NCERT Solution Class 6 Social Science Geography

Chapter 2: Latitudes and Longitudes

Answer the following questions briefly.

a. What is the true shape of the earth?

Answer: The true shape of the Earth is not sphere. It is a bit flattened at the two poles, North and South and bulge in the middle.

b. What is a globe?

Answer: A globe is a small/miniature form of the Earth.

c. What is the latitudinal value of the Tropic of Cancer?

Answer: Tropic of Cancer is present in the Northern Hemisphere. The latitudinal value of the Tropic of Cancer is 23½° N.

d. What are the three heat zones of the Earth?

Answer: The three heat zones of the Earth are:

1. Torrid Zone
2. Temperate Zone
3. Frigid Zone

e. What are parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude?

Answer:

Parallel of latitudes: The parallel circles starting from the equator up to the poles are called parallels of latitudes.

Meridians of longitudes: The line of references running from the North Pole to the South Pole are called meridians of longitudes.

f. Why does the torrid zone receive maximum amount of heat?

Answer: The area between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricon is the torrid zone. The mid-day sun is exactly overhead on the latitudes lying in the Torrid zone. Thus, it receives maximum amount of heat.

g. Why is it 5.30 p.m. in India and 12.00 noon in London?

Answer: India is located at east of Greenwich at 82°30'E, which is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). Thus, when it is 12:0 noon in London, it is 5:30 in India.

2. Tick the correct answers.

a. The value of the prime meridian is

1. 90°
2. 0°
3. 60°

Answer: ii. 0°

Explanation: The count begins from the Prime Meridian.

b. The frigid zone lies near

1. the Poles
2. the Equator
3. the Tropic of Cancer

Answer: i. the Poles

Explanation: The poles receives less sun rays.

c. The total number of longitudes are

1. 360
2. 180
3. 90

Answer: i. 360

Explanation: The count begins from Prime Meridian. 180 is counted eastward and 180 is counted westward. Thus total is 180 + 180 = 360.

d. The Antarctic cirlce is located in

1. the Northern hemisphere
2. the Southern hemisphere
3. the Eastern hemisphere

Answer: ii. the Southern hemisphere

Explanation: Antarctic circle is located in the Southern hemisphere.

e. Grid is a network of

1. parallels of latitudes and meridians of longitudes
2. the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricon
3. the North Pole and the South Pole

Answer: i. parallels of latitudes and meridians of longitudes

Explanation: Grid helps us to easily locate any point on the Globe.

3. Fill in the blanks.

1. The Tropic of Capricon is located at the 23½° S.
2. The Standard Meridian of India is 82½° E (82° 30'E).
3. The 0° Meridian is known as the Prime Meridian.
4. The distance between the longitudes decreases towards the poles.
5. The Arctic Circle is located in the Northern hemisphere.