Weather , climate and adaptation

 1. What is the primary source of energy which causes changes in the weather ?

Ans: Sun is the primary source of energy which causes changes in weather .

2. Name any two activities of our daily life which are planned according to the weather on a day. 

Ans: We wear light coloured clothes during summer days and we prefer to wear dark colour clothes in winter .

3. What term is used to denote the amount of water vapour (or moisture) in air ?

Ans: The term humidity is used to denote the amount of water vapour (or moisture) in air .

4. Name the instrument used to measure the rainfall at a place. 

Ans: The instrument used to measure the rainfall at a place is rain gauge .

5. Name the unit in which rainfall is measured. 

Ans: Millimeters (mm) is the unit in which rainfall is measured .

6. Which of two changes frequently weather or climate ?

Ans: Weather changes frequently .

7. Name one state (or region) each in India having the following

(a) Very hot and wet  Kerala

(b) Hot and dry           Rajasthan

(c) Moderately hot and wet  Jammu and Kashmir

(d) Wet North East india .

8. Name one state in India which has a typical tropical climate. 

Ans: Assam is one of the state in India which has a typical tropical climate. 

9. Name one state in India which has a typical desert climate.

Ans: Rajasthan is one in India which has a typical desert climate.

10. Name two animals which live in the polar regions of the earth. 

Ans: Two animals which live in the polar regions of the earth are polar bear and penguins. 

11. Name two animals (other than polar bears and penguins) which live in the polar regions of the earth.

Ans: Musk oxen and Reindeers live in polar region of the earth .

12. Name a sea-bird which cannot fly.

Ans: Penguin is sea bird which can not fly .

13. Name two places in India where the migratory bird called 'Siberian crane' comes every year from Siberia. 

Ans: Bharatpur in Rajasthan and Sultanpur in Haryana are the two places in India where the migratory bird called 'Siberian crane' comes every year from Siberia. 

14. Name any five types of animals which live in tropical rainforests.

Ans: Lions, Tigers , Leopards, Elephants, Monkeys etc live in tropical rainforest .

15. Name two big cats.

Ans: Lion and tiger are two big cats .

16. Name the colourful bird having a long and large beak which lives in tropical rainforests.

Ans: The colourful bird having a long and large beak which lives in tropical rainforests is Toucan .

17. What is the most outstanding feature of lion-tailed macaque ? 

Ans: The most outstanding feature of lion-tailed macaque is silver white mane  ( long hair on the neck ) .

18. State whether the following statements are true or false :

(a) Weather and climate are just the same. False 

(b) Red-eyed frog lives in the water of a pond.  False

19. The temperature at a place is high most of the time and there is also heavy rainfall on most of the days in the same place. What type of climate does this place have ?

Ans: If the temperature at a place is high most of the time and there is also heavy rainfall on most of the days in the same place then the climate will be hot and wet .

20. Fill in the following blanks with suitable words: 

(a) The average weather taken over a long time is called climate .

(b) The state of the atmosphere at a given place and time is called weather .

(c) A place receives very little rainfall and the temperature is high throughout the year, the climate of that place will be hot and dry .

(d) The two regions of the earth with extreme climatic conditions are polar regions and tropical regions .

(e) The days are shorter in winter than in summer. 

(f) Tropical rainforests are found in western Ghats and assam in India.

Short Answers Type Questions

21. When are the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to occur during the day ?

Ans: The maximum temperatures likely to occur in the afternoon .

The minimum temperatures likely to occur in the morning .

22. Explain why, in summers we feel so miserable in the afternoon and comparatively comfortable in the early morning 

Ans: During summers, we feel miserable in the afternoon because the maximum temperature of the day is reached in the afternoon (making the surroundings very hot and unbearable). On the other hand, we feel comparatively cool and comfortable in the early morning during summers because the minimum temperature of the day is reached in the early morning (making the surroundings somewhat cooler).

23. What are the various types of information usually carried by the daily weather report in a newspaper ?

Ans: The various types of information usually carried by the daily weather report in a newspaper are temperature, humidity, rainfall . It also gives timings of sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset .

24. What is a rain gauge ? For what purpose is it used ? 

Ans: Rain gauge is a rainfall measuring cylinder with a funnel at the top to collect rain water .

It is used to measure rainfall at a place in the unit of millimeters .

25. How have the animals living in polar regions adapted to the extremely cold climate ?

Ans: The animals living in the polar regions have adapted to the extremely cold climate by having some special features such as white colour, thick layer of fur, thick skin, a layer of fat under the skin, strong sense of smell, and big feet (big paws) for walking on soft snow and swimming, etc.

26. A polar bear is white. How does the white colour help in the survival of polar bear in polar region ? 

Ans: Due to white colour, polar bear is not visible easily in the snowy white background and hence its prey is unable to see it. This adaptation (of white colour) helps the polar bear to catch its prey. The white colour of polar bear also protects it from its predators (who kill and eat it) because it mixes well with the snowy white surroundings due to which the predators cannot see it easily

27. State two important features of a polar bear which protect it from the extreme cold in snowy surroundings.

Ans: Polar bear has two thick layers of fur on its body and

Thick layer of fat under the skin . These two important features of a polar bear protect it from the extreme cold in snowy surroundings .

28. A polar bear has two thick layers of fur and a layer of fat under the skin. How do these adaptations help the polar bear in its survival ?

Ans: The two thick layers of fur keep the polar bear warm in extremely cold climate (by keeping its body heat in). The polar bear has also fur on its feet and toes. This protects it from cold when it walks on snow and ice

29. A polar bear has a very strong sense of smell. How does this help the polar bear in its survival 

Ans: A polar bear has a very strong sense of smell which help them in locating and catching it's prey for food. This special feature of polar bear help them in its survival . 

30. A polar bear has big feet (or big paws). What might be the advantages of this ?

Ans: polar bear has big feet or big paws to spread the weight of its body on snow which prevent it from sinking into snow and make it walk on snow easily .

31. A polar bear is a good swimmer. How does this feature help the polar bear in its survival ?

Ans: Polar bear is a good swimmer. The big feet (or big paws) help the polar bear to swim well. Being a fast swimmer helps the polar bear to catch its prey (like seal) in water very easily. While swimming under water, polar bear can close its nostrils and remain under water for long durations.

32. How does elephant living in the tropical rainforest adapt itself ? 

Ans: Elephant is a very large animal of Indian tropical rainforest . Elephants are plant eaters. Elephant has adapted to the conditions of rainforests in many remarkable ways. The various adaptations in elephant which help it live and survive in tropical rainforest habitat are as follows: 

1. One of the most important adaptation in an elephant is its trunk .

2. Another good adaptation of the elephant are it's Tusk

3. Elephant has large ears and it's heavy body weight .

33. What are tusks ? How does an elephant make use of tusks for its survival ?

Ans: Tusks are the big and long pointed teeth which come out from the closed mouth of the elephant . Tusks are the modified teeth of elephant Tusks are actually the incisor teeth of elephant. Elephant uses the tusks to obtain food as follows: Elephant uses the tusks to tear off the bark of trees which it eats as food.

34. An elephant has large ears. How do large ears help the elephant ?

Ans: The large ears of elephant help it to hear even very soft sounds. Due to large ears, an elephant can hear even the slightest sound mine by its predator beltind him so that it can sense the danger and run away to safety. When the temperature rises, the elephants flap their large ears and use them as fans to cool themselves. So, the large ears also help the elephant to keep cool in the hot and humid climatte of the tropical rainforest.

35. State the adaptation in red-eyed frog which helps it to climb on trees on which it lives. 

Ans: The various adaptations which help the red-eyed frog to live and survive on the trees in the rainforest habitat are as follows: 

1. Red-eyed frog has developed sticky pads on its feet which help it to climb easily on the trees on which it lives.

2. The big and bulging bright-red eyes of this frog are an adaptation for protection.

3. Green body colour helps it to hide within the green leaves .

36. A toucan has a long and large beak. How does this adaptation help toucan in its survival on trees ?

Ans: The long and large beak helps a toucan to reach the fruits attached to the ends of even thin branches of trees which are too weak to support its weight. Thus, long and large beak is an adaptation in toucan for getting the otherwise unreachable fruits at the ends of very thin branches of trees. The large beak also helps in the temporary storage of fruits being collected by toucan.

37. How are monkeys adapted to live on trees ?

Ans: Monkeys are expert climbers. The hands and feet of mankays are adapted in such a way that they an easily hold on to the branches of trees 

Monkeys have lang and strong gripping tails which they use for grasping branches of trees. Actually, monkeys use their long and strong tail like an extra hand to hold on to the branches of trees.

Thus the monkeys are adapted on tress .

38. What is the other name of lion-tailed macaque ? Where does lion-tailed macaque live ? 

Ans: The other name of the lion tailed macaque is Beard ape .

Lion tailed macaque live on the upper canopies of trees in the rain forest .

39. State the adaptations in lion-tailed macaque which help it to live and survive on trees in the tropical rainforests.

Ans: The various adaptations in lion tailed macaques which help them live and survive on the trees in tropical rainforests are as follows:

1. The lion-tailed macaque is a good climber and spends most of its time high up in trees. The hand and feet of lion-tailed macaque are adapted to hold on to the branches of trees firmly .

2. The lion-tailed macaque has very good eyesight which helps it in leaping between the branches. This adaptation is useful in moving from one tree to another in search of food and also to escape from predators.

3. The lion-tailed macaque feeds mainly on fruits on the trees. It also eats seeds, leaves, stems, flowers and buds. The lion-tailed macaque also searches for insects under the bark of trees and eats them Since lion-tailed macaque gets sufficient food on the trees, it rarely comes down on the ground .

40. How is penguin adapted to live and survive in polar regions ? 

Ans: Penguin has some special features which help them to live and survive in polar regions 

1 Penguin is black and white in colour but still it merges well with the white background of ice and snow 

2 Penguin has thick skin and a layer of fat below its skin which protect it from extreme cold.

3. Penguins live together in large numbers. Penguins huddle together to keep themselves warm. 

4. Penguin has streamlined body, flipper-like wings and webbed feet which make it a good swine Being a good swimmer helps penguin in catching fish as prey.

41. State two features of a penguin which protect it from extreme cold in polar regions.

Ans: Penguin has thick skin and layer of fat below its skin which protect it from extreme cold.

42. Why do penguins huddle together ? 

Ans: Penguins huddle together to keep themselves warm. 

43. What are the various body features which make penguin a good swimmer ? How does being a swimmer help a penguin ? 

Ans: Penguin has streamlined body, flipper-like wings and webbed feet which make it a good swine Being a good swimmer helps penguin in catching fish as prey.

44. What is meant by the migration of birds ? Why do birds migrate ?

Ans: The process in which a bird  moves from one place to another in one season and returns again in a different season is called migration. Birds migrate to escape the harsh and cold conditions of their normal habitat in winter so as to survive. 

45. What are migratory birds ? Name one migratory bird which visits warmer regions of India every year. 

Ans: Biirds which  move from one place to another in one season and returns again in a different season to escape from cold and in search of food .

Siberian crane is one migratory bird which visits warmer regions of India every year.

46. Describe the climate in tropical regions. Also name an important feature of the tropical regions. 

Ans: The tropical region has generally a hot climate because of its location around the equator. During het summer days, the temperature in this region may go above 40*C. Even in the coldest months, the temperature is generally higher than about 15 C. The tropical regions get plenty of rainfall.

An important feature of the tropical regions is tropical rainforest .

47. Where are tropical rainforests found in India

Ans: In India, tropical rainforests are found in Western Ghats and Assam (Westem Ghats is a mountain range parallel to the West coast of India. Western Ghats nun through Maharashtra, Kamatak, Tamil Nadu and Kerala states) .

48. State two conditions due to which tropical rainforests support a wide variety of plants and animals.

Ans: In tropical regions days and night   equal . 

Continuous warmth and plenty of rain fall in tropical rainforests support a wide variety of plants and animals.

49. Why does Siberian crane come from Siberia to places like Bharatpur in Rajasthan every year for a months ?

Ans: The Siberian crane come from Siberia to places like Bharatpur in Rajasthan every year for a months to escape the extremely cold winter conditions and survive .

50. State any two adaptations in big cats which help in their survival.

Ans: Two adaptations in big cats which help in their survival are 

1. The big cats have a highly developed sense of smell .

2. They have long , strong and sharp claws in their front legs to catch their prey .

Long Answer Type Questions

51. What is meant by weather"? Name the elements which determine the weather of a place. 

Ans: The day-to-day condition of the atmosphere at a place and time with respect to the temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed and wind direction, sunshine, clouds, rainfall (or snowfall), etc., is called weather at that place at that time .

The major elements which determine weather at a place are temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed and wind direction, sunshine, clouds, and rainfall (or snowfall).

32. What produces weather ? Why does weather change so frequently?

Ans: Weather is produced by the heat of the sun and the effect it has on the atmosphere .                                           The heat energy of the sun absorbed and reflected by the earth's surface , ocean and atmosphere plays an important role in determining or producing weather .

The weather changes so frequently because the condition of the earth's atmosphere keep changing frequently due to the various effects produced by sun's heat .

53. What is meant by climate'? Explain with the help of an example. Name the four major types of climate.

Ans: The average weather pattern at a place taken over a long period of time (almost 25 years) is called the climate of that place. For example, if the temperature at a place is high most of the time, then we say that the climate of that place is hot. And if there is also heavy rainfall on most of the days at that place, then we say that the climate of that place is hot and wet (or hot and humid)

There are four major types of climates in the world : these are polar climate, temperate climate, tropical climate and desert climate.

54. State the factors which affect the climate of a place. What is the difference in the locations of Srinagar and Thiruvananthapuram ? How do their climates differ?

Ans: Factors which affect the climate of place are as follows : -

(i) Temperature and rainfall are the two most important factors which determine the climate at a place .

(ii)Another factor which affects the climate of a place is its altitude whether it is located on high mountains or on plains (flat ground). 

(iii) A yet another factor which affects the climate at a place is its location with respect to the sea whether it is located near the sea or far away from the sea. 

Srinagar is situated at high altitude on a mountain in the Northern part of India whereas Thiruvananthapuram is situated on plains (flat ground) at sea-level in the South-West part of India Srinagar is located very far away from the sea whereas Thiruvananthapuram is located near the sea. Srinagar is located quite far away from the equator whereas Thiruvananthapuram is comparatively nearer to the equator. So, due to their totally different positions on earth, Srinagar and Thiruvananthapuram have entirely different climates.

55. What are polar regions ? Describe the climate in the polar regions of the earth Name any five countries that belong to polar regions,

Ans: Our earth has two poles : north pole and south pole. 

The areas situated near the poles of the earth are called polar regions. 

Five well known countries that belong to the polar regions of the earth are Canada, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland, Norway, Sweden .

The polar regions of the earth have an extremely cold climate. The polar regions are covered with ice and snow, and it is extremely cold for most part of the year. For six months, the sun does not set at the poles while for the next six months, the sun does not rise (above the horizon). During winter in polar regions, the temperature can be as low as, -37°C (minus 37°C).

56. What is meant by "adaptation" ?Explain with the help of an example. How is polar bear adapted to live in extremely cold polar regions having snow all around?

Ans:  The presence of specific body features for certain habits) which enable an animal or a plant to live in a particular habitat (or surroundings) is called adaptation. 

For example, polar bears have two thick layers of fur and a thick layer of fat under their skin. Both these body features of polar bears are the adaptations to make them withstand the extremely cold climate of polar region so that they may survive in their habitat .

Adaptation in polar bear : - 

The polar bear lives in extremely cold climate of polar regions due to the following adaptations :

1. Polar bear has white colour which matches with its surroundings. Due to white colour, polar bear is not visible easily in the snowy white background and hence its prey is unable to see it. This adaptation (of white colour) helps the polar bear to catch its prey. The white colour of polar bear also protects it from its predators (who kill and eat it) because it mixes well with the snowy white surroundings due to which the predators cannot see it easily.

2. Polar bear has two thick layers of fur on its body. This fur protects the polar bear from extreme cold by preventing the loss of heat from its body. Thus, the two thick layers of fur keep the polar bear warm in extremely cold climate (by keeping its body heat in). The polar bear has also fur on its feet and toes. This protects it from cold when it walks on snow and ice.

3. Polar bear has a thick layer of fat under its skin. This layer of fat insulates the body of polar bear against heat loss and keeps it warm in cold climate. Thus, the thick layer of fat also protects the polar bear from extreme cold .

4. Polar bear has a rounded body and small ears to keep the body surface area to a minimum (compared to the body weight). This reduces the heat loss from the body of polar bear. 

5. Polar bear has big feet (or big paws) to spread the weight of its body on snow which prevent it from sinking into snow and make it walk on snow easily. Polar bear has long curved and sharp claws which help it to walk and run on slippery ice. 

6. Polar bear is a good swimmer. The big feet (or big paws) help the polar bear to swim well. Being fast swimmer helps the polar bear to catch its prey (like seal) in water very easily. While swimming under water, polar bear can close its nostrils and remain under water for long durations 

7. Polar bear has a very strong sense of smell. The very strong sense of smell helps the polar bear in locating and catching its prey for food.

57. (a) What are tropical rainforest Name any five  countries where tropical rainforests are found  

Ans: The areas of the earth near both sides of the equator is called tropical regions which have hot and humid climate because of hot summer days and plenty of rainfall .

The tropical rainforests are found in India, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia , central america and central africa .

(b) Name some of the adaptations which help the animals live and survive in tropical rainforests. 

Ans: Some of the adaptations in animals living in tropical rainforests are :-

A skin colour which helps them to camouflage (mix up with the surroundings and hide) in order to catch prey or protect themselves from predators 

Running very fast (to catch prey or escape from predators); 

Development of trunk, tusks, and large ears and feet ; Sharp eyesight, Sensitive hearing and Thick skin: Living on trees; Development of strong gripping tails , long and large beaks etc.

58. (a) Why do we find animals of certain kinds living in particular climatic conditions ? Explain with examples

Ans: Climate has a great effect on all the living organisms (animals as well as plants). A living organism can survive in a particular habitat only if its body is suited (or adapted) to the climate of that habitat. Animals and plants develop special features in their body or develop certain habits to survive in their habitats (or surroundings).

For example, polar bears have two thick layers of fur and a thick layer of fat under their skin. Both these body features of polar bears are the adaptations to make them withstand the extremely cold climate of polar region so that they may survive in their habitat.

(b) Which of the following normally live in polar regions and which in tropical rainforests ?

Elephant - Tropical rainforest, Musk oxen - Polar region , Reindeer-Polar region  , Lion-tailed macaque- Tropical rainforest , Penguin-Polar region , Toucan - Tropical rainforest, Seal-Polar region , Red-eyed frog - Tropical rainforest . Siberian crane - Tropical rainforest , Arctic fox - Polar region .

59. What is the difference between the weather and climate ? 

Ans: Weather is the day to day condition of the atmosphere at a place and time where as Climate is the average weather pattern at a place taken over a long period of time .

Indicate the type of climate in the following areas:

(1) Jammu and Kashmir - Polar climate.

(6) North-East India -  Temperate climate .

(5) Kerala -  Tropical climate 

(4) Rajasthan-  Desert climate 

60. (a) How does the adaptation called 'migration' help the birds in their survival Name one bird and one mammal which migrate seasonally.

Ans: The process in which a bird (or other animal) moves from one place to another in one season and returns again in a different season is called migration. Migration of birds (or other animals) is an adaptation to escape the harsh and cold conditions of their normal habitat in winter so as to survive. 

When the winter sets in cold regions of the earth, the climate becomes extremely cold. The birds which normally live in these regions migrate (fly off) to far flung warmer places to escape the extremely cold winter climate and survive and when the winter season is over, these birds fly back to their original habitats in the cold regions.

Siberian crane is a bird , wildebeest and zebras are the mammals which migrate seasonally . 

(b) An elephant has a long trunk. How does this adaptation help the elephant to live and survive in the in the tropical rainforest .

Ans: One of the most important adaptation in an elephant is its trunk (which we can see in the front) . The trunk of an elephant is basically an elongated nose (which is also capable of grasping things). The trunk helps the elephant in many ways. The elephant uses the trunk to smell. Because of the trunk, elephant has a strong sense of smell. It is also used for breathing. The elephant uses its long trunk to pick up food (like grass and plants, etc.) and put into its mouth. The trunk of elephant can reach up to the branches of trees and help it eat tree leaves as food. The elephant uses trunk for drinking water (by sucking up water and putting it into the mouth). The elephant also uses the trunk to bathe itself.