Section A - Maps & Globes

Question 1

What is latitude?

Answer 1

The distance north or south of the Equator

Latitude is measured in degrees.

Question 2

What is longitude?

Answer 2

The distance east or west of the Prime Meridian

Longitude is also measured in degrees.

Question 3

What is the line of 0° latitude called?

Answer 3

The Equator

It serves as the starting point for measuring latitude.

Question 4

What is the latitude of the North Pole?

Answer 4

90° N

This represents the furthest point north on Earth.

Question 5

What is the latitude of the South Pole?

Answer 5

90° S

This represents the furthest point south on Earth.

Question 6

What are parallels of latitude?

Answer 6

Imaginary circles around the Earth that are parallel to the Equator

They represent degrees of latitude.

Question 7

What are lines of longitude known as?

Answer 7

Meridians

They meet at the Poles.

Question 8

What is the line of 0° longitude called?

Answer 8

The Prime Meridian

It runs through Greenwich, England.

Question 9

Fill in the blank: The latitude of every point in between the poles is some degree either north or south, from _______ to _______.

Answer 9

0° to 90°

This defines the range of possible latitudes.

Question 10

What is a scale in the context of maps?

Answer 10

A scale expresses the relationship between the size of the map and the actual size of the area it represents

Question 11

How can a scale be represented on a map?

Answer 11

A word scale or a line scale

Question 12

What is an example of a large scale map?

Answer 12

1 cm represents 50 m

Question 13

What is an example of a small scale map?

Answer 13

1 cm represents 100 km

Question 14

What type of map would have a scale where 1 cm represents 1 500 km?

Answer 14

A very small scale map showing the whole world

Question 15

What type of map would have a scale where 1 cm represents 500 m?

Answer 15

A large scale map showing a local area

Question 16

What scales can be found in an atlas?

Answer 16

World, regional, local

Question 17

True or False: A regional map can only be a small scale map.

Answer 17

False

Question 18

Fill in the blank: A local map would be a _______ scale.

Answer 18

large

Question 19

What does a small scale map represent?

Answer 19

A larger area with less detail

Question 20

What does a large scale map represent?

Answer 20

A smaller area with more detail

Question 21

Name two types of scales that can be used on maps.

Answer 21

Word scale, line scale

Question 22

How often does Earth rotate on its axis?

Answer 22

Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours.

Question 23

What results from Earth’s rotation?

Answer 23

Earth’s rotation results in day and night.

Question 24

What is the time difference between two meridians 15° apart?

Answer 24

There is a difference of 1 hour between two meridians 15° apart.

Question 25

In which direction does Earth rotate?

Answer 25

Earth rotates from west to east.

Question 26

Where does the sun appear to rise and set?

Answer 26

The sun appears to rise in the east and set in the west.

Question 27

How long does it take for Earth to rotate through 1° of longitude?

Answer 27

It takes Earth 4 minutes to rotate through 1° of longitude.

Question 28

How long does it take for Earth to rotate through 15° of longitude?

Answer 28

Earth will rotate through 15° of longitude in 1 hour (60 minutes).

Question 29

How does the sun's position affect time zones?

Answer 29

Places to the east get the morning sun before those to the west.

Question 30

What can we calculate if we know the longitude of two places?

Answer 30

We can calculate the difference in time between those places.

Question 31

What is South African Standard Time based on?

Answer 31

South Africa has set its time at 30° E, which is the line of longitude that runs through South Africa.

Question 32

How many hours ahead is South Africa compared to Greenwich Mean Time?

Answer 32

South Africa is two hours ahead of Greenwich in London, which is on longitude 0°.

Question 33

What is the tilt of the Earth's axis?

Answer 33

The axis of the Earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5° from perpendicular.

Question 34

How long does it take for the Earth to revolve around the sun?

Answer 34

Earth takes 365 days to revolve around the sun once.

Question 35

What is a leap year?

Answer 35

Every fourth year is given an extra day and is called a leap year.

Question 36

What are the effects of the Earth's revolution and axial tilt?

Answer 36

The effects include: • changes in the altitude (angle) of the noon sun at different times of the year, • varying lengths of day and night at different times of the year, • the four seasons.

Question 37

When do the solstices occur?

Answer 37

The solstices occur on June 21 when the sun at noon is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer and on December 21 when the sun at noon is directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn.

Question 38

What causes seasonal temperature changes?

Answer 38

Seasonal temperature changes are caused by: • the tilt of the Earth's axis away or toward the sun as it travels through its year-long journey around the sun, • the number of daylight hours, • the varying angle of the noon sun.

Question 39

How do seasons vary across the Earth?

Answer 39

All parts of the Earth (except at the Equator) have seasons when summer is hotter than winter.