Chapter: Rotation and Revolution
Answer Number 6:
Solstice: An event occurring when the Sun appears to reach its most northerly or southerly
excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere
Equinoxes: The time when the sun crosses the planet of the earth’s equator, making night
and day of approximately equal length all over earth.
Answer Number 7:
a) Rotation of the earth causes the formation of day and night cycle.
b) Draw diagram 3.2.
Answer Number 8:
Summer Solstice: It occurs on 21st June. It occurs when the sun appears directly overhead at
the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere.
Winter Solstice: It occurs on December 22, It occurs when the sun appears directly overhead
at the Tropic Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere.
Answer Number 9:
The longest day in the Southern hemisphere is the 22nd of December.
Answer Number 10:
June 21st is the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere.
Answer Number 11:
The path along which the Earth travels when moving around the sun is called the orbit of the
Earth.
Answer Number 12:
On June 21st.
Answer Number 13:
The complete revolution of the earth takes 365.25 days. Every four years, the extra 1/4 day
makes a complete day and the next year has 366 days. The year with 366 days is called leap
year and it comes after every four years.
Answer Number 14:
The dates when days and nights are of equal duration on the Equator are March 21 and
September 23.
Answer Number 15:
Answer Number 16:
The period of rotation of the earth is 23 hr, 56 minutes, 4.09 sec. This period is termed as the
Sidereal Day.
Answer Number 17:
The Earth is said to be in perihelion when the distance between the Sun and the Earth is least
or about 147 million km. The date of this phenomenon is 3rd January.
Answer Number 18:
It varies according to the path of the orbit occupied. The velocity is greatest at perihelion and
least Aphelion.
Answer Number 19:
1. All moving bodies on the Earth's surface, i.e. ocean currents and winds are deflected
towards the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere.
2. Cyclones and anti-cyclones are deflected causing atmospheric changes.
3. It affects the pressure belts and movement of air on the surface of earth.
Answer Number 20:
1. The duration of the day is longer than night.
2. The length of day increases with increasing latitude North of the equator.
Answer number 21.
The two motions of the Earth are rotation and revolution.
Answer number 22.
A definite path in which a planet revolves around the Sun is called its orbit.
Answer number 23.
Same answer as 1.
Answer number 24.
Same answer as 3.
Answer number 25.
The time when the Sun is overhead at the Earth's Equator making length of the day equal to
length of night all over the earth, is known as 'Equinox'. It occurs on March 21 and
September 23.
Define the following
1. The axis on which the Earth rotates is called Earth's axis.
2. The orbital plane of Earth around the Sun is called the Plane of Ecliptic.
3. The Earth is said to be in perihelion when the distance between the Sun and the Earth
is least or about 147 million km. It occurs on 3rd January.
4. The Earth is said to be in aphelion when the distance between the Sun and the Earth is
maximum or about 152 million km. It occurs on July 4
5. All the moving bodies on the Earth's surface like ocean currents and winds are
deflected towards the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern
Hemisphere due to Coriolis Force created because of the rotation of Earth. This is
called Ferrell’s Law.
6. The movement of earth on its own axis is called Rotation.
Give reasons for the following
1. Due to the revolution of the Earth, when the Sun is overhead the Tropic of Cancer, the
northern hemisphere experiences the summer season and the southern hemisphere
experiences the winter season. When the Sun is overhead the Tropic of Capricorn, the
northern hemisphere experiences the winter season while the southern hemisphere
experiences summer season.
2. Seasons are reversed in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere because of the
inclination of the Earth's axis. Because of its tilted position each hemisphere is
inclined alternatively towards the Sun
3. Days and nights are equal at all places on the Earth on March 21 because the Sun is
overhead at noon along the Equator
4. Winds get deflected from their normal path because of the Coriolis Effect.
5. At the Arctic Circle (66 1⁄2°) during summer on June 21 the Sun never sets in
mid-summer and there is daylight for 24 hours as the North Pole is inclined towards
the Sun.
6. Singapore is situated near the Equator and Tokyo and Russia are situated nearer to the
poles. The speed of rotation at Singapore is much faster than that at Tokyo or Russia
because as the latitude increases the speed of rotation decreases.
7. As Delhi lies above the Tropic of Cancer and Chennai is between the Tropic of
Cancer and the line of Equator. The sun is never overhead beyond the tropics, the Sun
is overhead once at the line of Cancer and twice at the line of Equator.
8. The Poles experience six-month day and six-month night due to the inclination of the
earth's axis, because of its tilted position.
9. Noon is hotter than morning because slanting rays of the sun are received in the
morning. At noon, direct rays of the sun are received. Since slanting rays of the sun
need to cover more distance than direct rays, they lose more heat.
10.The variation in the lengths of day and night goes on increasing towards Poles
because of the tilted axis of the Earth
11.The Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere and Tropic of Capricorn in the
Southern Hemisphere mark the limit of overhead sun. Beyond the Tropics, the Earth
only receives slanting rays of the Sun because of the inclination of the Earth.
Therefore the Sun is never overhead beyond the Tropics.
12.The Poles experience six-month day and six-month night due to the inclination of the
earth's axis. Because of its tilted position each pole is inclined alternatively towards
the Sun for six months resulting in continuous day and night.
Diagrams
1. Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere:
2. Position of the Earth on December 22 with Equator, Arctic Circle, and Antarctic
Circle labelled:
3. Phenomenon of day and night:
4. Diagram shows the tilt of the Earth's axis and the revolution causing seasons and
variation in the length of day and night:
5. Perihelion and Aphelion