Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Secondary Integrated Science Practice test

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What is the first visible phase of the moon after the new moon?

Waxing gibbous
First quarter
Waning crescent
Full moon

The correct answer is: First quarter

The first visible phase of the moon after the new moon is the first quarter phase. During this phase, approximately one week after the new moon, the moon has completed about a quarter of its orbit around the Earth. At this point, half of the moon's surface is illuminated by the sun and is visible from Earth, resulting in a half-circle appearance. In contrast, the waxing gibbous phase occurs after the first quarter, and it represents the period when more than half of the moon is illuminated but not yet full. The waning crescent phase, on the other hand, occurs after the last quarter as the illumination decreases leading back toward a new moon. Lastly, a full moon signifies that the entire face of the moon is illuminated, which occurs when the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun. Thus, the sequence of lunar phases clearly designates the first quarter as the initial visible phase following the new moon.