NCERT Question-Answer Solution for Class 6 Social Science Chapter 1 – Locating Places on the Earth
Class 6 Social Science – Exploring Society: India and Beyond
Theme A — India and the World: Land and the People
Chapter 1: Locating Places on the Earth
Complete NCERT Question–Answer Set for Class 6 Social Science (Exploring Society: India and Beyond Textbook) – Chapter 1: Locating Places on the Earth
Class 6 Science NCERT Solution – Chapter 1: Locating Places on the Earth
Locating Places on the Earth – Full NCERT Question–Answer Solution (CBSE Class 6 Social Science – Exploring Society: India and Beyond Book)
NCERT Question–Answer Solution (Chapter 1: Locating Places on the Earth)
1. Returning to page 10 and Fig. 5.2, taking the scale 2.5 cm = 500 km, calculate the real distance from the estuary of the Narmada River to the estuary of the Ganga River.
Answer:
Measure the distance on the map between the two points. For example, if the measured distance is about 4 cm, convert it using the scale.
1 cm = 200 km (because 2.5 cm = 500 km)
So, 4 cm × 200 km = 800 km.
Thus, the distance is approximately 800 km.
(Students may get slightly different answers based on measurement.)
2. Why is it 5:30 pm in India when it is 12 pm (noon) in London?
Answer:
India lies east of the Prime Meridian. The Earth rotates from west to east, so places east of Greenwich experience time earlier.
India is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Therefore, when it is 12 pm at Greenwich, it is 5:30 pm in India.
3. Why do we need symbols and colours in a map?
Answer:
Maps cannot show actual shapes of buildings, roads or natural features because space is limited. Symbols and colours help represent features such as roads, rivers, forests, boundaries, bridges, temples and post offices clearly and simply. They make maps easy to read and understand.
4. Find out what you have in the eight directions from your home or school.
Answer:
Answers will vary for each student.
Students need to identify:
North, South, East, West, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest directions relative to their home or school and list nearby landmarks.
5. What is the difference between local time and standard time? (100–150 words)
Answer:
Local time is the time of a place based on the position of the Sun at that particular longitude. When the Sun is overhead, it is noon at that place. Since the Earth rotates 360 degrees in 24 hours, every 15 degrees of longitude makes a difference of one hour in local time. Because every place has a slightly different longitude, its local time is unique.
Standard time is adopted by a country or region to avoid confusion caused by using several local times. A standard meridian is chosen, and its time is used throughout the country. In India, 82½°E longitude is the standard meridian, and the time based on it is known as Indian Standard Time (IST), which is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT.
6. Delhi’s and Bengaluru’s latitudes are 29°N and 13°N; their longitudes are almost the same (77°E). How much difference in local time will they have?
Answer:
Local time differs due to longitude, not latitude.
Since Delhi and Bengaluru have almost the same longitude, there will be no difference in their local time.
7. True or False (with explanation)
a) All parallels of latitude have the same length.
False. Parallels become smaller as we move towards the poles; only the Equator is the longest.
b) The length of a meridian of longitude is half of that of the Equator.
True. A meridian is a half-circle running from pole to pole, while the Equator is a full circle.
c) The South Pole has a latitude of 90°S.
True. It is located at the extreme southern end of the Earth.
d) In Assam, the local time and IST are identical.
False. Assam lies far east of the standard meridian and experiences sunrise earlier, but follows IST for uniformity.
e) Lines separating time zones are identical with meridians of longitude.
False. Time zone boundaries follow political borders and often zigzag; they are not straight meridians.
f) The Equator is also a parallel of latitude.
True. It is the largest and most important parallel and is numbered 0°.
8. Crossword Answers
Across
- Scale
- Globe
- Equator
- Greenwich
- Compass
- Latitude
Down
2. Longitude
3. Coordinates
6. Grid
7. IST
9. Pole
11. IDL
“Let’s Explore” Proper Q&A
(These are not always given in answer format in NCERT, but here they are converted into complete answers for your worksheet.)
Mark the hospital on the map in Fig. 1.1.
Answer:
The hospital is located near the southeast side of the map, close to the apartment blocks.
What is the meaning of the blue-coloured areas in Fig. 1.1?
Answer:
Blue colour generally represents water bodies such as lakes, ponds or rivers.
Which is farther from the railway station — the school, the Nagar Panchayat or the public garden?
Answer:
The public garden is the farthest from the railway station among the three.
Measure the diagonal of the playground map (scale 1 cm = 10 m).
Answer:
If the length is 4 cm and width is 3 cm:
Diagonal = 5 cm
Real length = 5 × 10 = 50 m.
(Students may get different measured values.)
Correct/Incorrect statements for the small city map:
- The market is north of the hospital.
Incorrect. It is northwest. - The museum is southeast of the bank.
Correct. - The railway station is northwest of the hospital.
Correct. - The lake is northwest of the apartment blocks.
Correct.
Using coordinates (chessboard example) — write the move for black repeating the same move.
Answer:
If white moves pawn from d2 to d4, black responds by moving pawn from d7 to d5.
Approximate latitude and longitude of major cities:
Mumbai: around 19°N, 73°E
Kolkata: around 22°N, 88°E
Singapore: around 1°N, 104°E
Paris: around 49°N, 2°E
Why does the friend in Assam experience sunset earlier than the friend in Gujarat?
Answer:
Assam lies much further east than Gujarat.
The Earth rotates from west to east, so eastern regions experience sunrise and sunset earlier.
The local time difference between them is about 2 hours (30° difference = 2 hours).
Difference between local time and standard time (Gujarat–Assam example):
Answer:
Local time differs because Gujarat and Assam lie at different longitudes. Assam, lying east, is ahead in local time by almost 2 hours.
But the entire country uses IST, which is the same everywhere.
Extra Important Questions (with Answers)
What are the three main components of a map?
Answer:
Distance (scale), direction, and symbols.
Why is the Equator important?
Answer:
It divides the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres and is the reference line for measuring latitude.
What is the Prime Meridian?
Answer:
The Prime Meridian (0° longitude) is the reference line from which longitudes are measured east or west. It passes through Greenwich, London.
What is the International Date Line?
Answer:
It is an imaginary line along 180° longitude where the date changes by one day when crossed.
