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Fundamentals of Physical Geography

Class 11 · Geography

Ch 2 · The Origin and Evolution of the Earth

Real UPSC Prelims questions from 2016–2026, linked to this book. Try each one first, then open the answer. 2026 answers follow UPSC's provisional answer key.

Prelims 2017 · Q44

The terms 'Event Horizon', 'Singularity', 'String Theory' and 'Standard Model' are sometimes seen in the news in the context of

  1. (a)Observation and understanding of the Universe
  2. (b)Study of the solar and the lunar eclipses
  3. (c)Placing satellites in the orbit of the Earth
  4. (d)Origin and evolution of living organisms on the Earth
Show answer

UPSC's answer: (a)

NCERT answers it: Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Ch 2 (The Origin and Evolution of the Earth).

How to solve it with NCERT: Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography, ch 2: in the Big Bang theory the Universe began as one 'singular atom', and the chapter's figure is labelled 'Singularity'. These terms are about understanding the Universe, not eclipses, satellites or living things. Answer (a).

Beyond NCERT: two of the four are black-hole terms (NASA). The event horizon is a black hole's 'surface': inside it, escaping would need more than the speed of light. The singularity is the point at its centre where matter is crushed to infinite density. Source: NASA Science, 'Black Hole Anatomy' (science.nasa.gov)

Hindi version: UPSC's official question paper (2017), question 44 ↗

Prelims 2018 · Q57

Consider the following statements:

  1. 1.The Earth's magnetic field has reversed every few hundred thousand years.
  2. 2.When the Earth was created more than 4000 million years ago, there was 54% oxygen and no carbon dioxide.
  3. 3.When living organisms originated, they modified the early atmosphere of the Earth.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)2 and 3 only
  3. (c)1 and 3 only
  4. (d)1, 2 and 3
Show answer

UPSC's answer: (c)

NCERT answers it: Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Ch 2 (The Origin and Evolution of the Earth); Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Ch 4 (Distribution of Oceans and Continents).

Fundamentals of Physical Geography: the early atmosphere had very little free oxygen, and living things later changed it through photosynthesis (ch 2). The ocean floor shows strips of normal and reversed magnetism (ch 4). So 1 and 3: (c).

Hindi version: UPSC's official question paper (2018), question 57 ↗

Prelims 2021 · Q76

Which one of the following is a reason why astronomical distances are measured in light-years?

  1. (a)Distances among stellar bodies do not change.
  2. (b)Gravity of stellar bodies does not change.
  3. (c)Light always travels in straight line.
  4. (d)Speed of light is always same.
Show answer

UPSC's answer: (d)

NCERT answers it: Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Ch 2 (The Origin and Evolution of the Earth).

How to solve it with NCERT: Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography, ch 2: light travels at 300,000 km per second, and a light year is the distance light travels in one year. That unit works only because light's speed is always the same. Answer (d).

Hindi version: UPSC's official question paper (2021), question 76 ↗

Prelims 2023 · Q56

Consider the following pairs:

Objects in space : Description

  1. 1.Cepheids : Giant clouds of dust and gas in space
  2. 2.Nebulae : Stars which brighten and dim periodically
  3. 3.Pulsars : Neutron stars that are formed when massive stars run out of fuel and collapse

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

  1. (a)Only one
  2. (b)Only two
  3. (c)All three
  4. (d)None
Show answer

UPSC's answer: (a)

NCERT answers it: Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Ch 2 (The Origin and Evolution of the Earth).

The one fact NCERT doesn't give: Pulsars are neutron stars left behind when massive stars run out of fuel and collapse.

Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography, ch 2: a nebula is a very large cloud of gas — so pairs 1 and 2 are swapped, and both are wrong. With the fact, only pair 3 is right. Answer (a).

Beyond NCERT: Cepheids are the stars that brighten and dim in a regular cycle, and astronomers use that cycle to measure distances. So pair 2's description belongs to Cepheids. Source: NASA Science, Hubble: 'Discovering a Runaway Universe' (science.nasa.gov)

Hindi version: UPSC's official question paper (2023), question 56 ↗

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