Solar System - Physical Geography Past Paper PDF

2. Solar system 1. In the sequence of planets in the Solar (d) 123 system, which planet comes in between SSC CGL (Tier-1) 13/06/2019 (Shift-III) Mercury and Earth? Ans: (b)...

2. Solar system 1. In the sequence of planets in the Solar (d) 123 system, which planet comes in between SSC CGL (Tier-1) 13/06/2019 (Shift-III) Mercury and Earth? Ans: (b) (a) Uranus The Sun's diameter is about 109 times the (b) Venus diameter of Earth. (c) Jupiter The Sun's diameter is 1,391,000 kilometers (d) Mars (864,400 miles) across, while Earth's diame- SSC CGL (Tier-I)-2019-06/03/2020 (Shift-1) ter is 12,742 kilometers (7,917 miles). This Ans: (b) means that 109 Earths could fit across the The order of planets in the solar system is in Sun's face. the increasing order of distance from the Sun. According to this order, Venus comes 5. When does a solar eclipse take place? between Mercury and Earth. (a) When the sun is between the moon and The order of planets in the solar system is as earth follows: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupi- (b) When the earth is between the moon and ter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. sun (c) When the moon is between the sun and earth 2. Which of the following order of planets is (d) When the moon does not lie on the line correct as per distance the increasing or- joining the sun and earth der from the Earth? SSC CGL (TIER-1) 09-09-2016, 1:15 pm (a) Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter Ans: (c) (b) Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon pass- (c) Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter es between the Sun and the Earth, creating a (d) Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury shadow on the Earth that either completely SSC JE Civil-24/01/2018 (Shift-II) or partially blocks the light of the Sun in Ans. (b) some places. There are eight planets in the solar system This happens only by chance, because the that revolve around the sun. In order of dis- Moon does not rotate in exactly the same tance, they are Mercury, Venus, Earth, plane as the Sun and the Earth. The time Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. when they are aligned is called the eclipse In order of increasing distance from Earth is season, which occurs twice a year. Venus, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter. 3. Our solar system consists of the sun (the 6. The average length of a solar cycle is- star), 9 planets and.......... moons. (a) 5 year (a) 43 (b) 9 year (c) 83 (c) 11 year (b) 23 (d) 7 year (d) 63 SSC JE Civil-23/09/2019 (Shift-1) (SSC J.E. 02.03.17, 10:00 am) Ans. (c): Ans: (*) A solar cycle is a nearly periodic change in Our solar system is made up of a star—the the Sun's activity, as measured by variations Sun—eight planets, 146 moons, a bunch of in the number of sunspots on its surface. comets, asteroids and space rocks, ice, and During a solar cycle, other aspects of solar several dwarf planets, such as Pluto. activity, such as solar radiation, solar flares, The eight planets are Mercury, Venus, and coronal loops, also fluctuate in a syn- Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and chronized way. Neptune. Mercury is closest to the Sun. The average length of a solar cycle is around 11 years, but some say that cycles can range 4. The approximate diameter of the sun is from 10 to 12 years. times the diameter of Earth. (a) 92 7. The time that light takes to travel from (b) 109 the Sun (c) 146 (a) 6.311 minutes 5  (b) 2.311 minutes (c) Mars (c)4.311 minutes (d) Uranus (d)8.311 minutes SSC JE Civil- 23/03/2021 (Shift-1) Ans: (d) Ans. (a) (SSC J.E. 01.03.17, 10:00 am) Mercury is the closest and smallest planet to According to research, the sunlight from the the sun in our solar system. As the smallest Sun to the Earth takes an average of 8 planet in the solar system, it orbits the sun minutes and 20 seconds. Sunlight travels at the speed of light. We know that the dis- faster than all the other planets, hence its tance of the sun from the earth = 149.6 × 10 6 name after the swift-footed messenger of the km. Photons emitted from the surface of the Romans. Sun must travel through the vacuum of A huge metallic core inside mercury that space to reach our eyes.. covers about 75% of the planet's diameter, or about 2,200 to 2,400 miles (3,600 to 8. The outermost part of the Sun's atmos- 3,800 kilometers). phere is called solar eclipse. which can be seen during a total 11. Which of these planets has no satellite? (a) photosphere (a) Uranus (b) corona (b) Venus (c) chromosphere (c) Jupiter (d) transition region (d) Neptune SSC JE Civil 28.10.2020 (Shift-II) SSC CGL (TIER-1) 03-09-2016, 4:15 pm SSC MTS- 04/05/2023 (Shift-II) Ans. (b) (SSC 10+2 CHSL 17.01.17, 10 am The outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere Ans : (b) is called the corona, and it extends thou- Mercury and Venus are the only planets in sands of kilometers above the sun's visible our solar system that don't have natural sat- surface. ellites. This is because of their proximity to The corona is usually hidden by the sun's the sun and smaller mass. bright surface, but it can be seen during a Mercury's gravity is so strong that any moon total solar eclipse as a white glow or with it had would likely crash into the planet or special instruments. orbit the sun and eventually be pulled into it. 9. The glowing surface of the Sun is 12. In terms of size, Venus ranks called......... (a) Photosphere no....................... in our Solar System, (b) Chromosphere (a) 5 (c) Corona (b) 6 (d) Troposphere (c) 7 (SSC 10+2 CHSL 11.01.17, 10 am) (d) 8 Ans: (a) (SSC 10+2 CHSL 25.01.17, 4:15 pm) The surface of the Sun is called the photo- Ans: (b) sphere, a term which means “sphere of Venus is the sixth largest planet in our solar light.” system in terms of size and mass. It's about The glowing ball of light that you see in the the same width as Earth, with an equatorial sky is the photosphere.The photosphere is a diameter of 7,521 miles (12,104 kilometers). thinner, cooler layer than its neighboring The largest planets in our solar system as layers. It is only about 500 km (300 miles) per their surface area in ascending order are wide, a much thinner layer than the interior solar regions. The temperature of the photo- Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth, Neptune, Ura- sphere is around 5,500 °C (9,900 °F), which nus, Saturn, and Jupiter. is much cooler than the Sun's core. Most of the light energy produced in the Sun’s core 13. Which of the planets has no satellites? escapes from the photosphere. (a) Uranus (b) Venus (c) Jupiter (d) Neptune 10. Which planet in our solar system is clos- (SSC 10+2 CHSL 17.01.17, 10 am) est to the sun? Ans.[b] (a) Mercury Mercury and Venus are the only planets (b) Venus in our solar system that don't have natu- ral satellites. 6  These inner planets are too close to the sun The magnetic field helps protect the Earth's and have smaller mass, which makes it diffi- atmosphere from being stripped away by the cult for them to retain satellites. If a moon solar wind, a stream of charged particles were too far from either planet, it would be emitted by the Sun. captured by the sun's gravity, and if it were It also helps shield the Earth from potential- too close, it would be destroyed by tidal ly harmful cosmic rays, which are high- gravitational forces. energy particles originating from space. The magnetic field provides a navigational 14. Which acid makes the atmosphere of Ve- aid for animals and compasses for humans, nus have thick white and yellowish helping them to determine directions. clouds ? (a) Nitric acid 17. Why is Earth called the blue planet? (b) Acetic acid (a) Because of two-thirds surface covered by (c) Sulphuric acid water (d) Hydrochloric acid (b) Because of water laden clouds in the at- SSC CPO-SI-13/12/2019 (Shift-1) mosphere Ans: (c) (c) Because of pollution in the atmosphere The atmosphere of Venus is characterized (d) None of these by thick white and yellowish clouds, primar- SSC MTS 9-10-2017 (Shift-I) Ans:[a] ily composed of sulfuric acid and droplets of Earth is often referred to as the "blue planet" sulfuric acid. because when viewed from space, it appears The clouds are 75–96% sulfuric acid and predominantly blue in color due to the large also contain water, chlorine, and iron. The bodies of water that cover its surface. The clouds reflect about 75% of the sunlight that oceans and seas reflect sunlight, giving hits them and trap heat, causing a runaway Earth its distinct blue hue when seen from greenhouse effect. afar. This characteristic sets Earth apart from the 15. Based on current scientific knowledge, it other planets in our solar system, most of which do not have the same vast bodies of is currently postulated that the approxi- liquid water or a similar atmosphere that mate age of the Earth is …………………. creates such a striking blue appearance. (a) About 65,00,000 years (b) About 95,00,00,00 years 18. One Astronomical Unit (AU) represent (c) About 4,50,00,000 years the mean distance between- (d) About 45,00,00,000 years (a) Sun and mercury SSC CGL Mains -26/10/2023 (Shift-1) (b) Earth and Moon Ans. [c] (c) Earth and Sun By dating the rocks in Earth's ever-changing (d) Moon and Sun crust, as well as the rocks in Earth's neigh- SSC JE Civil - 23/09/2019 (Shift-I) bors, such as the moon and visiting meteor- Ans. [c] ites, scientists have calculated that Earth is In general, one astronomical unit (AU) rep- 4.54 billion years old, with an error range of resents the average distance between Earth 50 million years. and our Sun. One AU is approximately 93 million miles (150 million km). It's approxi- 16. What is the purpose of the Earth's mag- mately 8 light-minutes. netic field? According to NASA, Jupiter is about 5.2 (a) To generate tides in the sea AU from the sun, (b) Providing an energy source for life on Earth 19. Movement of Earth on its axis is called (c) Protecting the Earth from solar wind and (a) Revolution cosmic radiation (b) Rotation (d) Controlling the earth's climate (c) Translation SSC JE Electrical 10/10/2023 (Shift-II) (d) Illumination SSC CHSL (Tier-1) – 03/08/2023 (Shift-II) SSC MTS 10-10-2017 (Shift-III) Ans. [c] Ans. [b] The Earth's magnetic field serves several important purposes: 7  The movement of the Earth on its axis is The Earth is at the largest distance from the called rotation. The earth takes about 24 sun (Aphelion point) on the 4th of July. hours to complete one rotation around its It is the point in the Earth's orbit that is far- axis. The period of rotation is known as the thest from the Sun. When the Earth reaches earth day. This is the daily motion of the aphelion, the sun appears slightly smaller in earth. the sky than at other times of the year. The Earth's axis is tilted at a 23.5° angle and is perpendicular to the plane of its orbit. 23. Which among the following is false about Earth? 20. Which of the following helps keep Earth's (a) It is the densest planet atmosphere in place? (b) It is the fifth largest planet (a) Gravitational force of the moon (c) It is also known as red planet (b) Gravitational force of Earth (d) It is the third planet from the sun (c) Rotation of Earth on its axis (SSC 10+2 CHSL 11.01.17, 4:15 pm) (d) Gravitational force of the sun Ans : (c) SSC CPO-SI-13/12/2019 (Shift-II) Ans.[b] The statement that Earth is also known as The earth is surrounded by a thin layer of air the red planet is false. The red planet nick- called the atmosphere, which is held around name is actually for Mars. it by the gravitational force. Earth is one of the densest planets in our so- This layer shields us from the sun's harmful lar system, but it's not the densest. Mercury, rays and intense heat. It is composed of vari- which is smaller than Earth, is actually dens- ous gasses, dust, and water vapor. The er. changes in the atmosphere produce changes Earth is indeed the third planet in our solar in the weather and climate. system, counting from the sun. 21. Why does the Earth have its own atmos- 24. In terms of size, Earth ranks no. --------- phere? in our Solar System. (a) Winds (a) 5 (b) Clouds (c) Gravity (b) 6 (d) Rotation of the Earth (c) 7 SSC CGL (TIER-1) 27-08-2016, (d) 8 4:15 pm (SSC 10+2 CHSL 25.01.17, 1:15 pm) Ans.[c] Ans: (a) The atmosphere contains particles and gases Earth is the fifth largest planet in our solar that cannot escape into space because they system in terms of size and mass. It has an are limited by the known force of gravity. average diameter of 7,918 miles (12,742 kil- Earth's gravity comes from its total mass. Its ometers) and a radius of 6,386 kilometers. total mass creates a combined pulling force It's smaller than the four gas giants — Jupi- for your entire body mass. ter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — but larg- Gravity keeps the gasses close to Earth ra- er than the three other rocky planets, Mercu- ther than escaping into outer space. Addi- ry, Mars and Venus. tionally, gravity makes the atmosphere dens- er closer to Earth – the upper layers push 25..........is the time taken by the earth to re- downward against the lower layers. turn to a given point in its orbit with ref- erence to a fixed star. 22. On which day of the year is the earth far- (a) Lunar year thest from the sun, at a position called ap- (b) Sidereal year helion? (c) Solar year (a) 16 August (d) Tropical year (b) 12 May (SSC 10+2 CHSL 24.01.17, 1:15 pm) (c) 4 July Ans : (b) (d) 23 October The time it takes for Earth to complete one SSC CHSL 19/10/2020 full orbit around the sun in relation to fixed (Shift-1) stars is called a sidereal year. Ans.[c] This means that it is the time it takes for Earth to return to the same position in its 8  orbit as seen from outside the solar system. 23.5° with the normal to Earth's orbital It is 20 minutes longer than the tropical year plane. because of precession. This tilt is responsible for the changing sea- Tropical year: The time is taken by the sons as different parts of the Earth receive earth to make one revolution around the sun. varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year. 26. In which direction does the earth rotate around its axis? 29. The mean distance between the Sun and (a) east to west the Earth is approximately ________ (b) west to east (a) 99.6 Million Km (c) north to south (b) 49.6 Million Km (d) south to east (c) 149.6 Million Km (SSC 10+2 CHSL 10.01.17, 4:15 pm) (d) 199.6 Million Km Ans: (b) (SSC J.E. 02.03.17, 2:45 pm) The Earth rotates on its axis from west to Ans : (c) east. When viewed from above the North The average distance between the Earth and Pole, this appears as a counterclockwise ro- the Sun is approximately 150 million kilo- tation. This rotation is also known as a pro- meters, or 93 million miles. grade rotation. This distance is also known as one Astro- The Earth's rotation causes the sun, moon, nomical Unit (AU), which is defined as stars, and other celestial objects to appear to 149,597,870.7 kilometers (92,955,807.3 move from east to west across the sky. This miles). rotation is responsible for the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. 30. What are the names of the two small The Earth's rotation is completed every 24 moons orbiting Mars discovered by hours. American astronomer Asaph Hall in 1877? 27. Earth revolves around the Sun. Who was (a) Miranda and Triton st the 1 one to present this theory? (b) Phobos and Deimos (a) Albert Einstein (c) Karen and dyschromia (b) Galileo (d) Enceladus and Titan (c) Copernicus Ans. (b) (d) Newton SSC CHSL (Tier-1)-07/08/2023 (Shift-IV) (SSC 10+2 CHSL 22.01.17, 1:15 pm) Mars has two small moons named Phobos Ans.(c) and Deimos. These moons were discovered Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, in 1877 by American astronomer Asaph was the first to officially propose the helio- Hall. centric theory, which states that the Earth They are irregularly shaped and are much revolves around the Sun, in his 1543 work. smaller compared to moons like Earth's Copernicus's theory placed the Sun at the moon, Ganymede of Jupiter, or Titan of Sat- center of the universe, with the Earth spin- urn. ning on its axis once a day and revolving around the Sun annually. His model includ- 31. What is the approximate duration (in ed mathematical calculations and was a years) of Mars retrograde? breakthrough in astronomy, though it also (a) 3 contained some inaccuracies. (b) 5 28. What is the angle made by the axis of the (c) 4 Earth with its orbital plane? (d) 2 (a) 11° SSC JE Mechanical - 27/09/2019 (Shift-I ) (b) 33° Ans. (d): (c) 66° Mars retrograde occurs approximately every (d) 15° 26 months and lasts for about 2 months. SSC MTS 11-10-2017 (Shift-III) This means that the approximate duration of Ans. (c) Mars retrograde is around 2 months every The axis of the Earth makes an angle of 26 months. 66.5° with its orbital plane or an angle of 9