Karnataka 1st PUC Geography Question Bank Chapter 2 The Earth Questions and Answers Solution, Notes by Expert Teacher Priya Verma. Karnataka Class 11 Geography Solution Chapter 2.
There are 2 Parts in Karnataka Class 11 Textbook. Here You will find Part A Fundamental of Physical Geography’s Chapter 2 The Earth (Earth as a planet, Shape and size of the Earth, Movements of the Earth: Rotation and Revolution.)
- State – Karnataka.
- Class – 1st PUC / Class 11
- Subject – Geography.
- Topic – Solution / Notes.
- Chapter – 2
- Chapter Name – The Earth.
- Subpart – Earth as a planet, Shape and size of the Earth, Movements of the Earth: Rotation and Revolution.
(I) Answer the following in a word or a sentence each.
(1) What is the approximate age of the Earth?
Answer :
The approximate age of earth in 4.6 billion years.
(2) Name the oldest proof in respect of shape of the Earth.
Answer :
The oldest proof in favour of the fact that the shape of earth is spherical is lunar eclipses.
(3) Who conducted Bed Ford level experiment?
Answer :
Bed ford level experiment was conducted by Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace
(4) What is the total geographical area of the Earth?
Answer :
Total geographical area of earth is 510 mil sq. km.
(5) Who was the first person to calculate the distance between places?
Answer :
The first person to calculate the distance between places was Eratosthenes.
(6) What is Earth’s axis?
Answer :
Earth’s axis is an imaginary line passing through the centre of the earth, joining north and south poles on which earth spins from west to east.
(7) What amount of time does the Earth take to complete one rotation?
Answer :
Earth takes to complete one rotation 23 hr 56 min and 4.09 second.
(8) Define Orbit.
Answer :
Orbit is a fixed path around the sun on which earth rotates.
(9) On what date does the Summer Solstice occur?
Answer :
Summer solstice occurs on 21st June.
(10) How many temperature zones are there on the globe?
Answer :
There are 3 temperature zones on earth. They are tropical zone, temperate zone and frigid zone.
(II) Answer the following in two or three sentences each.
(1) What is Geoid?
Answer :
Geoid is a term given to the shape of earth. The shape of earth has been a matter of debate for a long time. Later Sir Issac Newton asserted that earth is not a complete circle, and it is flattened at poles and there is a bulge at equator. This shape was later named as Geoid.
(2) Mention the Equatorial and Polar diameter of the Earth.
Answer :
The equatorial diameter of earth is 12,756 km whereas the polar diameter of earth is 12,714 km.
(3) Why are Northern and Southern hemispheres called as Land and Water hemisphere?
Answer :
Equator is an imaginary line which passes through the centre of earth, and it divides it into Northern and Southern Hemisphere. Northern Hemisphere is known as Land Hemisphere because most of the continents are in this hemisphere. 60% of the area of northern hemisphere is covered by land and in southern hemisphere 81% area is covered by water because of which it is known as water hemisphere.
(4) Name the highest and lowest points on the land.
Answer :
Mount Everest in Nepal China border is the highest point on earth. It is 8850 m high whereas the Challenger Deep of Mariana Trench is the lowest point on earth. It has a depth of 10,898 m.
(5) What is deflection of Winds?
Answer :
Rotation of earth on its axis causes the winds in the hemisphere to deflect. Winds are deflected in right direction in Northern hemisphere whereas they are deflected in left direction in Southern Hemisphere.
(6) What is Inclination of the Earth?
Answer :
The earth’s axis of rotation is not at right angle with the orbit of revolution. The earth’s axis of rotation is inclined at 66 ½ degrees to the plane of orbit. This is known as earth’s inclination.
(7) Distinguish between Perihelion and Aphelion.
Answer :
Earth revolves around the fixed imaginary elliptical orbit around the sun. The point at which earth is closest to the sun in known as Perihelion whereas the point at which earth is farthest to the sun is known as Aphelion.
(8) State the difference between Autumn Equinox and Spring Equinox.
Answer :
Autumn equinox falls on September 23 every year. On this day sun’s rays falls vertically above the equator because of which the length of day and nights are equal and from this day winter season begins in Northern Hemisphere. Whereas spring equinox falls on March 21 every year. On this day also the sun’s rays fall directly above the equator and the length of day and night are equal. But this day marks the beginning of Spring season in northern hemisphere.
(9) Why is Norway called ‘Land of Mid-night Sun’?
Answer :
Beyond the Arctic circle and the Antarctic circle there is no daily sun set and sun rise. When the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun there is no sun set in north of Arctic Circle during this period. Norway lies in this zone because of which it is known as Land of midnight sun.
(10) Mention the difference between Torrid and Temperate zones.
Answer :
Torrid zones are tropical zones which lie between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. Whereas Temperate zones are the area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic circle, and the Tropic of Capricorn and The Antarctic circle.
(III) Answer the following.
(1) Name and explain the proofs in support of the spherical shape of the Earth.
Answer :
The shape of the earth has been a matter of debate for a long time. Sir Issac Newton asserted that the shape of the earth is not completely spherical it is flattened on poles whereas there is a bulge on the equators. This shape was later named as Geoid. Proofs in the support of spherical shape of the earth are-
- Heavenly bodies are of spherical shape- The sun, moon and other heavenly bodies are of spherical shape.
- The Lunar Eclipse- The lunar eclipse were the oldest proves in favour of the spherical shape of the earth.
- Sunrise and sunset- Because of spherical shape of earth the time of sunrise and sunset varies with location.
- Circumnavigation- The ability to travel the whole of earth in continuation is a proof that earth is of spherical shape.
- The Bedford level experiment- Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace experimentally proved the shape of earth by fixing three poles of same height at a difference of 1 mile. It was found that the middle pole was visibly larger than other two. It was because of the spherical shape of earth.
- Aerial and satellite photographs- Satellite photographs of earth shows that earth is of spherical shape.
- Ship sighting- When ship is approaching coast, its upper portion is visible first and the full ship is visible after some time. Same is the case when it is leaving coast. This observation supports the fact that earth is of spherical shape.
(2) Describe the size of the Earth.
Answer :
Although the shape of the earth was a matter of debate for a long time, later Sir Issac Newton asserted the fact that Earth is not a complete circle. He said that the shape of earth is flattened at poles, and it is bulging out at equator. This shape is known as Oblate spheroid or Geoid. The recent satellite and aerial images support this argument. The rotation of earth also has its effects on the shape of earth. Because of rotation the polar region is flattened, and equatorial region is comparatively flatter. And because of this only earth has acquired a geoid shape.
In case you missed: Chapter 1 Question Answer
(3) Explain the effects of the rotation of the Earth.
Answer :
Earth spins on its own axis in the west to east direction. This phenomenon is known as the rotation of earth. Earth takes 23 hrs 56 min and 4.09 sec to complete one rotation with respect to the sun. There are various affects of rotation of earth. Like-
- Day and Night- Because of the rotation of earth different parts of earth have day and night at different times. The part which is incline towards sun observes the day whereas the part which is farther from the sun has night during the rotation.
- Deflection of winds- Because of the rotation of earth winds in the Northern Hemisphere are deflected in right direction whereas the winds in Southern Hemisphere are deflected to their left.
- Sun- The respective position of sun and the formation of shadows helped the people in ancient times to observe the time. During nighttime, the location of pole star helps to do so.
- Shape of the earth- Due to fast rotation earth has formed into a geoid shape. It is flattened from the poles and bulge out from the equator.
- Magnetic field- Because of huge rotational speed earth acts like a huge magnet, which helps it to maintain the necessary atmosphere and gases for the survival of living beings.
- Tides and ocean currents- Because of earth’s rotation, ocean currents are deflected in left in northern hemisphere and in right direction in southern hemisphere. So is the case with the tides, as earth rotates, and it is closest to the sun and the moon high tides are formed on Earth.
(4) How do seasons occur? Explain with a neat diagram.
Answer :
Because of earth’s axial tilt and the revolution of earth on its orbit, the cycle of seasons are observed. Four seasons are observed on earth. They are-
- Summer season- June 21 is the summer solstice in Northern Hemisphere. On this day sun’s direct rays fall on the Tropic of Cancer. This day marks the beginning of summer season in the Northern Hemisphere. During this period, days are longer than nights in Northern Hemisphere.
- Autumn season- It starts from September 23, which is also known as Autumnal equinox. On this day sun’s rays directly fall above the equator. This season lasts up to December 21. In this period the natural vegetations shed their leaves.
- Winter season- This season starts with December 21. On this day sun’s rays falls directly above the tropic of Capricorn. This is the summer season in Southern Hemisphere and winter season in Northern Hemisphere. It lasts up to March 20.
- Spring Season- This season starts with March 21. On this day sun’s rays fall vertically above the equator. This is also known as Vernal Equinox or Spring Equinox. It marks the beginning of spring season in northern Hemisphere which continues up to June 20. While southern Hemisphere has the Autumn Season.
(5) Describe the special latitudes and temperature zones of the globe with a neat diagram.
Answer :
Earth is inclined at 66 ½ degrees at its orbit of revolution. Some latitudes are the marked as important lines because they differentiate various temperature zones depending upon the intensity of the sun’s rays falling on them. 0 degree latitude is the biggest latitude on the earth and it is known as Equator. On 21 March and 23 September sun’s rays directly fall upon the equator. 23 ½ degree North latitude is known as Tropic of Cancer and 23 ½ degree south latitude is known as Tropic of Capricorn. On June 21 Sun’s rays directly fall on Tropic of Cancer and on December 21 it directly falls upon the Tropic of Capricorn. Similarly 66 ½ degree North latitude is known as Arctic Circle and the 66 ½ degree south latitude is known as Antarctic Circle. Whereas North Pole is 90 degree North Latitude and the South Pole in 90 degrees South latitude. On this basis there are three temperature zones on earth-
- The torrid zone or tropical zone- Area between tropic of cancer and tropic of Capricorn is known as torrid zone.
- Temperate zone- The area between Artic circle and the Tropic of Cancer and the Antarctic Circle, and the Tropic of Capricorn is known as Temperate Zone.
- The frigid zone- The area from Arctic circle to the north pole and the Antarctic circle and the south pole is classified under frigid zone.