Locating Places on the Earth Question & Answers Class 6 NCERT Social Science Solutions

Get here Solutions for Class 6 New Syllabus Social Science Textbook ‘Exploring Society India and Beyond’ Chapter 1 ‘Locating Places on the Earth’. The questions and answers given here intext-questions and chapter’s final exercises. Click here to see notes for this chapter ‘Locating Places on the Earth’.

Q&A – Class 6 Chapter 1: Locating Places on the Erath

Intext-Questions (Let’s Explore & Activity)

Page – 7 The Big Questions

The image contains an old-world map along with These questions:

1. What is a map and how do we use it? What are its main components?
2. What are coordinates? How can latitude and longitude be used to mark any location on the Earth?
3. How are local time and standard time related to longitude?

Answers:

1. What is a map and how do we use it? What are its main components?

A map is a visual representation of an area, highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes. Maps are used for navigation, understanding geographical locations, planning, and spatial analysis.

Main components of a map:

• Title: Describes the area shown and the map’s purpose.
• Legend: Explains symbols and colours used on the map.
• Scale: Shows the ratio between distances on the map and actual distances.
• Compass Rose: Indicates directions (North, South, East, West).
• Grid: A system of lines (latitude and longitude) to pinpoint locations.

2. What are coordinates? How can latitude and longitude be used to mark any location on the Earth?

Coordinates are a set of values that show an exact position on Earth. The most common system uses latitude and longitude.

• Latitude: Measures north-south position between the poles. It is expressed in degrees, with the Equator at 0° and the poles at 90° North and 90° South.
• Longitude: Measures east-west position. The Prime Meridian at Greenwich, England, is defined as 0°, and degrees extend up to 180° East and West.

A specific location is identified by its latitude and longitude. For example, the coordinates for New York City are approximately 40.7128° N latitude and 74.0060° W longitude.

3. How are local time and standard time related to longitude?

Local time is the time based on the position of the sun in the sky at a specific location. As the Earth rotates, different longitudes experience noon (when the sun is highest in the sky) at different times. Standard time divides the world into time zones, usually 15 degrees of longitude wide, with each time zone having a uniform standard time. This helps in managing time differences over large areas and coordinating activities across regions. The Prime Meridian (0° longitude) is the starting point for Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and other time zones are defined relative to GMT.

In short, Local time is the time observed in a particular region or time zone, and it changes based on the longitude of that region.

• Standard Time: Each time zone represents 15 degrees of longitude. The world is divided into 24 time zones, each one hour apart.
• Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): The reference point for time zones is the Prime Meridian (0° longitude). Time zones to the east of the Prime Meridian are ahead of GMT, while those to the west are behind GMT.

For example, if it is noon at the Prime Meridian (0°), it will be 1:00 PM at 15° East longitude and 11:00 AM at 15° West longitude.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page-9)

➺On the map in Fig. 1.1 given on page 8 —

1. Mark the hospital.
2. What is the meaning of the blue-coloured areas?
3. Which is farther away from the railway station — the school, the Nagar Panchayat or the public garden?

➺As a class activity, form groups of three or four students each. Let each group try to draw a map of your school and some of the streets or roads that lead to it, and a few neighbouring buildings. At the end, compare all the maps and discuss.

Answers:

1. Mark the hospital:
   • Ans. The hospital is located in the centre of the map, just below the blue-colored area (pond).
2. Meaning of the blue-coloured areas:
   • Ans. The blue-coloured areas on the map represent bodies of water, such as a pond or river.
3. Which is farther away from the railway station — the school, the Nagar Panchayat, or the public garden?
   • Ans. The public garden is farther away from the railway station compared to the school and the Nagar Panchayat. The school is located to the left, relatively close to the railway station, while the Nagar Panchayat is to the right, closer than the public garden, which is situated near the top-right corner of the map

LET’S EXPLORE (Page-10)

Answers:

1. Draw a Simple Map of a School’s Playground:
   • On a scale of 1 cm = 10 m, the playground (40 m by 30 m) will be represented as a rectangle of 4 cm by 3 cm on paper.
2. Measure and Calculate the Diagonal:
   • the length of the playground’s diagonal is: 5 cm on paper
   • Real length: Using the scale (1 cm = 10 m), the real length of the playground’s diagonal is: 5 cm×10 m/cm=50 m

LET’S EXPLORE (Page-11) Answers

Consider the map of the small city again. Identify the correct and incorrect statements in the list below:

1. The market is north of the hospital.
Ans. Incorrect: The market is south of the hospital.
2. The museum is southeast of the bank.
Ans. Incorrect: The museum is southwest of the bank.
3. The railway station is northwest of the hospital.
Ans. Correct: The railway station is northwest of the hospital.
4. The lake is northwest of the apartment blocks.
Ans. Incorrect: The lake is southeast of the apartment blocks.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page-17)

If the globe or atlas in your class has well-marked latitudes and longitudes, try to note down approximate values for the latitude and longitude of (1) Mumbai, (2) Kolkata, (3) Singapore, (4) Paris.

Answers:

• Mumbai: Approximately 19°N, 72°E.
• Kolkata: Approximately 22°N, 88°E.
• Singapore: Approximately 1°N, 103°E.
• Paris: Approximately 48°N, 2°E.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page-21)

Two friends, one sitting in Porbandar (Gujarat) and the other in Tinsukia (Assam), are speaking on the phone late afternoon. The latter remarks that the sun has set in Assam and it’s now dark. The former is surprised and says, “But it’s still full daylight here!” Explain why. And, as a class activity, calculate the difference in local time between those two cities. (Hint: for now, consider the difference in longitude between Porbandar and Tinsukia to be 30°; later, you can find out the precise value.)

Answer:

• Porbandar (Gujarat) and Tinsukia (Assam) are approximately 30° apart in longitude.
• Since 15° of longitude corresponds to a one-hour difference in local time, 30° equates to a two-hour difference.
• If the sun sets at 6 pm in Assam, it would still be 4 pm in Gujarat, explaining the difference in daylight.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page-21)

Return to the two friends sitting in Gujarat and Assam. Use this example to explain the difference between local time and standard time.

Answer:

Local Time vs. Standard Time:

• Local Time: The actual time at a specific place based on its longitude.
• Standard Time: A uniform time adopted by a country, usually based on a central meridian.
• Sunset Time in Different Locations:
  • Due to Earth’s rotation, sunset times vary with longitude.
• Importance of Standard Time:
  • Simplifies timekeeping within a country.

Chapter End Exercises: Questions, Activities, and Projects

Page 24

1. Returning to page 10 and to Fig. 5.2 in Chapter 5 of this textbook, taking the scale to be 2.5 cm = 500 km, calculate the real distance from the estuary of the Narmada River to the estuary of the Ganga river. (Hint: round off your measurement on the map to an easy number.)

Ans. Calculate the Distance from the Narmada River Estuary to the Ganga River Estuary

Given:

• Scale: 2.5 cm = 500 km
• Measure the distance between the Narmada River estuary and the Ganga River estuary on Fig. 5.2 of the textbook and round it to an easy number (e.g., 8 cm).

Therefore, the real distance from the estuary of the Narmada River to the estuary of the Ganga River is approximately 1600 km.

2. Why is it 5:30 pm in India when it is 12 pm or noon in London?

Ans. India is located approximately 82.5° east of the Prime Meridian (Greenwich). The Earth rotates 15° per hour, meaning a 1-hour time difference for every 15° of longitude.

When it is 12 pm (noon) in London (0° longitude), it is 5:30 pm in India (82.5°E longitude), as India is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

3. Why do we need symbols and colours on maps?

Symbols and colors are essential in maps because they:

• Simplify complex information and make it easier to understand.
• Represent different features (e.g., buildings, roads, rivers) without overcrowding the map.
• Ensure consistency and clarity for map users, making it easier to read and interpret the map quickly.
• Help to convey information visually, which is more intuitive and accessible to users.

4. Find out what you have in the eight directions from your home or school.

Ans. Attempt yourself. Hints are given here:

• Create a simple map showing your home or school at the center.
• Identify and mark the landmarks or features in each of the eight directions: North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, and Northwest.

5. What is the difference between local time and standard time? Discuss it in groups, with each group writing an answer in 100 to 150 words. Compare the answers.

Ans. Local time is the actual time observed at a specific location based on its longitude. It varies from one place to another due to the Earth’s rotation, causing different longitudes to experience sunrise, noon, and sunset at different times.

Standard time is a uniform time adopted by a country or region, typically based on the time at a central meridian. It ensures consistency and avoids confusion caused by varying local times. For instance, India uses Indian Standard Time (IST), which is based on the 82.5°E longitude and is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+5:30).

6. Delhi’s and Bengaluru’s latitudes are 29°N and 13°N; their longitudes are almost the same, 77°E. How much will be the difference in local time between the two cities?

Ans. Given:

• Delhi’s latitude: 29°N, longitude: 77°E
• Bengaluru’s latitude: 13°N, longitude: 77°E

Since both cities have almost the same longitude, the difference in local time due to longitude is negligible. The difference in local time is primarily due to the difference in latitude, which doesn’t affect time.

Therefore, there is no significant difference in local time between Delhi and Bengaluru.

7. True or False Statements

1. All parallels of latitude have the same length.
   • False. Parallels of latitude vary in length; the Equator is the longest, and the lengths decrease towards the poles.
2. The length of a meridian of longitude is half of that of the Equator.
   • False. Meridians of longitude extend from pole to pole and are all the same length, which is half of the Earth’s circumference, unlike the Equator, which is the full circumference.
3. The South Pole has a latitude of 90°S.
   • True. The South Pole is at the southernmost point on Earth, with a latitude of 90°S.
4. In Assam, the local time and the IST are identical.
   • True. Assam follows Indian Standard Time (IST), so the local time in Assam is the same as IST.
5. Lines separating the time zones are identical with meridians of longitude.
   • False. Time zone boundaries often follow country or region borders and are not always straight lines aligned with meridians of longitude.
6. The Equator is also a parallel of latitude.
   • True. The Equator is a parallel of latitude marked at 0° latitude.

Page 25 (Crossword Puzzle)

Solving the Crossword puzzle

Solution:

1. SCALE
2. LONGITUDE
3. COORDINATES
4. GLOBE
5. EQUATOR
6. GREENWICH
7. IST
8. MAP
9. Pol (The crossword has mistaken column arrangements)
10. LATITUDE
11. IDL