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Why Social Science? – Class 6 Social Science notes, important questions and MCQs

NCERT Class 6 Social Science, chapter 1. Notes, key terms, important questions with answers and MCQs.

Chapter overview

Social science studies human society: how people live together, use the earth, govern themselves and earn a living. Its main branches are history, geography, political science and economics. Maps, coordinates and time zones help us locate places and understand the world.

Branches of social science

History studies the past; geography studies the earth and how people use it.
Political science studies government and how decisions are made; economics studies how people produce, exchange and use goods and services.
These subjects are connected: a river shapes farming (geography), trade (economics) and settlements that grow into kingdoms (history).

Maps and coordinates

A map has a title, direction (north arrow), scale and symbols (legend).
Latitudes are imaginary lines parallel to the Equator (0°); longitudes are imaginary lines from pole to pole, measured from the Prime Meridian (0°) through Greenwich, England.
In ancient India, a prime meridian passing through Ujjain was used for calculating time.

Time zones

The earth rotates 360° in 24 hours, that is 15° in one hour, or 1° in 4 minutes.
Indian Standard Time is based on the 82.5° E longitude and is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
Places east of Greenwich are ahead in time, and places west of it are behind.

Key terms

Social science: the study of human society and the relationships among people
Latitude: an imaginary line on the globe parallel to the Equator
Longitude: an imaginary line joining the North and South Poles
Prime Meridian: the 0° longitude passing through Greenwich, England

Formulas

Earth rotates 15° per hour (1° every 4 minutes)
IST = GMT + 5 hours 30 minutes

Important questions with answers

What are latitudes and longitudes?2 marks

Latitudes are imaginary lines drawn on the globe parallel to the Equator, which is 0° latitude. Longitudes are imaginary lines joining the North and South Poles, measured east and west from the Prime Meridian at 0°. Together they help us locate any place on the earth.

Why do different places on the earth have different local times?3 marks

The earth rotates from west to east, completing 360° in 24 hours, so the sun appears overhead at different longitudes at different times. Every 15° of longitude makes a difference of one hour, or 4 minutes per degree. Places to the east see the sun earlier and are ahead in time, while places to the west are behind.

Explain the branches of social science and how they are connected, with an example.5 marks

History studies past events, people and societies. Geography studies the earth's land, water, climate and resources and how humans use them. Political science studies how societies are governed, who makes decisions and how. Economics studies how people produce, distribute and use goods and services. These branches are linked. For example, the fertile plains of the Ganga (geography) supported rich agriculture and trade (economics), which helped large kingdoms to grow and rule (political science), and their stories are told in history. Studying them together helps us understand society as a whole.

Quick revision

Four branches: history, geography, political science, economics.
Equator = 0° latitude; Prime Meridian = 0° longitude.
15° = 1 hour; IST = 82.5° E.

Exam tips

Remember the four parts of a map: title, direction, scale and symbols.
For time questions, multiply the longitude difference by 4 minutes.

Practice MCQs

The study of the earth and how people use it is
1. history
2. geography
3. economics
4. political science
Show answer
Answer: (b) geography. Geography studies places and their use.
The Equator is the
1. 0° longitude
2. 0° latitude
3. 90° latitude
4. 180° longitude
Show answer
Answer: (b) 0° latitude. It divides the earth into two halves.
The Prime Meridian passes through
1. Greenwich
2. Ujjain
3. New Delhi
4. Paris
Show answer
Answer: (a) Greenwich. It is 0° longitude.
The earth rotates through how many degrees of longitude in one hour
1. 4°
2. 15°
3. 24°
4. 360°
Show answer
Answer: (b) 15°. 360° ÷ 24 hours = 15°.
Indian Standard Time is based on the longitude
1. 0°
2. 23.5° N
3. 82.5° E
4. 90° E
Show answer
Answer: (c) 82.5° E. It passes near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh.
Which part of a map tells us how much a distance on the map represents on the ground
1. legend
2. scale
3. title
4. compass
Show answer
Answer: (b) scale. The scale converts map distance to real distance.
If it is 12 noon at Greenwich, what is the time in India (IST)
1. 6:30 am
2. 12:00 noon
3. 6:00 pm
4. 5:30 pm
Show answer
Answer: (d) 5:30 pm. India is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead.
Two places differ by 30° of longitude. Their local times differ by
1. 30 minutes
2. 1 hour
3. 2 hours
4. 4 hours
Show answer
Answer: (c) 2 hours. 30 × 4 minutes = 120 minutes.

All chapters of Class 6 Social Science

Written by Kundali IQ from standard, well-established facts to help with revision. This is not an official NCERT publication; always read your textbook too.