SCIENCE PROMOTION ORIENT

TEST INFORMATION BOOKLET

For use by Students and Teachers, during the
Examination and Real-time Investigative Project
Work

9
Preliminary Assessment 2018
BASIC

Dear Learner,
SPOT Assessment is purely on the basis of the science
aptitude of the learner. The textual portion the learner is
studying in the respective class need to be reaffirmed. You
can do careful reading of any materials in science which
can improve your knowledge horizons. This booklet will
help you to identify the other topics that are broadly
covered for this year’s test.

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 INDEX

[Link] Contents [Link]

1 Index 2

2 BRANCH OF SCIENCE 3

3 SCIENTISTS OF ANCIENT INDIA 6

4 GRATE INDIAN SCIENTIST 10

5 AMAZING FACTS OF THE UNIVERSE 15

6 FACTS ABOUT ROCKETS 21

7 QUIZ 23

8 SAMPLE QUESTION PAPERS (3,4,5) 27

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 BRANCHES OF SCIENCE
Science is the concerted Human effort to understand, or to
understand better , the history of the natural world works, with
observable physical evidence as the basis of that understanding. It
is done through observation of natural phenomena, and or through
experimentation that tries to stimulate natural processes under
controlled conditions.
The Major Branches of Science
Science is a systematic study of the nature and manners of an
object and the natural universe that is established around
measurement, experiment, observation and formulation of laws.
There are four major branches of science; each branch is
categorized in different type of subjects that covers different areas
of studies such us chemistry, physics, math, astronomy etc.
The four major branches of science are Mathematics and logic,
biological science , physical science and social science.
Physical Science or Natural Science
Classified into three:
Physics - A natural science that involves the study of matter,
motion, energy, force, objects, etc. related to universe and its
function
Chemistry – The study and analysis of various elements,
composition, structure, chemical process, etc.
Astronomy – The study of objects in and beyond the
atmosphere of the earth
Earth Science is a branch of Physical science
Classified into five:
Ecology - The study of environment, relation of living
organisms in the environment and ecosystem
Oceanology – Also called as Marine Science, it broadly covers
all topics related to the Ocean
Meteorology – The study about climate, rainfall, wind, speed,
density, etc. related to the Atmosphere

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 Geology – The study about various aspects of earth, an
interesting branch that deals with digging the past
Paleontology – Similar to Geology, which deals with studying
various objects that existed in the prehistoric period
Life Science or Biological science
Biology – Natural science and in-depth study of living organisms,
from evolution to destruction.
Botany – A known branch of science, studying about plant
kingdom
Zoology – The twin branch of botany, study of animal kingdom
Human Biology– The study about human beings, nutrition,
diseases, medicine, etc.
Genetic Science – The study about genes, genetic facts,
diseases of genes, etc.
Medicine – The study, diagnosis, research, etc. of various
diseases and treatments
Social Science
A branch of science that studies the society and human behavior in
it, including anthropology, communication studies, criminology,
economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, social
studies, and sociology.
BRANCHES OF SCIENCE AND ITS DEFINITION
Aerodynamics : the study of the motion of gas on objects
and the forces created
Anatomy : the study of the structure and organization
of living things
Anthropology : the study of human cultures both past and
present
Archaeology : the study of the material remains of
cultures
Astronomy : the study of celestial objects in the
universe
Astrophysics : the study of the physics of the universe

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Bacteriology : the study of bacteria in relation to disease
Biochemistry : the study of the organic chemistry of
compounds and processes occurring in
organisms
Biophysics : the application of theories and methods
of the physical sciences to questions of
biology
Biology : the science that studies living organisms
Botany : the scientific study of plant life
Chemical Engineering : the application of science, mathematics,
and economics to the process of converting
raw materials or chemicals into more
useful or valuable forms
Chemistry : the science of matter and its interactions
with energy and itself
Climatology : the study of climates and investigations
of its phenomena and causes
Ecology : the study of how organisms interact with
each other and their environment
Electronics : science and technology of electronic
phenomena
Entomology : the study of insects
Environmental Science : the science of the interactions between the
physical, chemical, and biological
components of the environment
Genetics : the science of genes, heredity, and the
variation of organisms
Geology : the science of the Earth, its structure, and
history
Marine Biology : the study of animal and plant life within
saltwater ecosystems
Medicine : the science concerned with maintaining
health and restoring it by treating disease

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Meteorology : study of the atmosphere that focuses on
weather processes and forecasting
Microbiology : the study of microorganisms, including
viruses, prokaryotes and simple eukaryotes
Mineralogy : the study of the chemistry, crystal
structure, and physical (including optical)
properties of minerals
Molecular Biology : the study of biology at a molecular level
Nuclear Physics : the branch of physics concerned with the
nucleus of the atom
Neurology : the branch of medicine dealing with the
nervous system and its disorders
Oceanography : study of the earth’s oceans and their
interlinked ecosystems and chemical and
physical processes
Ornithology : the study of birds
Paleontology : the study of life-forms existing in former
geological time periods
Physics : the study of the behavior and properties
of matter
Physiology : the study of the mechanical, physical, and
biochemical functions of living organisms
Radiology : the branch of medicine dealing with the
applications of radiant energy, including
x-rays and radioisotopes
Seismology : the study of earthquakes and the
movement of waves through the Earth
Taxonomy : the science of classification of animals and
plants
Thermodynamics : the physics of energy, heat, work, entropy
and the spontaneity of processes
Zoology : the study of animals

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 SCIENCE IN ANCIENT INDIA
Ancient India has contributed many eminent learnings to the field
Mathematics and Science, including Medical Science, Ayurveda,
Yoga, Astronomy, Astrology, etc.
Aryabhatta - Mathematician and Astronomer
Aryabhatta was a fifth century mathematician, astronomer,
astrologer and physicist. He was a pioneer in the field of
mathematics. At the age of 23, he wrote Aryabhattiya, which is a
summary of mathematics of his time. Aryabhatta showed that zero
was not a numeral only but also a symbol and a concept. Discovery
of zero enabled Aryabhatta to find out the exact distance between
the earth and the moon.
MEDICAL SCIENCE IN ANCIENT INDIA (AYURVEDA & YOGA)
Ayurveda is the indigenous system of medicine that was developed
in Ancient India. The word Ayurveda literally means the science of
good health and longevity of life. This ancient Indian system of
medicine not only helps in treatment of diseases but also in finding
the causes and symptoms of diseases. Charak is called the father
of ayurvedic medicine and Susruta the father of surgery.
Scientist of Modern India
The development of scientific thought in modern India is due to the
contributions made by many scientists Sir C.V. Raman brought
about an unprecedented change in Indian scientific thought, Dr.
Homi J. Bhabha, known as the father of our Nuclear Physics,
predicted the future of Indian science.
Dr. J.C. Bose, in the field of plant physiology, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai,
in the field of atomic energy and industrialization and Dr. Abdul
Kalam, in the field of defence technology, brought about
revolutionary changes to reawaken the glory of Modern India.
SRINIVAS RAMANUJAN (1887-1920)
Srinivasa Iyengar Ramanujan, one of India’s greatest mathematical
genius, was born at Erode in Tamil Nadu on 22 December, 1887.
His love of mathematics was unusual. Numbers seemed to draw
him by a strange magnetism. In school itself at the age of thirteen,
he came across a book called Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure

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Mathemetic by G. S. Carr which introduced him to the world of
mathematics. He started working and developing his own ideas and
be came world famous for his findings.
CHANDRASEKHARA V. RAMAN (1888-1970)
Chandrasekhara V. Raman, popularly known as C.V. Raman, was
a great scientist won the Nobel Prize for Physics in [Link] was
the first Asian to receive this award. C.V. Raman was born on 7
November 1888 in Tiruchirapalli, in Tamil Nadu. His father was a
professor of Physics and Mathematics. Even in his childhood, he
was popular as a child genius.
On his journey to England, he was greatly attracted by the blue
colour of the sea. He was curious to know why it remained blue
even when big waves rolled up. Then he got the intuitive flash that it
was due to the breaking up of sun’s light by water molecules and
called it Raman Effect.
JAGDISH CHANDRA BOSE (1858-1937)
J.C. Bose another great scientist of modem India brought glory and
respect for the country. He was born on 30 November, 1858 at
Mymensingh, now in Bangladesh. He made an apparatus to study
the properties of electric waves. Dr. Bose is famous all over the
world as the inventor of Crescograph that can record even the
millionth part of a millimeter of plant growth and movement. Dr.
Bose proved through graphs taken by the Crescograph that plants
have a circulatory system too. He was the first to invent a wireless
coherer (radio signal detector) and an instrument for indicating the
refraction of electric waves.
HOMI JEHANGIR BHABHA (1909-1966)
Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha was a great scientist. He led India into
atomic age. He is called the father of Indian Nuclear Science. He
was born on 30 October, 1909 in a famous Parsi family.
In 1939, Dr. Bhabha joined the Indian Institute of Sciences at
Bangalore as a Reader at the request of Dr. C.V. Raman. Soon he
became a Professor of Physics. It was here that he got the idea of
building a research institute for some of the new areas of Physics.
He took a very bold decision and wrote a letter to Sir Dorab Ji Tata
suggesting that an institution should be established which would lay
the foundation of India as a world nuclear power. This institute
would produce its own experts and the country would not have to

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depend on outside sources. As a result, Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research (TIFR) was started in 1945, at Dr. Bhabha’s
ancestral home. India’s first atomic research centre now called
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) was established at
Trombay. India’s First atomic reactor, Apsara was also established
under his expert guidance. Bhabha became the first chairman of the
Atomic Energy Commission set up in 1948. His studies in the field
of atomic energy are considered of great importance in international
circles. He served as the chairman of international conference on
peaceful uses of atomic energy, supported by the United Nations.
The Government of India honoured him with Padma Bhushan.
DR. VIKRAM AMBALAL SARABHAI (1919-1970)
Dr. Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai is the great genius of modern India.
He is known as the Father of Indias Space Programmes . He was
the main personality behind the launching of India’s first satellite
Aryabhatta. He received his primary education at a school run by
his parents. He studied cosmic rays under the guidance of Dr. C.V.
Raman and received his Ph.D. degree from Cambridge University.
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai established many institutes which are of
international repute. Most notable among them are Indian Institutes
of Management (IIMS) which are considered world class for their
management studies.
He was the Chairman of the Indian National Commission for
Space Research (INCOSPAR) and of the Atomic Energy Commission.
He directed the setting up of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching
Station (TERLS). He also made plans to take education to the villages
through Satellite communication. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan
in 1966 and the Padma Vibhushan after his death.
DR. A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM (1931 - 2015)
Dr. A.P.J .Abdul Kalam, the eleventh President of India was born on
15 October, 1931, in the island town of Rameshwaram, in Tamil
Nadu. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian
honour in 1997 for his contributions in the field of science and
engineering.
Dr. APJ Kalam served in Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) from 1963 to 1982. At Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, he
developed the Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV 3), which put the satellite
Rohini into orbit. In 1982, as Director, Defence Research Development

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Organisation (DRDO), he was given the responsibility of Integrated
Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). He developed five
projects for defence services - Prithvi, Trishul, Akash,Nag and Agni. He
led India into an era of self-dependence. Agni, which is a surface to
surface missile, is a unique achievement. Its successful launch made
India a member of the club of highly developed countries.
NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS OF INDIA
The Nobel prize is one of the most important award in the world .
Nobel prizes are given each year in six subject areas. The areas
are physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace, and economics.
The prizes honor people anywhere in the world who have done
outstanding work in one of these areas.
The Nobel prizes are named after Sir Alfred Nobel, a Swedish
scientist. He invented the explosive called dynamite. The invention
made him rich. He decided to use the money to honor people who
helped humankind in some way.
The first Nobel prizes were handed out on December 10, 1901,
exactly five years after Alfred Nobel’s death. At first there were only
five prizes. The prize for economics was added to the list in 1969.

Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden and Peace Price

is awarded in Oslo , Norway.

Year Laureates Subject Origin

1913 Rabindranath Tagore Literature Citizen of India
1930 C.V. RamanPhysics Citizen of India
1998 Amartya Sen Economic Sciences Citizen of India
1979 Mother Teresa Peace Foreign born citizen
of India
1983 Subrahmanyan Indian-born American
Chandrasekhar Physics citizen
1968 Har Gobind Khorana Medicine Foreign citizen of
Indian origin
2001 V. S. Naipaul Literature Indian descendant
UK citizen
2009 Venkatraman Indian born American
Ramakrishnan Chemistry Citizen
2014 Kailash Satyarthy Peace Citizen of India

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 GREAT INDIAN SCIENTISTS
GALILEO
Glileo Galilei was a groundbreaking Italian
astronomer ,physicist, mathematician
,philosopher and inventor. He opened the
eyes of the world to new way of thinking
about how the solar system work.
For many years ,scientists had belived that
the solar system revolved around the Earth,
and that the earth was the centre of the
Universe. Galileo was the first scientist to
prove that this wasn’t correct. He stated that
in fact, the solar system revolved around the Sun. He also invented
and improved telescope and so that he could gaze far into space.
He was the first to see jupiter’s moons, and the first to realise that
our Moon was covered with craters. Besides Scopes, he also
invented the compass and the thermometer .Galileo has played a
major role in the scientific revolution of the 17th century.
KEPLER
Johannes Kepler was a leading astronomer
of the scientific Revolution .The Scientific
Revolution is the term used to describe the
emergence of modern science that took place
throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
Before the scientific Revolution, astronomy was
closely tied to astrology, which is the belief that
the movement of the stars and planets can be
interpreted to predict the future.
As the scientific Revolution progressed ,astrology increasingly
came to be replaced by astronomy as a modern, legitimate science.
Johannes Kepler is
best known for his discovery that the orbits in which the Earth and
the other planets of the solar system travel around the Sun are
elliptical or oval, in shape.
He was also the first to explain correctly how human beings see
and demonstrated what happens to light when it enters a telescope.
In addition ,he designed an instrument that serves as the basis of
the modern refractive telescope.
Since he was such a prominent figure in the filed of astronomy, a lot
of spots on distant planets have been named after him such
as”Kepler’s Crater on Mars” and ‘The Kepler Crater’ on the Moon.

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SIR ISSAC NEWTON
Sir Issac Newton, an Englishman who lived in
the 17 th century, is a scientific legend. He
came up with numerous theories and
contributed ideas to many different fields
including physics, mathematics, and
philosophy.
In 1687 ,Newton published his book
philosophiae naturalis principia mathematics.
In it, he describe s universal gravitation ,and
the three laws of motion .It is widely regarded
to be one of the most important books in the history of science .It is
well known that his work on formulating a theory of gravitation was
inspired by watching an apple fall from a tree.
During his lifetime, Newton developed a new type of mathematics
called calsulus, and made breakthroughs in the area of optics such
as the reflecting telescope .He also discovered that white light is
made up of wide range of different colors.
Newton was a deep think er with an insatiable curiosity to know
everything about everything he [Link] contribution s are so
numerous ,that he changed forever the way in which we look at the
world.
EDMOND HALLEY
Edmond Halley was an English Scientist who
became very interested in a comet that he saw
in 1682 .After being told that smile comet had
appeared in 1531 and 1607 he suspected that it
was the same comet that he had seen.
By using the laws of gravity discovered by his
friend Sir Issac Newton, Halley realized that
he could predict when it would return. Halley
worked out that the comet would appear in
our skies every 75 to 76 years.
He was correct in his prediction, but sadly when the comet did
reappear, he was no more and he could not witness the
confirmation he had waited for so eagerly. In his honors, the comet
was named after him.
Through he is remembered foremost as an astronomer, Halley also
made significant discoveries in the fields of geography, mathematics,
meteorology, and Physics. Halley was very close to Newton.
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JEAN LAMARCK
Jean Lamarck was one of the pioneers in the
filed of biology. In fact ,the very name
‘Biology’ was coined by this French naturalist.
He is best remembered for his theory of
evolution. According to this theory, he
characteristics an organism develops during
its lifetime in response to its environment are
inherited by, or passed on to its offspring.
Lamarck was the first to use the term invertebrate to describe
animals without backbones. He began collecting fossils and
studying all sorts of simple species.
As a result of these studies, he was able to revise the classification
of lower animals that had been unfinished by the Swedish biologist
Linnaeus.
Lamarck’s study of invertebrates also led to the publication of his
major work’The Natural History of Invertebrate Animals’ in 1815-22.

MICHAEL FARADAY
Michael Faraday was a 19th century British
chemist and Physicist. He is often called the
father of electricity with good reason.
His work on electrochemistry and electro
magnetism laid the foundation for many area of
science. It was 1831 that Faraday discovered
electro magnetic indication ,the principle
behind the electric transformer and generator. This discovery was
crucial in allowing electricity to be transformed from a curiosity, into
a powerful new technology. He was partly responsible for coining
many familiar words including ‘electrode’, ‘cathode’ and ‘ion’.
Faraday laid the basis of the electromagnetic Field concept in
physics ,discovered the laws of electrolysis, and invented
electromagnetic rotary device that were vital in the creation of
electric motors. Faraday has thus played a key role in the
development of electricity for use in modern technology.

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CHARLES DARWIN
Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who is
best known for his ideas on evolution. In 1831,
Darwin sail on the HMS Beagle ,a naval survey
ship. Darwin’s job was to collect plant and
animal specimens from the countries the ship
visited .The voyage took five years.

For Charles Darwin ,the most important part

of the journey was the time to spent in the
Galapagos island s whichg are the home to
plants and animals that can’t be found anywhere else e in the world.

On his return to England ,Darwin started to piece together his theory of

natural selection which explained how populations evolve. In
1859,Charles Darwin published his book ‘On The Orgin Of Spices’.

According to this theory All species of life have evolved over time
from common ancestors. Charles Darwin changed the way humans
viewed themselves.
THOMAS EDISON
Thomas Edison’s story is truly an inspiring
one. He struggled at school, but loved
reading and conducting experiments.
The American inventor began sending and
receiving messages via Morse code-
electronically conveyed alphabet using
different clicks for each letter at the age of
15. Later, he invented a version of the
telegraph that could send four messages at
once. In 1877, Edison invented the photograph. The photograph
was a machine that recorded and played back sounds. He perfected
the photograph by recording ‘May has a Little lamb’ on a peace of
foil In 1878 Edison invented the light bulb, as well as the power grid
system, which could generate electricity, and deliver it to homes
through a network of wires.
Edison registered 1093 patents in the US as he continues to invent
products. He made significant contributions to storage batteries and
motion pictures. His inventions changed the world forever, and
Edison remains a colossus in the field of science to day.

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ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL
Alexander Graham Bell was an influential
scientist, engineer, and inventor who is
considered to be the inventor of the first
practical telephone. Bell’s mother and wife
were both deaf, and this motivated his
research on hearing and speech.
Bell experimented with sound, working with
devices such as ‘harmonic telegraph’, that is
used to send multiple messages over a single
wire. While trying to discover the secret to transmitting multiple
messages on a single wire. Bell heard the sound of plucked string
along some of the electrical wire. This was caused because one of
Bell’s assistants. Thomas A Watson, was trying to reactivate a
transmitter. It made Bell believe he could send the sound of a
human voice over the wire.

After receiving a patent on March 7th , 1876, for transmitting sound

along a single wire, he successfully transmitted human speech on
March 10.
Bells’ first words with the working telephone were spoken to his
assistant Watson. They were “Mr. Watson come here I want to see
you”.
Bell also had a strong interest in other scientific fields, conducting
medical research, searching for alternative fuel sources, developing
hydrofoil watercraft and much more.
MARIE CURIE
Marie Curie, a Polish born French chemist
and physicist, is a legend for many reasons.
She was the first woman to win it twice.
Marie’s research was the field of radioactivity.
With the help of her husband Pierre Curie,
she made numerous scientific discoveries;
including one showing that radiation did
indeed come from the atom itself.
In 1903 the Nobel Prize in Physics was
awarded to Marie and Pierre as well as Henri Becquerel for their work
in radiation. In 1911, Marie Curie was awarded another Nobel Prize,

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this time in Chemistry, for her discovery of radium and polonium,
and subsequent research.
Marie curie became internationally famous and scientists came
from around the world to study radioactivity with her. The Curie
institute in Paris founded by Marie in 1921 is still a major cancer
research facility to this day.

AMAZING FACTS OF UNIVERSE

THE MILKY WAY
Everything that you see in the night
belongs to the Milky Way. From Earth
it seems to be a cloudy trail of stars.
There are over 100 billion stars in the
Milky Way. The light from these stars
light up the Galaxy. Our solar system
is also part of the Milky Way.

SOLAR SYSTEM
The Solar system includes one central
star and other bodies that revolve
around it. The central star is the Sun
and the other bodies are the planets,
their moons, asteroids, comets and
meteoroids.

STARS
The star is a very big glowing ball of
hydrogen gas lighted by nuclear
reaction at its center. Stars are
continually forming and dying
throughout the whole universe. The
Milky Way Galaxy is a spiral-shaped
cluster of stars and we see a part of it
in the night.

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SUN
The center of the solar system is the
main star i.e. the Sun. The Sun is the
biggest star in our sky. It is about 5
billion years old, and will continue to
shine for another five billion years in
the similar fashion it is doing now. At
the center of the Sun, Hydrogen is
converted into Helium by nuclear
fusion releasing enormous energy in
the process. This energy transform in
the form heat and light.

MERCURY
Mercury is the closest planet to the
Sun, orbiting at an average distance of
about fifty eight million kilometers.
Since it is the nearest planet traveling
at an average speed of nearly 48
kilometers per second and competes
an orbit in just under 88 days. Mercury
is really very small, and only Pluto is
smaller than this and full of rocks.

VENUS
Venus is a rocky planet and the
second planet from the Sun, the first
being Mercury. It is slightly smaller
than Earth and has in all probability, a
similar internal structure consisting of a
semi-solid metal core surrounded by
rocks and crusts. Venus is a very
bright object in the night sky- the
brightest star after the Sun and Moon,
because its atmosphere reflects
sunlight strongly. It comes closer to
earth than any other planet. Venus is
the hottest planet with the maximum
surface temperature of about 4800C.

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EARTH
The Earth, which is our own planet, is
the third from the Sun, after Mercury and
Venus. Its main surface features, which
are visible from space are, the vast
masses of land, the oceans and the ice
caps of the north and south pole. The
Earth is unique in being the only planet
in the Solar System with liquid water on
its surface. On Earth the oceans take up
as much as 71% of the surface. Water is
also present as vapor in the atmosphere.
An observer from space would be able to
make out large tracks of green that are
earth’s forests and grasslands- a unique
site in the Solar System, because Earth
is the only world we know, where life is
known to exist.
MARS
Mars is the rocky planet fourth most
distant from the Sun, the first three
being Mercury, Venus and Earth. It is a
barren planet. Mars is a small world,
about one half of the earth in diameter
and one tenth of its mass. It is called a
red planet because its surface appears
blood red like the surface of the
ground after a war. Though technically,
its colour is caused by Iron oxide or
Rust, in its soil. Because of its red
colour, it is name after the God of War
in the Roman Mythology.

JUPITER
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun
and the first of the four giant planets
full of gas (the other three being
Saturn, Uranus and Neptune). Jupiter
is considered to be the king of all the
planets, simply because it is more
massive than all the other planets put
together.
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SATURN
Saturn is the sixth farthest planet from
the moon, the most distant known in
ancient times. It is the second largest
planet in the Solar System after
Jupiter. It spins very quickly, taking
only ten hours thirty nine minutes to
complete a rotation and so shows a
definite bulge at is equator. Saturn is
best known for having the largest and
the most spectacular rings.
URANUS
Uranus is the third largest planet in the
Solar System. Many astronomers
describe Uranus as a bland and a
featureless planet. They classify
Uranus as “Gas Giant” although it
mostly consists of a soup of hot water
and other chemicals.
NEPTUNE
Neptune is a bluish planet with parallel
cloud belts and bright eye altitude
methane clouds. Neptune has a ring
system and eight moons. Triton, the
largest moon is a fascinating world. It
has a very thin atmosphere made up
only of Nitrogen, with a small amount
of Ethane. At-3900C Fahrenheit, it is
the coldest known object in the Solar
System.
MOON
The Moon is the Earth’s natural satellite.
It is nearest to our Earth. The Moon is
just over a quarter of the Earth’s size. It’s
diameter is 3.475 kilometers. It takes
about 27.3 days to travel around the
earth. As seen from the Earth,
a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon
passes between the Sun and Earth,
and the Moon fully or partially blocks
the Sun.
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ASTEROIDS, COMETS
AND METEOROIDS
Asteroids, Comets and
Meteoroids are debris (leftovers)
remaining from the Nebula, in
which the Solar System form 4.6
billion years ago. Like the
planets, asteroids and comets
also orbit the Sun. Although their
orbits are very elliptical, much
more so even than that of Pluto’s.
Comet- A dust lump that is
fused together by frozen gases
and water ice.

LUNAR ECLIPSE
Lunar eclipse occurs when the
Moon is exactly on the opposite
side of the Earth to the Sun.
The Moon then passes through
the Earth’s shadow. But some
sunlight is able to pass through
the Earth’s atmosphere and
reach the Moon, giving it an
orange colour.

ORIGIN OF THE EARTH

The earth is one of the nine
planets of the solar system
and revolves around the sun
through space. It has all the
favourable conditions
required to sustain life. The
earth is the only home for
human beings, animals,
plants and other organisms.
Scientists theorise that the
earth was born around 4.6
billion years ago out of the
clouds of dust and gases.

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VOLCANOES
The mountains which throw up fire,
smoke and cinder are called
Volcanoes .When canoes erupt the
magma ( melted rocks ) On basis of
the amount of their activity ,the
volcanoes are classified as (i) active
(ii)dormant and (iii)extinct . An active
volcano is always erupting
.Hawaii islands Mauna Loa and
Sicily’s Mt Etna are examples of
active volcanoes . A dormant volcano
is temporarily in active .Examples of
such volcanoes are Mt Fujiyama in
Japan and Mt Vesuvius in Italy . An
extinct volcano remains completely in
active for hundreds or thousands of
years . Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mt
Aconcagua in South America are
examples of extinct volcanoes.

DESERTS
A desert is a barren region that has
vast expanses of sand .It recives
very little rain fall . indesert only few
varities of plants and animals exit
.Thear are those species that
require very little water .They
survive for long time even without
water . In most desert ,days are
very hot a, but the nights are cold.

EARTHQUAKES
The shaking of the earths surface is
known as earth quake which produces
tremors or vibratory shocks in the earth.
There are many reasons behind the
earthquakes. The areas prone to
earthquakes are known as seismic belts.
The instrument which records earth
quake is known as a seismograph.

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 FACTS ABOUT ROCKETS
What is a Rocket ?
Rocket are tall, thin, round vehicle with engines which is used to
transport, satellites and things to space. They think of a rocket that
launches into space. “Rocket” can mean a type of engine.
How Does a Rocket Engine Work?
Like most engines, rockets burn fuel. Most rocket engines turn the
fuel into hot gas. The engine pushes the gas out its back. The gas
makes the rocket move forward.
Our Rockets are also Fairly Big
India has designed and flown Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle (GSLV).GSLV has put our communication satellite INSAT-
4CR into orbit.
India’s star Performing Rocket
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV for short, is the star
performer in ISRO rocket family. PSLV is capable of launching 1600
kg satellites in 620 km sun-synchronous polar orbit and 1050 kg
satellite in geo-synchronous transfer orbit.
The Launch Pads
Launch pad is from where a rocket takes off. In India the first launch
pad was a very small one built in Thumba in 1963 to launch the first
rocket from India. This is a historic monument of Indian Space
Programme. Indias Launch Pad is at Sriharikota, in Andhra Pradesh
in the banks of Bay of Bengal.
Satellites
In astronomy, satellite is a body that orbits a planet. There are
natural satellites such as the moons and artificial (man-made)
satellites such as communication satellites and space stations.
There are approximately3000 satellites currently in earth’s orbits.
Some of them are very small; some are dead, some are discarded.
The largest one now is the International Space Station.
Space Stations
Space Stations are large floating laboratories in orbit. A space station
contains accommodation for the crew, laboratory space for doing work
and a place for visiting spacecraft to dock when they receive
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astronauts or supplies. World’s first space station is Salyut – 1,
which was launched by the USSR in 1971. The largest of space
stations is the international Space Station, ISS, where men and
women astronauts carry out research in various disciplines.
Major Space Exploring Agencies

NASA (National Aeronautics

and Space Administration) –
USA

Russian Federal Space Agency

– Russia

European Space Agency

(ESA)

ISRO
(Indian Space Research Organization)

The various scientific Movements across the globe that has resulted
in the self sufficiency of nations and life of the individuals
GREEN REVOLUTION:
The term Green Revolution refers to the renovation of agricultural
practices beginning in Mexico in the 1940s M.S. Swaminathan is known
as the “Father of the Green Revolution in India”. The methods adopted
included the use of high yielding varieties (HYV) of seeds.
WHITE REVOLUTION:
‘Operation flood’ a program started by National Dairy Development
Board (NDDB) in 1970 made India the largest producer of the milk
in the world. Popularly known as ‘The White Revolution’. The main
architect of this successful project was Dr. Verghese Kurien,
BLUE REVOLUTION:
Blue Revolution primarily refers to the management of water
resources that can steer humanity to achieve drinking water and
crop irrigation security. The aim of Blue Revolution is to rapidly
increase fish production in small ponds and water bodies
YELLOW REVOLUTION:
Refers to Self-sufficiency in oilseeds would have a great impact on
agriculture and the economy.

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 QUIZ
1 Which satellite is known as the Artificial Baby Moon?
Sputnik
2 The first manned space mission was on April 12, 1961. What
was the space capsule used?
Vostok 1
3 Apollo 15 astronaut David Randolph Scott rode the first car
on the Moon. What was the name of that car?
Rover-1
4 Where did NASA’s Mars mission Curiosity
land? Gale crater
5 Who is the first person with a disability to fly on zero gravity
flight?
Stephen Hawkins
6 Which is the smallest planet?
Mercury
7 Which was the launch vehicle used in Chandrayaan-1
mission?
PSLV (C11)
8 What is India’s ordinal position among the countries placed
their flag on the Moon?
Fourth
9 Who was the first person to walk on the moon?
Neil Armstrong
10 What planet is known as the red planet?
Mars
11 Who is the first American astronaut to make two space
flights?
Gordon Cooper
12 What is the name of the force holding us to the Earth?
Gravity
13 Have human beings ever set foot on
Mars? No
14 Which is the first manned spaceship to perform space flight
round the moon?
Apollo-8
15 Earth is located in which galaxy?
The Milky Way Galaxy
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16 Name the planet on which the large volcanic mountain
Olympus Mons located?
Mars
17 Who is China’s first man in
space? Yang Liwei
18 Does the sun orbit the Earth?
No
19 Which country was first to launch satellites?
USSR
20 Which is the first European space probe landing on the
surface of the Saturnian Moon Titan?
Huygens
21 A series of NASA missions put 12 men on the moon
through six space flights during 1961-1975. What is that
mission called?
Apollo Moon Missions
22 Did Malaysian astronaut land on
moon? No
32 Who is the first space woman to stay for the longest ever
Period of time in space?
Sunita Williams
24 Who is the US software pioneer, became the first person to
travel twice to space as a tourist?
Charles Simonyi
25 What stops astronauts from falling off the moon?
Gravity
26 Which Apollo mission lost the crew and spacecraft in a fire
on the launch pad?
Apollo 1
27 Who said “One small step for man, but one giant leap for
mankind”?
Neil Armstrong
28 Who are the firsts in the world to land on the moon?
Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Adrin Jr.
29 Who is the first woman cosmonaut of the world?
Velentina Tereshkova
30 How long did it take apollo11 to land travel to the moon
96 Hours

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31 Which branch of science deals with the observation of
objects in space?
Astronomy
32 The first animal reached orbit on 3rd November 1957. What
was that animal?
Soviet dog Laika
33 The scientist who was conferred with all the three national
awards, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, and Bharat
Ratna? Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
34 In which mission, humans set foot upon another world for
the first time?
Apollo 11
35 Which is the India’s first satellite?
Aryabhatta
36 Whether Saturn has been explored through manned
missions? No
37 An astronaut on an earth satellite will observe the sky as?
Black
38 Where do India’s satellite launch-pad located?
Shriharikota
39 Who is the first woman of Indian origin in space?
Kalpana Chawla
40 Which is the first successful mars mission of India?
Mangalyaan
41 Which is the first successful moon mission of India?
Chandrayan-I
42 Which is the Most Brightest Planet in the solar system
Venus
43 Which planet in the Solar system is devoid of natural
satellites?
Mercury
44 Name the vehicle that carried Neil Armstrong to moon?
Apollo 11
45 Which is the densest planet in the solar system?
Earth
46 The force with which earth attracts a body is called?
Gravitational force
47 The path, through which planet revolve around sun is known
as? orbit
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SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER

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SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER

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Published By :
VIKRAM SARABHAI SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Sarabhai Science Park, Plot no 10/870, Thengode P.O, Kakkanad,
Kochi. Website : [Link]
For the purpose of SPOT Assessment

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