Here are some VERY VERY VERY DIFFICULT Higher Order Thinking Skills
(HOTS) questions on The Moon for class 5
1. If the Moon has no air, how do astronauts breathe while walking on it? Why can’t we just
take plants there to produce oxygen?
2. The Moon has no atmosphere, but Earth does. How would the sky appear to an astronaut
standing on the Moon during the day? Why?
3. If you jump on Earth, you land back quickly. If you jump on the Moon with the same
force, you go much higher and stay in the air longer. Explain why using the concept of
gravity.
4. If you light a candle on Earth, it burns normally. If you try to light a candle on the Moon, it
won’t burn at all. Why?
5. There is no wind or water on the Moon, yet astronauts’ footprints from decades ago are
still visible. Why don’t they disappear?
6. If the Moon does not have its own light, how does it shine so brightly in the night sky?
What would happen if the Sun disappeared?
7. Earth has an atmosphere that protects us from dangerous space rocks (meteoroids). The
Moon has no atmosphere. What happens when meteoroids hit the Moon, and how does this
affect its surface?
8. If a person weighs 60 kg on Earth, they will weigh only 10 kg on the Moon. But their mass
remains the same. Explain the difference between weight and mass in this context.
9. Why do we always see the same side of the Moon from Earth, even though it rotates? How
is the Moon’s movement different from Earth’s rotation?
10. If an astronaut drops a feather and a hammer at the same time on the Moon, they will fall
together and hit the ground at the same time. But on Earth, the feather falls more slowly.
Why?
11. If you were standing on the Moon holding a glass of water and tried to pour it, what
would happen? Would the water flow normally like on Earth? Why or why not?
12. If the Moon had the same amount of gravity as Earth, how would that change the way we
see tides, eclipses, and even Earth’s rotation?
13. If an astronaut dropped a clock on the Moon, would it still tick at the same speed as on
Earth? What factors could affect timekeeping in space?
14. If the Sun suddenly stopped shining, how long would it take for the Moon to go
completely dark? Would we notice the change instantly?
15. Since there is no air on the Moon, would a flag placed there wave in the wind? If not,
why do we see pictures of a flag standing up on the Moon?
16. What if the Moon was much closer to Earth than it is now? How would our nights, tides,
and even human life be affected?
17. If an astronaut fired a gun on the Moon, what would happen to the bullet? Would it fall to
the ground like on Earth, or would it behave differently?
18. If you were to plant a tree on the Moon and somehow give it water and soil, would it
grow? Why or why not?
19. If you shined a flashlight on the Moon, would the beam of light behave the same way as
on Earth? What would be different?
20. If a giant meteor broke the Moon into pieces, what effects would we see on Earth
immediately and in the long run?
21. If you could build a house on the Moon, what challenges would you face? List at least
five problems and explain why they happen on the Moon but not on Earth.
22. The Earth’s sky appears blue, but the Moon’s sky is completely black even during the
day. If the same Sun is shining, why is there such a big difference?
23. If the Moon suddenly disappeared from space, what would happen to Earth’s oceans,
animal life, and even the length of our days?
24. Imagine two astronauts are standing on opposite sides of the Moon and try to talk to each
other without radios. Why wouldn’t they be able to hear each other, even if they shouted very
loudly?
25. If a spaceship traveling from Earth to the Moon runs out of fuel halfway, will it stop
moving? Why or why not?
26. The Moon has no air, yet temperatures on its surface change drastically from extremely
hot to freezing cold. Why does this happen, and how is it different from Earth?
27. If you threw a ball on Earth and the same ball on the Moon with the exact same force,
which one would go farther? Why?
28. If Earth had two moons instead of one, how would our nights look different? What other
effects might this have on our planet?
29. If humans could live on the Moon, how would sports like running, high jump, or
basketball be different there compared to Earth?
30. If there was a small lake on the Moon (imagine it was possible), and you tried to swim in
it, what strange things would happen compared to swimming on Earth?
