Chapter 1 Locating Places on the Earth - Exercises and Activities

Chapter 1: Locating Places on the Earth

Solutions for In-text Questions, Activities, End-of-Chapter Questions, and Projects

Standard 6 Social Science

1. Page 7: Important Questions

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

Answer: A map is a simple tool that represents a large area of the Earth on a smaller scale on paper. We use it to find unknown routes, locate specific places (such as hospitals, schools, railway stations, etc.), and measure distances between two locations. The main components of a map are Scale, Directions, Conventional Symbols, and Colors. These help in understanding vast geographical information in a limited space accurately.

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

Answer: Coordinates are the combined numerical values of a specific place's Latitude and Longitude. On a globe, the horizontal parallel lines (Latitudes, indicating distance from the Equator) and vertical lines (Longitudes, indicating distance from the Prime Meridian) intersect to form a network called a Grid. The point where these two lines intersect acts as a coordinate, which can accurately mark the exact location of any place on Earth.

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

Answer: The calculation of time is primarily based on longitudes.

  • Local Time: Local time is entirely dependent on Longitude. It takes the Earth 4 minutes to rotate 1° of longitude. Hence, sunlight falls on different longitudes at different times, which means the actual local time varies from one longitude to another.
  • Standard Time: If every city followed its own local time, it would create immense confusion in a country's scheduling (trains, flights, etc.). Therefore, the local time of a specific central longitude passing through the country is universally applied across the entire nation, which is called Standard Time (e.g., India's IST is based on 82.5° East longitude). Thus, both local and standard times are directly linked to longitudes.

2. Page 9: Map Observation (Based on Figure 1.1) Questions and Answers

1. Mark the hospital:

Answer: In the given map, the hospital is located precisely in the center, marked with a red cross (+) symbol and the word 'HOSPITAL'.

2. What do the blue-colored areas represent?

Answer: In maps, the color blue is generally used for water bodies. Here, the blue area represents a river or lake situated near the railway station and hospital.

3. Which is the farthest place from the railway station (among the school, town panchayat, or public park)?

Answer: According to the map, the railway station is in the North-West corner. The school is in the South-West, the town panchayat is towards the East, and the public park (garden/field) is at the far eastern edge of the map. Therefore, the public park is the farthest place from the railway station.

Project Outline: Form groups of 3 to 4 students in the classroom. Ask each group to draw a rough sketch map on paper showing the route from their school to their home. Afterward, compare all the maps and discuss.

3. Page 10: Scale and Calculation Activity

Question: Draw a map of a school playground that is 40 meters long and 30 meters wide (taking a scale of 1 cm = 10 meters) and find the length of its diagonal in centimeters and meters.

Answer & Calculation:

  • Method of Drawing: According to the scale, a rectangle 4 cm long and 3 cm wide must be drawn on paper.
  • Measurement of Diagonal (in cm): Measuring with a ruler from one corner to the opposite corner of the rectangle will give 5 cm.
    (According to Pythagoras' theorem: 32 + 42 = 9 + 16 = 25 → √25 = 5 cm).
  • Actual Length (in meters): Since 1 cm = 10 meters, 5 cm × 10 meters = 50 meters. Thus, the actual length of the playground's diagonal will be 50 meters.

4. Page 11: Identifying True/False Statements Based on Directions

Check the following statements based on the map in Figure 1.1:

  • 1. The market is located to the north of the hospital:
    Answer: False. In the map, the market is located below the hospital, which means it is in the South direction.
  • 2. The museum is located to the south-east of the bank:
    Answer: False. The museum is directly below the bank, meaning it is strictly in the South direction.
  • 3. The railway station is in the north-west of the hospital:
    Answer: True. Looking from the hospital, the railway station is located to the upper left, which is North-West.
  • 4. The lake is to the north-west of the residential apartments:
    Answer: False. From the apartments (residential buildings), the lake/river is located directly in the West direction.

Project Outline: Provide students with various symbols (e.g., post office, railway line, etc.) given on page 12 and ask them to draw a provisional map showing their home, school, and important surrounding locations along with the cardinal directions.

5. Page 17: Latitude and Longitude Finding Activity

Question: Using a globe or an Atlas, write down the approximate latitude and longitude coordinates of Mumbai, Kolkata, Singapore, and Paris.

Answer: (Approximate geographical coordinates based on an Atlas are as follows):

  • 1. Mumbai: Approx. 19° North Latitude and 73° East Longitude.
  • 2. Kolkata: Approx. 22.5° North Latitude and 88° East Longitude.
  • 3. Singapore: Approx. 1° North Latitude and 104° East Longitude (very close to the Equator).
  • 4. Paris (France): Approx. 48° North Latitude and 2° East Longitude.

6. Page 21: Difference Between Local Time and Standard Time

Question: Late in the afternoon, two friends are talking on the phone. The sun has already set in Tinsukia (Assam), while there is still daylight in Porbandar (Gujarat). Why is this so? Calculate the difference in local time between these two cities.

Project/Activity Outline and Answer: To conduct this activity in the classroom, a globe can be used. The Earth rotates on its axis from West to East. Because of this, places in the East experience sunrise and sunset earlier compared to places in the West. Assam is located at the eastern end of India, while Gujarat is at the western end.

Calculation Steps:

  • Basic Rule: It takes the Earth 4 minutes to rotate through 1° (one degree) of longitude.
  • Given Information: As indicated, there is an approximate longitudinal difference of 30° between Porbandar and Tinsukia.
  • Calculation: 30° (difference in longitude) × 4 minutes = 120 minutes.
  • Converting 120 minutes into hours: 120 / 60 = 2 hours.
  • Conclusion: This calculation proves there is a 2-hour difference between the local times of Assam and Gujarat. Therefore, when the sun sets and it gets dark in Assam, it will still take two more hours for sunset in Gujarat, which is why there is daylight.

Difference between Local Time and Standard Time:

  • Local Time: The local time of any place is determined by the position of the sun in the sky at that location. As we saw in the calculation, because the Earth is round, sunlight falls on different longitudes at different times. Therefore, due to the longitudinal difference between Assam and Gujarat, their actual local time differs by 2 hours.
  • Standard Time: If every state or city in the country followed its own local time, it would cause severe confusion in the schedules of trains, buses, and flights. To solve this problem, the time of a specific longitude passing through the center of the country is uniformly applied to the whole nation, known as Standard Time.
  • Explanation with Example: Even though the sun has set in Assam and it's late afternoon in Gujarat (their distinct local times), when both friends check their watches, the time shown will be exactly the same. This uniform time is the Indian Standard Time (IST), which applies equally across the whole country.

7. End-of-Chapter Questions, Activities, and Projects

1. Calculating the actual distance from the Narmada river delta to the Ganga river delta:

Method of Calculation (Project Outline): According to the map scale, 2.5 cm = 500 km.

  • First, use a ruler to measure the straight-line distance (in centimeters) between the deltas of Narmada and Ganga on the map.
  • Let's assume this distance is 'X' cm.
  • Now, to find the actual distance, set up a proportion: Actual Distance = (X ÷ 2.5) × 500 km.
  • (For example: If the map distance is 5 cm, the actual distance will be calculated as 1000 km.)

2. If it is 12:00 PM (Noon) in London, why is it 5:30 PM in India?

Explanation: The city of London is located at 0° longitude (Prime Meridian/Greenwich Line), while the Indian Standard Time (IST) is determined from 82.5° East longitude. It takes Earth 4 minutes to rotate 1° of longitude.

Therefore, 82.5° × 4 minutes = 330 minutes. 330 minutes equals 5 hours and 30 minutes. Since India is situated to the East of London, sunrise occurs earlier and time runs ahead. Thus, when it is 12 noon in London, evening is approaching in India (5:30 PM).

3. Why are conventional symbols and colors necessary in a map?

Answer: A map is a small representation of the vast Earth on paper. It is impossible to draw mountains, rivers, hospitals, railway stations, etc., in their actual size and shape on a map. Therefore, specific symbols (conventional symbols) and colors (such as blue for water) are used to provide maximum and accurate information in a limited space, enabling anyone in the world to read and understand the map easily.

4. Find out what is located in the eight directions of your home or school. (Activity)

Outline: Students should stand facing the direction the sun rises in the morning (East). Behind their back will be West, on their left hand will be North, and on their right hand will be South. Next, they should make a list in their notebooks of the buildings, temples, shops, or roads located in all 8 directions (four cardinal directions and four intercardinal directions: North-East, South-East, South-West, North-West).

5. Difference between Local Time and Standard Time (Group Discussion):

Answer (Outline): Local time is based on the position of the sun at that specific place. Every longitude has a different local time. If every place in a country used its own local time, there would be immense confusion in transportation schedules. To avoid this, the time of a specific central longitude is considered the common time for the entire nation, known as Standard Time. In India, the time at 82.5° East longitude is recognized as the standard time (IST).

6. Delhi (29° N) and Bengaluru (13° N) have the same longitude of 77° E. What will be the difference in their local time?

Answer: There will be a 0-minute difference (no difference at all) between the local times of both cities. Local time always depends on Longitude, not on Latitude. Since both cities are located on the same longitude (77° East), noon will occur simultaneously at both places, and the time will be identical.

7. Identify whether the following are True or False and explain:

  • All parallel lines of latitude are of equal length: False. (Lines of latitude get smaller as they move from the Equator towards the poles.)
  • The lines of longitude are half the length of the equator: False. (Each longitude is a semicircle, and all longitudes are of equal length.)
  • The South Pole is at 90° S latitude: True. (The southern tip of the Earth is called 90° South Latitude.)
  • The local time in Assam and IST are the same: False. (Assam is in the far east of India, so its actual local time is earlier than IST.)
  • Lines dividing time zones are identical to lines of longitude: False. (They are based on longitudes, but they zigzag to avoid cutting across country borders for administrative convenience.)
  • The equator is also a line of latitude: True. (It is the 0° latitude and the largest circle of latitude on Earth.)

8. End-of-Chapter Crossword Activity:

Using the English terms provided, the correct answers for the crossword puzzle are as follows:

Across:

  • 1. To represent a vast area on a map in a small form → SCALE
  • 4. A convenient spherical model → GLOBE
  • 5. The longest parallel line of latitude → EQUATOR
  • 6. The place from where the Prime Meridian passes → GREENWICH
  • 8. A simple tool for finding routes → MAP
  • 10. A measure of distance from the Equator → LATITUDE

Down:

  • 2. A measure of distance from the Greenwich Line → LONGITUDE
  • 3. These two combined help in locating a place → COORDINATES
  • 6. Formed by latitudes and longitudes together → GRID
  • 7. The time we follow in India → IST (Indian Standard Time)
  • 9. The central meridian line of the globe → PM (Prime Meridian)
  • 11. Short form for the line where crossing it changes the date and day → IDL (International Date Line)