The Earth – Our Living Planet Class 8 Questions and Answers KSEEB 8th Social Science
I. Fill in the blanks with suitable answer.
Question 1.
The total geographical area of the earth, is _________________
Answer:
510 million 5q Kms (Millon)
Question 2.
The shape of the earth is __________________
Answer:
Geoid
Question 3.
The equatorial and polar diameters of the earth is _________________ and _________________.
Answer:
12756 kms and 12714 Kms
Question 4.
The 23 \(\frac{1}{2}\) North Latitude is called as _________________
Answer:
tropic of cancer.
Question 5.
The Indian Standard time is based on 82 \(\frac{1}{2}\)
Answer:
East Longitude.
II. Answer the following questions brief
Question 1.
Why is the earth called “Living Planet’s”
Answer:
Earth is called living planet because of its suitable distance from the sun, range of temperature, life supporting gases, atmosphere, water cycle etc.
Question 2.
Why are the northern and southern Hemispheres called land and water hemispheres?
Answer:
The Northern hemisphere has 60% of land and 40% of water. Therefore it is called the land hemisphere. There is 81% of water and 19% of land in the Southern Hemisphere and so, it is called the water hemisphere.
Question 3.
What are Latitudes and Longitudes?
Answer:
Latitude is an imaginary Line which Joins all the places which have the same angular distance, north or south of the equator. The imaginary Lines that intersect the equator at right angle Joining the north and south are called Longitudes.
Question 4.
Mention the difference between Local time and standard time.
Answer:
The time according to the longitude of a place or according to the position of sun at the place is known as the Local time. In order to avoid confusion of Local times many countries follow uniform time throught the country.
Question 5.
What is the international Date Line?
Answer:
180° Meridians is supposed to pass pacific ocean but makes short detours in order to avoid land masses. This is known as the international Date Line.
III. Define the following.
Question 1.
Unique planet, earth is the home for all forms of life like, plants, animals and human beings. It has unique features and support human habitation
Answer:
1. Size of the earth: The earth is the 5th largest planet in the Sun’s family. The total geographical area of the earth 510 million Sq KMS of which 361 million Sq kms (70.78%) is covered by water and 149 million Sq. KMS (29.22%) is covered by land.
2. Geoid: The earth’s shape is Geoid which literally means ‘Earth Shaped’ or ‘Oblate spheroid’ The earth is flattened at Poles and bulges at the equator.
3.Continents: The land bodies of the earth are known as continents. There are continents, namely Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctia. Europe and Australia.
Asia is the largest continent is the world while Australia is the smallest continent.
4. Prime Meridian: The meridian passing through Greenwich (England) has been chose as prime meridian. It is marked as 00 Longitude, There are 180 Longitudes to the east of Greenwhich and 180 to the west. Thus there are 360 Longitudes.
5. Indian Standard Time: In India, 821/20 east. Longitude is considered as the standard meridian of the country. It passes through Allahabad of uttar pradesh. The time based on this meridian is called the Indian Standard time (1ST).
IV. Terms to Remember
1. Living Planet: The Earth is the home for all forms of life like plants, animals and human beings because of its suitable distance from the Sun, range of temperature, life supporting gases, atmosphere, water cycle etc. Our Earth is called by many names. Some of them ‘Living Planet’, ‘Unique Planet’, ‘Watery Planet’, ‘Blue Planet’.
2. Equator: The Equator (00) is the longest line of latitude known as the Great circle. It is equal to the circumference of the Earth. It divides the earth into two equal halves,
- The Northern Hemisphere and
- The Southern Hemisphere.
3. Arctic circle; An imaginary circle parallel to the equator, 66°342 north of it.
4. Antarctic circle: Antarctic Circle is the imaginary circle around the earth, parallel to the equator, at latitude 66° 322 S; it marks the southernmost point at which the sun appears above the level of the horizon at the winter solstice.
5. Zonal Time: In certain countries of the World, where the longitudinal extent is so large (more than 450 of longitude) that there is often a difference of three to four hours between one part and the other, the land surface is divided into Time Zones. The whole globe is divided into such time zones so that the time in each zone differs from the other by only one hour.
Large countries like Russia, USA, Canada and Australia have vast longitudinal extent. Therefore they have different time zones. Russia has 11 time zones, USA and Canada have 5 time zones and Australia has 3 time zones.
6. International date line: The problem of time in countries of the world was solved first by the standard time and then by the zonal time. But the circumnavigation of the world brought a new problem in keeping the correct date and day in the week for the travellers.
Therefore a line passing through 180° meridian diametrically opposite to the GM.T’ was adopted as the point where circumnavigators should make adjustments. This line is supposed to pass Pacific ocean along the 1800 meridian but makes short detours in order to avoid land masses.
This is known as the International Date Line because the date and day is changed whenever people cross this line by ships or aeroplanes. Any ship crossing this line from west (Asia to North America) to east takes a day twice while the ship crossing this line from east (North America to Asia) to west drops one day.
Additional Questions and Answers
Question 1.
The earth is the ______________ largest planet is the sun’s family
Answer:
5th
Question 2.
The ratio between the land and the water bodies is ______________
Answer:
1:2.43
Question 3.
______________ is the smallest and shallowest ocean.
Answer:
Artic
Question 4.
The distance between two consecutive meridians on the equator is ______________
Answer:
111 KMS
Question 5.
The land body of the earth is knowns as a ______________
Answer:
continent
Question 6.
______________ is the largest continent in the world.
Answer:
Asia
Question 7.
A large water body on the earth is called an ______________.
Answer:
ocean
Question 8.
______________ is the smallest continent in the world.
Answer:
Australia
Question 9.
What is prime Meridian ?
Answer:
The meridian passing through Green wich has been chosen as prime meridian.
Question 10.
What are the other names of the earth?
Answer:
Living Planet, unique planet, waterly planet and blue planet are the other names of the earth.
Question 11.
Why is earth called ‘Living Planet”?
Answer:
Earth is called living Planet because of its suitable distance from the sun, range of temperature, life Supporting gases, atmosphere water cycle etc.
Question 12.
Write names of the Oceans
Answer:
The Pacific ocean, the Atlantic ocean, The Indian Ocean and the Artie Ocean.
Question 13.
Why do countries of the world have different time Zones? Give examples.
Answer:
Large countries like Russia, USA, Canada and Australia have vast longitudinal extent. Therefore they have different time zones. Russia has 11 time zones, USA and Canada have 5 times and Australia has 3 time Zones.
Question 14.
How are the problems of time in countries of the world solved?
Answer:
It was first solved by the standard time and by the zonal time.
Question 15.
List and important Latitudes?
Answer:
- 0° Latitude- equator or Great circle
- 23\(\frac{1}{2}^{0}\) North Latitude-Tropic of cancer
- 23\(\frac{1}{2}^{0}\) South Latitude-Tropic of Capricorn
- 66\(\frac{1}{2}^{0}\) North Latitude -Arctic Circle
- 66\(\frac{1}{2}^{0}\) South Latitude -Antarctia Circle
- 90° North- North Pole
- 90° South – South Pole