The Universe (Part-4)

Total Questions: 50

41. The Prime Meridian does not pass through. [U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010]

Correct Answer: (c) Niger
Solution:Prime Meridian line is also known as International Meridian or Greenwich meridian This line passes through England's Royal Greenwich Observatory Line situated at Zero degree longitude determines the International Standard Time 180° longitude is called as International Date Line.

Prime Meridian (0º longitude) passes through the following countries - (1) United Kingdom, (2) France, (3) Spain, (4) Algeria, (5) Mali, (6) Burkina-Faso, (7) Togo, (8) Ghana.

42. The Prime Meridian passes through [U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2008]

1. Algeria

2. France

3. Nigeria

4. Portugal

Use the code below to select the correct answer.

Code:

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 2
Solution:Prime Meridian line is also known as International Meridian or Greenwich meridian This line passes through England's Royal Greenwich Observatory Line situated at Zero degree longitude determines the International Standard Time 180° longitude is called as International Date Line.

Prime Meridian (0º longitude) passes through the following countries - (1) United Kingdom, (2) France, (3) Spain, (4) Algeria, (5) Mali, (6) Burkina-Faso, (7) Togo, (8) Ghana.

43. Which one of the following cities does not have the same clock time as that of the other three Cities at any given instant? [I.A.S. (Pre) 2007]

Correct Answer: (d) Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
Solution:London (U.K.), Lisbon (Portugal) and Accra (Ghana) have similar time as all the three uses Greenwich time. Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia is located at 38° 45' E, whose time is 2 hours, 35 minutes, ahead of GMT.

Note - Standard time of Ethiopia is 3 hours ahead from Green witch time. So, Addis Ababa is the correct answer.

44. The standard time of the following countries is ahead of or behind Greenwich Mean Time depending on whether they are East or West of the longitude passing through Greenwich.` [I.A.S. (Pre) 1995]

(1) Cuba

(2) Greece

(3) Iraq

(4) Costa Rica

(5) Japan

Which one of the following sequential orders gives the correct arrangement of the countries according to their standard time from ahead to behind GMT?

Correct Answer: (a) 5, 3, 2, 1, 4
Solution:Greenwich line (0º longitude) passes through England. World standard time is measured from here. Time in Eastern hemisphere is ahead of Western hemisphere. The standard time of above mentioned countries are given below:

Japan = +9 hours

Iraq = + 3 hours

Greece + 2 hours

Cuba-5 hours

Costa Rica = -6 hours

Hence, the correct sequence of standard time ahead to behind GMT is 5, 3, 2, 1, 4 Japan, Iraq, Greece, Cuba and Costa Rica.

45. When there is noon at I.S.T. meridian people another place of the Earth is taking their 6 O'clock morning tea. The longitude of the place is : [I.A.S. (Pre) 1998]

Correct Answer: (b) 7°30′ W
Solution:Earth makes one rotation (360°) in 24 hours, means it passes through 15º in an hour from West to East. Every 15º we go Westward, local time becomes 1 hour behind the place, given in the question, is 6:00 hours behind the I.S.T. (82°30′E).

So that it is situated on West to the I.S.T. 6:00 hours of difference is equal to 90° longitudes (15×6=90). Thus, the place is situated on 90° west with respect to I.S.T. It gives the longitude of the place (with respect to Greenwich) 7°30' W (82°.30' E-90°=7°30′W).

46. A telegram was sent from Greenwich at 12.00 Noon. The time for transmission was 12 minutes. It reached a town at 6.00 p.m. The longitude of the town will be : [Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2012]

Correct Answer: (b) 87° E
Solution:Earth rotates on its axis in 24 hours and therefore completes the angle of 360° in one rotation (i.e. 15º in an hour or 1º in 4 minutes). As the telegram sent from Greenwich at 12:00 noon reached another city at 6:00 evening and 12 minutes passed in messaging the telegram.

Therefore, total time = 6 hour 12 minutes = 360 min-12 min 348 minutes as we Know for 60 minutes = 15° longitude For 348 minutes 15 × 348/60° 87° This is now clear that place where the telegram reached at 6:00 evening will at 87° East longitude.

47. International Date Line passes through - [44th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2000]

Correct Answer: (c) Pacific ocean
Solution:International date line is an imaginary line on the Earth which separates two consecutive days on the calendar. This line passes through 180° opposite to Greenwich (England) from the Pacific Ocean. This line turns when any land area falls in the way of this line.

It serves as the demarcation line where one-day ends and the next day begins. When crossing the International Date Line from west to east, the date is adjusted backwards by one day, and when crossing from east to west, the date is adjusted forward by one day.

  • For example, if it is Monday on the western side of the line, upon crossing to the eastern side, it will be Sunday.
  • The International Date Line's path is not straight and follows political boundaries and geographical considerations to avoid dividing countries or causing significant disruptions. As a result, the IDL deviates from 180 degrees longitude in several places to accommodate these factors.
  • Therefore, the International Date Line is drawn in a zigzag pattern to prevent date confusion; this line is drawn through where the sea lies rather than through land.

48. Consider the following statements and answer the question with the help of codes given below: [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1992]

Statement (A): Time interval at the date-line is 12 hours from the Greenwich.

Reason (R) : Date-line is situated at 180° meridian.

Using following options choose the correct answer

Correct Answer: (a) (A), (R) both are correct, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Solution:International date line at 180º longitude means that from the Greenwich (England). It is at the opposite side. Greenwich being situated at 0º Meridian, International Date line has the difference of 180° longitude or 180°×4 720 minutes or 12 hours.

Therefore, the 'Statement' and the 'Reason' both are correct and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Statement (S).

49. There is no minimum distance between two places on the globe: [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1997]

Correct Answer: (d) International Date Line
Solution:Except for International date line (180º meridian), Meridians at all other places follows the same path. The International date line has been turned at 8 places upon the globe so that dispute about the date at the same place should not occur.

As the International date line has been turned on its way near the Alaska, therefore the minimum distance between two places at the globe upon international date line cannot exist.

50. If the earth's direction of rotation is reversed, what should be the IST when it is noon at the International Date Line? [I.A.S. (Pre) 1997]

Correct Answer: (a) 06.30 hrs
Solution:Time difference between International Date Line (IDL) and GMT is of 12 hours. Noon (12 pm) at IDL means midnight (12 am) at GMT. I.S.T. is GMT +5:30 hours, but, in the question 'the Earth's direction of rotation is reversed'. So that LS.T. become GMT-5:30 hours.

In this way, it should be 6:30 pm at I.S.T. (Instead of 5:30am).