NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Geography Chapter 3 – Motions of the Earth
| Category | NCERT Solutions for Class 6 |
| Subject | Geography (Social Science) |
| Chapter | Chapter 3 – Motions of the Earth |
1. Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) What is the angle of inclination of the earth’s axis with its orbital plane?
Answer: The earth rotates around its axis at an angle of 23.5 degrees relative to its orbital plane.
(b) Define rotation and revolution.
Answer: The terms rotation and revolution refer to the various movements of the earth around its own axis as well as on its orbit around the sun.
Rotation refers to the spinning of any object around its own axis. The Earth takes 24 hours to complete one rotation on its axis.
As the earth rotates from east to west on its axis, it also travels around the Sun in a fixed path known as its orbit. This is known as revolution and takes 365 days to complete one revolution around the Sun.
(c) What is a leap year?
Answer: A leap year is a year which has 366 days instead of 365. This phenomenon occurs every four years and the extra day is added in the month of February when it has 29 days instead of 28.
(d) Differentiate between the Summer and Winter Solstice.
Answer: The day of a solstice in either hemisphere has either the maximum amount of sunlight of the year (summer solstice) and marks the beginning of Summer or Winter. The Summer Solstice in Northern Hemisphere is also referred to as the June Solstice because it occurs on 21st  or 22nd June.  The least sunlight of the year (winter solstice) occurs during December 21st or 22nd.
The Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, on the other hand, occurs on December 21st or 22nd and people experience the longest day below the Equator. The Winter Solstice is also reversed and occurs on either the 21st or 22nd of June when the day is shortest.
(e) What is an equinox?
Answer: When there is equal length of daylight and darkness within a day, it is called an equinox. Equinoxes occur twice each year: around 20 March and 23 September. In other words, it is the time of the year when the Sun is directly above the Equator.
(f) Why does the Southern Hemisphere experience Winter and Summer Solstice in different times than that of the Northern Hemisphere?
Answer: We must understand, that when it is Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, it is Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. This is because of the Earth’s tilt and the Elliptical orbit of the Sun.
The Summer Solstice like the Winter Solstice varies according to the Hemisphere. In the North of Equator, the date of Summer Solstice is usually on June 21st where the Sun is vertically over the Tropic of Cancer and people experience the longest days. The Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere occurs during December when their days are the longest with the sun over the Tropic of Capricorn.
(g) Why do the poles experience about six months day and six months night?
Answer: The Poles experience about six months of daylight (day) and six months of darkness (night) because of the tilt of the Earth on its axis. Because of this tilt, each Pole is tilted towards and away from the Sun for about six months each. When the North Pole is tilted towards the Sun, it experiences continuous daylight for six months. It is during this time that the South Pole experiences darkness for 6 months and vice versa.
NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Geography Chapter 3 – Motions of the Earth
2. Tick the correct answers.
(a) The movement of the earth around the sun is known as
(i) Rotation
(ii) Revolution
(iii) Inclination
Answer
Answer: (ii) Revolution
(b) Direct rays of the sun fall on the equator on
(i) 21 March
(ii) 21 June
(iii) 22 December
Answer
Answer: (i) 21 March
(c) Christmas is celebrated in summer in
(i) Japan
(ii) India
(iii) Australia
Answer
Answer: (iii) Australia
(d) Cycle of the seasons is caused due to
(i) Rotation
(ii) Revolution
(iii) Gravitation
Answer
Answer: (ii) Revolution
NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Geography Chapter 3 – Motions of the Earth
3. Fill in the blanks.
(a) A leap year has 366Â number of days.
(b) The daily motion of the earth is Rotation.
(c) The earth travels around the sun in an elliptical orbit.
(d) The sun’s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Cancer on 21st June.
(e) Days are shorter during Winter season.
NCERT Solutions for Geography (Social Science)
- The Earth in the Solar System
- Globe: Latitudes and Longitudes
- Motions of the Earth
- Maps
- Major Domains of the Earth
- Major Landforms of the Earth
- Our Country India