Short Answer Questions
Question 1 In which part of the earth is NIFE found? What is it composed of?
Answer The core of the earth is called NIFE. It is composed of Nickel (Ni) and Iron
(Fe).
Question 2 What are the consequences of the pressure and temperature in the
interior of the earth?
Answer The temperature in the core ranges from 4400°C to about 6000°C.
Pressure and density increases towards the interior of the earth. The inner core
is in solid state due to high pressure and density which compresses the molten
rock material. Outer core is in liquid state as there is not enough pressure to
keep it in a solid state.
Question 3 How do the meteorites help scientists to know about the interior of
the earth?
Answer The earth is said to be constituted of the same materials as the
meteorites. So, scientists study meteorites to know more about the interior of
the earth.
Question 4 What is the composition of the earth's crust?
Answer The crust of the earth is a sphere of solid rocks. It is only 1% of earth's
mass. It is made up of rocks with large content of silicates, feldspar, mica etc.
The crust is divided into two broad divisions- SIAL and SIMA. SIAL is composed of
Silica and Aluminium while SIMA is composed of Silica and Magnesium.
Question 5 What is the lithosphere?
Answer The crust of the earth is called lithosphere as it is a sphere of solid rocks
with a thickness of 60 km below high mountains and just 5-10 km below the
oceans.
Question 6 Name the three layers of the earth's interior. Name their boundaries.
Answer The three layers of the earth's interior are Core, Mantle and Crust.
The boundaries between the three layers of the earth's interior are:
Gutenberg Discontinuity — It lies between the mantle and the core.
Mohorovicic Discontinuity — It lies between the crust and the mantle.
Question 7 Describe the mantle. State its two chief characteristics.
Answer Mantle lies below the crust. It makes up 84% of the earth's total volume.
Mantle is divided into two parts — the upper mantle and the lower mantle.
Two chief characteristics of mantle are-
Its average thickness is 2900 km.
The temperature varies between about 1000°C to around 3700°C.
Question 8 Where is asthenosphere found? In which form does it exist?
Answer Asthenosphere is found at the depth of around 100-410 km. It exists in
partially molten form.
Question 9 Write one difference between Moho Discontinuity and Gutenberg
Discontinuity.
Question 10 Why is the earth's interior in most part found in a solid state despite
great heat and pressure?
Answer The solid state of the inner core is due to high density and pressure
which have compressed molten rock material.
Distinguish between the following:
Question 1(c) Give a geographical reason for each of the following:
(i) Temperature starts rising gradually towards the interior of the earth.
(ii) The asthenosphere is in a semi-molten state.
(iii) The inner core of the earth is in a solid state.
Answer (i) Due to enhancing density and pressure the temperature goes on
increasing gradually towards inside of the interior of the earth.
(ii) The asthenosphere is in a semi-molten state because of high temperature,
pressure and density.
(iii) The inner core of the earth is in a solid state due to high density and
pressure.
Give a geographical reason for each of the following:
(i) Nife is so called.
(ii) The core of the earth is the most inaccessible part of the earth.
(iii) The earth's crust undergoes many changes.
Answer
(i) Nife is so called as Ni stands for Nickel and Fe stands for Iron.
(ii) The core of the earth is the most inaccessible part of the earth because it lies
thousands of kilometers deep inside the earth.
(iii) The earth's crust undergoes many changes due to the forces of nature.
