earth. When the Moon is positioned directly between the Earth and the Sun (New Moon), its illuminated side faces away from us. Conversely, when the Earth is positioned between the Moon and the Sun (Full Moon), the entire illuminated side of the Moon is visible. The intermediate phases, such as the First Quarter and Last Quarter, occur as the Moon orbits the Earth and reveals varying fractions of its illuminated surface. This cyclical pattern of illumination is a predictable result of the alignment and movement of the Earth-Moon-Sun system, therefore explaining the monthly changes in the Moon’s appearance.