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GeographyHardAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2018, GK

Statement I : Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of the Earth. Statement II : The Earth rotates from west to east.

  1. A.Both the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I
  2. B.Both the statements are individually true but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I
  3. C.Statement I is true but Statement II is false
  4. D.Statement I is false but Statement II is true

Correct answer

B. Both the statements are individually true but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I

Explanation

The correct answer is B. Both statements are true, but the direction in which the Earth spins does not explain why tides occur.

Tides are caused mainly by the Moon's pull, with the Sun adding a smaller pull; the Moon's tide-raising force is roughly twice the Sun's because it is so much closer. Water bulges on the side facing the Moon and on the far side, and as the Earth rotates once a day each place passes through two high tides and two low tides. When the Sun, Moon and Earth are in a line, at new and full moon, spring tides are highest; at the quarter phases, neap tides are lowest. Statement II, that the Earth rotates from west to east, is a true fact, but it only explains why the Sun rises in the east, not the cause of tides.

A is wrong because Statement II does not explain the rise and fall of sea level.

C is wrong because Statement II is true.

D is wrong because Statement I correctly describes tides.

Exam tip: spring tides at new and full moon; neap tides at the first and last quarter.

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Q2.GeographyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2023, Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. Many of the world's largest mountain chains exist beneath the sea.

2. Some mountain chains are revealed as island arcs.

3. The mid-oceanic ridges form the longest mountain chains.

4. The mid-Atlantic ridge rises thirty-three metres above the floor of the Atlantic.

Which of the statements given above are correct ?

  1. A.1 and 2 only
  2. B.3 and 4 only
  3. C.1, 2 and 4 only
  4. D.1, 2 and 3 only
Show answer
Correct answer: D. 1, 2 and 3 only

Statement 4 is wrong: the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises thousands of metres above the ocean floor, not thirty-three metres. The ocean floor has relief as varied as the land.

Q4.GeographyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2023, Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. The Great Northern Plains are formed by basins of three distinct river systems - the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.

2. They are one of the most densely populated areas on Earth.

3. Between the Yamuna at Delhi and the Bay of Bengal, nearly 1600 km away, there is a drop of only 200 metres in elevation.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. A.1, 2 and 3
  2. B.2 and 3 only
  3. C.1 and 2 only
  4. D.1 and 3 only
Show answer
Correct answer: A. 1, 2 and 3

All three statements correctly describe the Northern Plains of India. The Northern Plains were built from alluvium laid down by the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra and their tributaries, which together drain the Himalayas.