Class-5th SSt notes L4

 Class 5th- Social Studies

4. Climate

C. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the difference between weather and climate?

Ans. Weather is the condition of the atmosphere in a particular place or time. Climate is the weather condition that prevails over a large area, over a long period of time.

2. How does the climate of a place affect the people living there?

Ans. The climate affects the clothes the people wear, the kind of food they eat and the type of house they live in.

3. Name the five important factors that determine the climate of a place.

Ans. Distance from the Equator, height above sea level, distance from sea, winds and the amount of moisture in the air.

4. Why do areas near the Equator receive more heat from the Sun, that those near the poles?

Ans. The rays of the Sun fall vertically on the Equator making it very hot. The area near the poles receives the slanting rays of the Sun so it is not so hot at the Poles. Also, the same amount of sunrays heats a smaller area at the Equator and a larger area at the poles.

5. Where are the following heat zones located? describe the general climate of each zone.

   a) Frigid zones; b)Temperate zones; c) Tropical zones

Ans. (a) Frigid Zone: This zone covers the area between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole in the Northern Hemisphere and the area between the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole in the Southern Hemisphere. The climate here is very cold and large parts of this zone is covered in ice and snow throughout the year. This zone receives very little heat from the Sun.

(b) Temperate Zone: This zone covers the area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle in the Northern Hemisphere and the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle in the Southern Hemisphere. The region has very mild climate that is neither too hot nor too cold.

(c) . Tropical zone: This zone covers the area on both sides of the Equator between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The climate here is very hot throughout the year as the Sun’s rays fall directly on the Equator.

6. How do winds affect the climate of a place?

Ans. Winds tend to flow in particular directions in different parts of the world. They may be hot, cool, or full of moisture, depending on where they come from. For example, the monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea bring rain to large parts of India. The hot winds from the Thar Desert make Delhi very hot during summer. Thus, the climate of an area is affected by the winds.

7. How is the humidity in Chennai different from that of Jaisalmer in the Thar Desert?

Ans. Jaisalmer is located in the Thar Desert, where the humidity is very low. So, Jaisalmer will get very little rainfall throughout the year. Chennai is located near the sea coast so the climate here would be moderate throughout the year.

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