Chapter 2 – Movement of the Earth

Movement of the Earth is an important chapter in WBBSE Class 9 Geography. Here, you will find Movement of the Earth questions and answers arranged clearly to help you revise quickly and prepare better for your exams.

Content Structure

1. Multiple choice questions and answers (MCQs)
2. Very short-type questions and answers
- 2A. Fill in the blanks
- 2B. True or false
- 2C. Match the following
- 2D. Single word questions and answers
3. Short-type questions and answers
4. Long-type questions and answers

1. Multiple choice questions and answers (MCQs)

1. The earth rotation causes-
(a) Seasons
(b) Days and nights
(c) Years
(d) Tides

Ans: (b) Days and nights

2. The tropic of cancer receives direct rays of the sun on-
(a) June 21
(b) December 21
(c) March 21
(d) July 21

Ans: (a) June 21

3. The longest day at the equator is of-
(a) 12 hours
(b) 11 hours
(c) 13 hours
(d) 12 1/2 hours

Ans: (a) 12 hours

4. Summer in Antarctica starts in-
(a) June
(b) July
(c) September
(d) December

Ans: (d) December

5. The shape of the earth orbit is-
(a) Elliptical
(b) Semicircular
(c) Triangle
(d) Circular

Ans: (a) Elliptical

6. The sun’s apparent northward movement ends on-
(a) July 22
(b) June 21
(c) July 21
(d) March 21

Ans: (b) June 21

7. The speed of the earth’s revolution is about-
(a) 20km/s
(b) 40km/s
(c) 50km/s
(d) 30 km/s

Ans: (d) 30 km/s

8. The total number of motions of the earth is-
(a) Two
(b) One
(c) Three
(d) Four

Ans: (a) Two

9. At aphelion, the distance between the sun and the earth is-
(a) 150 million km
(b) 152 million km
(c) 147 million km
(d) 140 million km

Ans: (b) 152 million km

10. Change of seasons does not occur in the-
(a) Equatorial region
(b) Tropical region
(c) Sub-tropical region
(d) Polar region

Ans: (a) Equatorial region

11. The longest night of the Northern Hemisphere occurs on-
(a) September 23
(b) December 22
(c) July 21
(d) March 21

Ans: (b) December 22

12. The longest day and shortest night in the Southern Hemisphere occurs on-
(a) December 22
(b) September 23
(c) July 21
(d) March 21

Ans: (a) December 22

13. The average distance of the earth from the sun is-
(a) 150 million km
(b) 160 million km
(c) 152 million km
(d) 147 million km

Ans: (a) 150 million km

14. In relation to the sun, the earth is-
(a) 1.3 million times smaller
(b) Almost half in size
(c) 1.2 million times smaller
(d) Almost same in size

Ans: (a) 1.3 million times smaller

15. The speed of revolution of the earth at kolkata is-
(a) 1547 km/h
(b) 1674 km/h
(c) 666 km/h
(d) 0 km/h

Ans: (b) 1674 km/h

16. Which movement of the Earth causes day and night?
(a) Revolution
(b) Rotation
(c) Inclination
(d) Precession

Ans: (b) Rotation

17. The imaginary line on which the Earth rotates is called—
(a) Orbit
(b) Equator
(c) Axis
(d) Meridian

Ans: (c) Axis

18. Which movement of the Earth is responsible for change of seasons?
(a) Rotation
(b) Revolution
(c) Gravitation
(d) Tides

Ans: (b) Revolution

19. On which date does the Summer Solstice occur in the Northern Hemisphere?
(a) 21st March
(b) 22nd September
(c) 21st June
(d) 22nd December

Ans: (c) 21st June

20. The phenomenon of six months day and six months night is seen in—
(a) Tropical region
(b) Temperate region
(c) Polar region
(d) Equatorial region

Ans: (c) Polar region

2. Very short-type questions and answers

2A. Fill in the blanks

1. The distance between the earth and the sun is least during _________. (Perihelion)
2. Norway is called the “Land of the ________ sun.” (Midnight)
3. The _________ region experience 6 months of continuous night. (polar)
4. The sun is located at the _________ of the elliptical orbit of the earth. (one of the foci)
5. During revolution, the _______ pole faces the pole star. (North)
6. There is no change of seasons at the ___________ region. (equatorial)
7. Leap year occurs every _________ year. (fourth)
8. _________ is one complete rotation of the earth on its own axis in 24 hours. (Solar day)
9. The earth’s orbit is ___________ in shape. (elliptical)
10. The speed of revolution of the earth is ________ per hour. (about 1,07,000 km)
11. The shape of the orbit of the earth is ___________. (elliptical)
12. The circumference of the earth’s orbit is about __________ km. (940 million)
13. The earth is farthest from the sun in _________ position. (Aphelion)
14. _________ an eminent scientist has proved the deflection of planetary winds. (Coriolis)
15. According to __________ law wind and ocean currents are deflected. (Ferrel’s)

2B. True or false

1. The earth has only one motion. (False)
2. The movement of the earth fastest at the equator. (True)
3. The year 2016 is not a leap year. (False)
4. Tides occur due to the revolution of the earth. (False)
5. The sun’s apparent northward movement begins from March 21. (True)
6. The earth has an elliptical orbit. (True)
7. Winds get deflected due to the Coriolis Force. (True)
8. The sun is farther away from us during the winter season. (False)
9. The south pole faces the North star. (False)
10. December 22 is the longest day of the Southern Hemisphere. (True)
11. We see the sun shifting southward during March 21 to September 23. (False)
12. Coriolis force is created due to the shape of the earth. (False)
13. The earth has only one motion. (False)
14. Newton proved that the earth moves round the sun. (False)
15. The speed of rotation of the earth is maximum at the poles. (False)
16. In northern hemisphere the length of the day is maximum in December. (False)

2C. Match the column

Column A	Column B
1. Solar day	A. 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds
2. Sidereal day	B. 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds
3. Solar year	C. 366 days
4. Leap year	D. 24 hours

Ans:

Column A	Column B
1. Solar day	D. 24 hours
2. Sidereal day	A. 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds
3. Solar year	B. 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds
4. Leap year	C. 366 days

2D. Very short-type questions and answers

1. What is solar day?
Ans: A solar day is the time taken by the Earth to complete one full rotation on its axis with reference to the Sun, and it is used in our daily life for measuring time.

2. What is solar year?
Ans: A solar year is the time taken by the earth to complete one revolution around the sun, which is about 365¼ days.

3. What is summer solstice?
Ans: Summer solstice is the day when the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Cancer, giving the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere.

4. What is the path of the sun’s apparent annual movement called?
Ans: The path of the sun’s apparent annual movement is called the ecliptic.

5. On which day does the autumnal equinox occur?
Ans: The autumnal equinox occurs on 23rd September.

6. Which movement of the earth is responsible for causing day and night?
Ans: Rotation of the earth is responsible for causing day and night.

7. Which region of the earth experiences six months of night?
Ans: The polar regions experience six months of night.

8. In which year did Sir Isaac Newton prove the movement of the earth?
Ans: Sir Isaac Newton proved the movement of the earth in 1687.

9. Who proved that “the earth rotates round the sun”?
Ans: Nicolaus Copernicus proved that the earth rotates round the sun.

10. In which part of the earth is the speed of rotation minimum?
Ans: The speed of rotation is minimum at the poles.

11. Where can we see Aurora Australis?
Ans: Aurora Australis can be seen in the Southern Polar Region.

12. What shape has the earth assumed due to rotation?
Ans: Due to rotation, the earth has assumed an oblate spheroid shape.

13. Which place experiences 24 hours daytime on June 21?
Ans: The Arctic Circle experiences 24 hours daytime on June 21.

14. What is the line that separates the lighted and dark parts of the Earth called?
Ans: The boundary line is called the circle of illumination.

15. Which stream of science deals with the study of the universe?
Ans: Astronomy deals with the study of the universe.

16. What is the direction of the earth’s rotation?
Ans: The earth rotates from west to east.

17. On which day is the earth closest to the sun?
Ans: The earth is closest to the sun on 3rd January.

18. Which motion of the earth is responsible for day and night?
Ans: Rotation of the earth is responsible for day and night.

19. Which phenomenon is responsible for sunrise and sunset?
Ans: Rotation of the earth is responsible for sunrise and sunset.

20. How long does the earth take to revolve round the sun once?
Ans: The earth takes about 365¼ days to revolve round the sun once.

3. Short-type questions and answers

1. Why is the wind deflected?
Ans: Wind is deflected due to the rotation of the earth, which produces a force called the Coriolis force.

2. What is meant by the sun’s apparent northward movement?
Ans: The Sun’s apparent northward movement refers to the gradual shifting of the Sun’s vertical rays from the Equator towards the Tropic of Cancer.

3. What is latitude?
Ans: Latitude is the angular distance of a place north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees.

4. What is a sidereal day?
Ans: A sidereal day is the time taken by the earth to complete one rotation with respect to a fixed star, which is about 23 hours 56 minutes.

5. What is the rotation of the earth?
Ans: Rotation of the earth is the spinning of the earth on its own axis from west to east which causes day and night.

6. Where is the rotational speed of the earth slowest and where is it fastest?
Ans: The rotational speed of the earth is slowest at the poles and fastest at the equator.

7. Why does variation in the length of the day and night occur?
Ans: Variation in the length of day and night occurs due to the inclination of the earth’s axis and its revolution around the sun.

8. What is the position of the earth during aphelion?
Ans: During aphelion, the earth remains farthest from the sun.

9. What is ecliptic?
Ans: The ecliptic is the imaginary path followed by the Sun in the sky during one year, as observed from the Earth. This apparent movement is due to the revolution of the Earth around the Sun.

10. What is dawn?
Ans: Dawn is the short period of time just before sunrise when the sky gradually becomes light, although the Sun has not appeared above the horizon.

11. What are the effects of the revolution of the earth?
Ans: The revolution of the Earth around the Sun leads to several important effects, such as the change of seasons, unequal length of day and night, and the occurrence of solstices and equinoxes.

12. What is the position of the earth during perihelion?
Ans: During perihelion, the earth remains closest to the sun.

13. What is Aurora Australis?
Ans: Aurora Australis is a natural light phenomenon seen in the sky of the Southern Hemisphere near the South Pole, during night.

14. What is Aurora?
Ans: Aurora is a natural light display seen in the polar regions. It is formed when energetic particles from the Sun hit the gases present in the upper atmosphere of the Earth.

15. What is Aurora Borealis?
Ans: Aurora Borealis is a natural light phenomenon observed in the sky of the Northern Hemisphere near the North Pole, during night.

16. What is Autumnal Equinox?
Ans: Autumnal Equinox is the day when the sun is vertically over the Equator and day and night are equal, occurring on 23rd September.

17. What is season cycle?
Ans: The season cycle refers to the regular and repeated sequence of different seasons, such as summer, rainy season, autumn, and winter, that occur on the Earth every year.

18. What is winter solstice?
Ans: Autumnal Equinox is the day when the Sun shines vertically over the Equator and day and night are equal all over the Earth. It takes place on 23rd September.

19. What is the midday sun?
Ans: The midday sun is the position of the sun at noon when it reaches its highest point in the sky.

20. What is dusk?
Ans: Dusk is the short time after sunset when the sky gradually becomes dark before night begins.

21. What is midnight sun?
Ans: Midnight sun is the phenomenon in which the sun remains visible at midnight in the polar regions during summer.

22. What is shadow circle?
Ans: A shadow circle is the circular path formed by the shadow of a vertical stick during the course of a day.

23. What is solar year?
Ans: A solar year is the time taken by the earth to complete one revolution around the sun, which is about 365¼ days.

4. Long-type questions and Answers

1. Discuss the effects of revolution of the earth.
Ans: The revolution of the Earth means its movement around the Sun, which takes about 365¼ days. This revolution has the following important effects:

Formation of leap year: The extra one-fourth day each year leads to the system of leap year, which occurs every four years.
Change of seasons: The revolution of the Earth causes the regular change of seasons such as summer, winter, spring, and autumn.
Variation in the length of day and night: Due to revolution, the length of day and night changes at different times of the year.
Occurrence of solstices and equinoxes: The revolution of the Earth leads to the occurrence of summer solstice, winter solstice, vernal equinox, and autumnal equinox.
Determination of the solar year: One complete revolution of the Earth around the Sun determines the solar year of 365¼ days.

2. Discuss the features of the earth’s orbit?
Ans: The Earth’s orbit has several important features, which are given below:

Effect on seasons: The shape and position of the Earth’s orbit influence the length of seasons and the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
Elliptical shape: The Earth revolves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit, not in a perfect circle.
Position of the Sun: The Sun is located at one of the foci of the Earth’s elliptical orbit, not at the centre.
Perihelion position: The Earth remains nearest to the Sun at perihelion, which occurs in early January.
Aphelion position: The Earth remains farthest from the Sun at aphelion, which occurs in early July.
Orbital plane: The imaginary flat surface on which the Earth revolves around the Sun is called the ecliptic.

3. What is the speed of the earth’s rotation on the different important lines of latitude?
Ans: The speed of the Earth’s rotation is not the same at all latitudes. It is maximum at the Equator, where the Earth covers the greatest distance during one rotation, and the speed is about 1670 km per hour. As we move away from the Equator towards higher latitudes, the circumference of the Earth gradually decreases, so the speed of rotation also decreases. Near the Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle, the rotational speed becomes much lower. At the North Pole and South Pole, the circumference is almost zero, and therefore the speed of rotation becomes zero. This difference in speed occurs because different latitudes cover different distances during one complete rotation of the Earth.

4. What is Ferrel’s law?
Ans: Ferrel’s law states that winds and ocean currents do not move in a straight line on the Earth’s surface. Due to the rotation of the Earth, they are deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This deflection increases from the Equator towards the poles and is almost absent at the Equator. Ferrel’s law helps to explain the direction of planetary winds and major ocean currents of the world.

5. Why is the earth rotational speed different in different places?
Ans: The speed of the Earth’s rotation is different at different places because the circumference of the Earth changes with latitude. The circumference is greatest at the Equator, so places there travel the maximum distance in one rotation and have the highest rotational speed. The distance covered during rotation becomes smaller from the Equator towards the poles, and for this reason the speed of rotation gradually decreases. At the North Pole and South Pole, the circumference is almost zero, so the speed of rotation becomes zero. The Earth completes one rotation in the same time everywhere, but the difference in distance travelled causes variation in rotational speed.

6. The shape of the earth is like an oblate spheroid – How does this testify the existence of the earth’s rotation?
Ans: The Earth is slightly bulged at the Equator and flattened at the poles, and this shape is known as an oblate spheroid. This shape is formed due to the rotation of the Earth on its axis. The rotation produces a centrifugal force that acts more strongly at the Equator than at the poles. As a result, the materials of the Earth are pushed outward at the Equator, causing a bulge, while the poles remain flattened. This unequal shape of the Earth clearly proves that the Earth is rotating on its axis.

7. Difference between Vernal Equinox and Autumnal Equinox.
Ans:

Vernal Equinox	Autumnal Equinox
Vernal Equinox occurs on 21st March.	Autumnal Equinox occurs on 23rd September.
On this day, the Sun shines vertically over the Equator.	On this day also, the Sun shines vertically over the Equator.
The Sun shows apparent northward movement after this date.	The Sun shows apparent southward movement after this date.
Day and night are equal all over the Earth on this day.	Day and night are equal all over the Earth on this day.
Vernal Equinox marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.	Autumnal Equinox marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.

8. Difference between Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice.
Ans:.

Summer Solstice	Winter Solstice
Summer Solstice occurs on 21st June in the Northern Hemisphere.	Winter Solstice occurs on 22nd December in the Northern Hemisphere.
On this day, the Sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Cancer.	On this day, the Sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Capricorn.
The Northern Hemisphere experiences the longest day and shortest night.	The Northern Hemisphere experiences the shortest day and longest night.
The Southern Hemisphere experiences the shortest day.	The Southern Hemisphere experiences the longest day.

9. Difference between Earth’s Axis and Orbit.
Ans:

Earth’s Axis	Orbit
The Earth’s axis is an imaginary line passing through the centre of the Earth from pole to pole.	The orbit is an imaginary curved path along which the Earth revolves around the Sun.
The Earth rotates on its axis.	The Earth revolves along its orbit.
Rotation on the axis causes day and night.	Revolution along the orbit causes change of seasons.
The axis remains tilted at an angle of 66½° to the orbital plane.	The orbit lies in a fixed plane called the orbital plane.

10. Difference between Northern Lights and Southern Lights.
Ans:

Northern Lights	Southern Lights
Northern Lights are also known as Aurora Borealis.	Southern Lights are also known as Aurora Australis.
They are seen mainly near the North Pole.	They are seen mainly near the South Pole.
They occur in the Northern Hemisphere.	They occur in the Southern Hemisphere.
They are formed due to the interaction of solar particles with atmospheric gases near the North Pole.	They are formed due to the interaction of solar particles with atmospheric gases near the South Pole.