Class 5 Latitudes and Longitudes Question Answers

1. Tick (✓) the right answer.

(a) The line of latitude that divides the Earth into Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere is known as __________.

Options: (i) Prime Meridian   (ii) Arctic Circle   (iii) South Pole   (iv) Equator

Answer: (i) Prime Meridian

(b) The 0° latitude is known as the __________.

Options: (i) Tropic of Cancer   (ii) Equator   (iii) Prime Meridian   (iv) Tropic of Capricorn

Answer: (ii) Equator

(c) Which of the following countries has many time zones?

Options: (i) Russia   (ii) Pakistan   (iii) India   (iv) Bhutan

Answer: (i) Russia

(d) The main use of the grid of longitudes and latitudes is to __________.

Options: (i) find time   (ii) locate places   (iii) check latitudes of places   (iv) check longitudes of places

Answer: (ii) locate places

(e) The International Date Line coincides with the __________.

Options: (i) Equator   (ii) Prime Meridian   (iii) 90° S latitude   (iv) 180° longitude

Answer: (iv) 180° longitude

2. Fill in the blanks.

(a) The __________ is a model of the Earth.

Answer: globe

Completed sentence: The globe is a model of the Earth.

(b) The Earth spins on an imaginary axle, known as the __________.

Answer: axis

Completed sentence: The Earth spins on an imaginary axle, known as the axis.

(c) The longitudes run from __________ to __________.

Answer: North Pole; South Pole

Completed sentence: The longitudes run from the North Pole to the South Pole.

(d) There are total __________ lines of latitude.

Answer: 181

Completed sentence: There are a total of 181 lines of latitude.

(e) __________ are parallel to each other.

Answer: Latitudes

Completed sentence: Latitudes are parallel to each other.

3. Match the following.

Column A	Correct Match	Column B Option
(a) Arctic Circle	66½° N latitude	(iii)
(b) Antarctic Circle	66½° S latitude	(iv)
(c) North Pole	90° N latitude	(i)
(d) South Pole	90° S latitude	(ii)

 

4. Write 'T' for true and 'F' for false statements.

(a) The Earth rotates from east to west.

Answer: F — The Earth rotates from west to east.

(b) The Tropic of Cancer lies in the Northern Hemisphere.

Answer: T — The statement is correct.

(c) The longitudes are parallel to each other.

Answer: F — Longitudes meet at the North Pole and the South Pole.

(d) The line of longitude passing through the Greenwich Royal Observatory is called the Prime Meridian.

Answer: T — The statement is correct.

(e) The Equator is the smallest parallel.

Answer: F — The Equator is the largest parallel.

5. Short answer questions.

(a) Who was the first person to circumnavigate the Earth?

Answer: According to the chapter, Ferdinand Magellan was the first person to circumnavigate the Earth. His expedition showed that the Earth is round.

(b) Define International Date Line.

Answer: The International Date Line is an imaginary line that follows approximately 180° longitude. When a traveller crosses it, the date changes by one day.

(c) What do you understand by time zones? How many time zones does the Earth have?

Answer: Time zones are regions of the Earth that follow the same standard time. Since the Earth rotates 15° in one hour, it is divided into 24 time zones.

(d) What is the Earth Grid?

Answer: The Earth Grid is the network formed by the crossing lines of latitudes and longitudes on a globe or map. It helps us locate places accurately.

(e) Write the names of some important latitudes.

Answer: The important latitudes are the Equator, the Tropic of Cancer, the Tropic of Capricorn, the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle.

6. Long answer questions.

(a) Differentiate between latitudes and longitudes.

Basis	Latitudes	Longitudes
Meaning	Imaginary circles drawn parallel to the Equator.	Imaginary semicircles drawn from the North Pole to the South Pole.
Direction	They run from east to west.	They run from north to south.
Measurement	They measure distance north or south of the Equator.	They measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian.
Reference line	The Equator is 0° latitude.	The Prime Meridian is 0° longitude.
Number	There are 181 lines of latitude, including the Equator.	There are 360 longitudes.
Length and meeting	Their lengths decrease towards the poles, and they never meet.	They are equal in length and meet at both poles.

 

(b) What is the difference between the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and Indian Standard Time (IST)? Give reason.

Answer: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the time at the Prime Meridian passing through Greenwich in the United Kingdom. It is used as the main reference for calculating time around the world. Indian Standard Time (IST) is the standard time followed throughout India. It is based on 82½° E longitude and is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT. India uses one standard time because different longitudes have different local times; a common standard time prevents confusion and helps the whole country follow one schedule.

(c) Why is the International Date Line drawn following 180° longitude?

Answer: The 180° E and 180° W longitudes are the same meridian. At this line, the time calculated from the east and the west differs by a whole day. Therefore, the International Date Line follows approximately 180° longitude so that travellers can change the date in an orderly way and avoid confusion. It also passes mainly through the Pacific Ocean, so it crosses very little land.

(d) How do the latitudes and longitudes help to locate a place on a map or globe? Give one example.

Answer: Latitudes show how far a place lies north or south of the Equator, while longitudes show how far it lies east or west of the Prime Meridian. The point where a latitude and a longitude intersect gives the coordinate of a place. For example, Delhi is located at approximately 28.6° N latitude and 77.2° E longitude.

(e) How does the local time differ from place to place? Why do most of the countries have a particular local standard time?

Answer: The Earth rotates 360° in 24 hours. Therefore, it rotates 15° in one hour and 1° in four minutes. Places to the east see the Sun earlier and have a later local time, while places to the west have an earlier local time. If every place followed its own local time, daily activities, transport and communication would become confusing. Therefore, most countries select the local time of one central longitude as their standard time for the entire country.

7. HOTS questions.

(a) Why does the size of latitudes decrease while moving towards the poles?

Answer: The Earth is spherical. The Equator passes around the widest part of the Earth, so it is the largest latitude. As we move towards either pole, the circles become smaller because the Earth narrows. At the poles, a latitude becomes only a point.

(b) Why do we have 360 longitudes but only 180 latitudes?

Answer: Longitudes cover the complete 360° circle around the Earth, so there are 360 meridians. Latitudes are measured from 0° at the Equator to 90° N at the North Pole and 90° S at the South Pole. Thus, the angular range is 180°. When the Equator is counted as a line, there are 181 lines of latitude.

(c) When we look at India on the globe, we are unable to see America. Why?

Answer: A globe is spherical, and India and America lie on different sides of it. We can see only one half of a globe at a time. To see America after looking at India, we must rotate the globe.