Class 7 Science Curiosity Chapter 12 Earth, Moon, and the Sun NCERT Solutions Looking for the Class 7 Science Curiosity Chapter 12 Earth, Moon, and the Sun NCERT Solutions? You are in the right place. This chapter explains the relationship between the Earth, Moon, and the Sun in a simple and interesting way. It covers important concepts such as the Earth’s rotation, revolution, phases of the Moon, day and night, seasons, and solar and lunar eclipses.
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1. In Fig. 12.17, how many hours of sunlight do the North Pole and the South Pole receive during one rotation of the Earth?
Answer:
In Fig. 12.17, the Northern Hemisphere is inclined away from the Sun and is experiencing winter, while the Southern Hemisphere is inclined towards the Sun and is experiencing summer. As a result, during one rotation of the Earth (24 hours), the North Pole remains completely away from sunlight and receives 0 hours of sunlight, whereas the South Pole receives 24 hours of sunlight.
2. Fill in the blanks
(i) Stars rise in the _________ and set in the ___________.
(ii) Day and night are caused by the Earth’s __________________.
(iii) When the Moon fully covers the Sun from our view, it is called a _____________ solar eclipse.
Answer:
(i) Stars rise in the east and set in the west.
(ii) Day and night are caused by the Earth’s rotation.
(iii) When the Moon fully covers the Sun from our view, it is called a total solar eclipse.
3. State whether True or False
(i) Lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun comes between the Earth and the Moon.
Answer:
False.
(ii) Sunrise happens earlier in Gujarat than in Jharkhand.
Answer:
False.
(iii) In Chennai, the longest day occurs on the summer solstice.
Answer:
False.
(iv) We should watch the solar eclipse directly with our naked eye.
Answer:
False.
(v) Seasons occur due to the tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation and its spherical shape.
Answer:
False.
4. Padmashree saw the Orion constellation nearly overhead at 8 pm yesterday. When will she see Orion overhead today?
Answer:
Padmashree will see the Orion constellation nearly overhead about 4 minutes earlier, that is, at around 7:56 pm today. This is because the Earth takes about 4 minutes less than 24 hours to complete one rotation with respect to the stars, so stars appear to rise and set about 4 minutes earlier each day.
5. Nandhini saw a group of stars rising at midnight on 21 June. When will she see the same group of stars rising at midnight next year?
Answer:
Nandhini will see the same group of stars rising at midnight about 4 minutes earlier each day. Over one year (365 days), this difference adds up to about 24 hours. Therefore, she will see the same group of stars rising at midnight around 21 June next year.
6. Abhay noticed that when it was daytime in India, his uncle who was in the USA was generally sleeping as it was night-time there. What is the reason behind this difference?
Answer:
This difference occurs due to the rotation of the Earth on its axis. As the Earth rotates from west to east, different parts of the Earth face the Sun at different times. Therefore, when it is daytime in India, the USA which is on the opposite side of the Earth experiences night.
7. Four friends used the following ways to see the solar eclipse. Who among them was being careless?
(i) Ravikiran used a solar eclipse goggle.
(ii) Jyothi used a mirror to project the Sun’s image.
(iii) Adithya saw the Sun directly with his eyes.
(iv) Aruna attended a programme arranged by a planetarium.
Answer:
Adithya was being careless because looking directly at the Sun, even during a solar eclipse, can seriously damage the eyes and may cause permanent blindness. Therefore, direct viewing of a solar eclipse should be strictly avoided.
8. Fill in the circles in Fig. 12.18 appropriately with one of the following: Sun, Moon, Earth.
Answer:
9. The Moon is much smaller than the Sun, yet it can block the Sun completely from our view during a total solar eclipse. Why is it possible?
Answer:
Although the Moon is much smaller than the Sun, it appears almost the same size in the sky because the Moon is much closer to the Earth than the Sun. Therefore, during a total solar eclipse, the Moon can completely block the Sun from our view.
10. The Indian cricket team matches in Australia are often held in December. Should they pack winter or summer clothes for their trip?
Answer:
They should pack summer clothes because Australia lies in the Southern Hemisphere, while India lies in the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, when it is winter in India in December, it is summer in Australia.
11. Why do you think lunar eclipses can be seen from a large part of the Earth when they happen, but total solar eclipse can be seen by only a small part of the Earth?
Answer:
During a lunar eclipse, the Earth’s large shadow falls on the Moon. Since this shadow is large, the lunar eclipse can be seen from a large part of the Earth. In contrast, during a total solar eclipse, the Moon’s shadow on the Earth is very small and covers only a limited area for a short time. Therefore, a total solar eclipse can be seen only from a small part of the Earth.
12. If the Earth’s axis were not tilted with respect to the axis of revolution, explain what would be the effect on seasons?
Answer:
If the Earth’s axis were not tilted and were perpendicular to the plane of its revolution, there would be no change in seasons. All parts of the Earth would receive nearly equal sunlight throughout the year, and the length of day and night would remain almost the same everywhere.
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