Describe the solar system.

KCSE Geography Paper 1 2014 Section B Question 7.

(a) (i) Describe the solar system.

• It is the sun, planets and other celestriai bodies. They are held together by the force of gravity.
•  The celestrial bodies revolve / orbit the sun.
•  Most celestrial bodies are spherical in shape.

​(ii) The local time at Manaul 60° W is 11.30 a.m. What is the time in Nairobi 37° E? 

​ The difference in longitude is 60 + 37 = 97°
 1° = 4 minutes

(b) (i) State five characteristics of the mantle in the interior structure of the earth. 

• The mantle is divided into two parts / the upper mantle and the lower mantle.
• It is about 2900 km thick.
• The average density is between 3.0 - 3.3 gm/cm3
• The upper mantle has a lower temperature than the lower mantle / 1000° to 3000° C.
• The upper mantle is iii semi-solid state.
• The lower mantle is composed of rocks in viscous fluid state.
•  The dominant minerals are silica, iron and magnesium / ferro - magnesium silicate / olivine.

​(ii) Outline the evidence which support the theory of continental drift.

• Palaeontological/palaeozological evidence the fossils of plants/animals found in Africa are also in other continents .
• Adjacent continents have jig saw fitting coastlines or continental margins.
• There exists similarity in animal species/ plant species in the continents.
• Paleoclimatic evidence / Southern continents seem to have experienced large scale glaciation at the same period/presence of ancient glacial deposition in southern continents.
• Sea floor spreading recent volcanic eruption in mid-Atlantic ridges fill the gaps left by drifting continents.
• The location of major world fold mountains of the world/ trend of the folds /age of the fold mountains are similar.
• Paleamagnetism /the alignment of iron minerals in igneous rocks along the earths magnetic field indicate that the continents must have once been together.
• Geological evidence /existence of rocks which are similar in their formation/structure/types/age along margins of different continents (sharing of oceans).

(c) The diagram below represents the revolution of the earth.

​(i) Name the solstice marked P. 

• Winter solstice 

​(ii) Identify the season represented in the region marked Q. 

• Spring.

(iii) Describe the climatic conditions in Europe when the Earth is in position R. 

• High temperatures / hot conditions are experienced.
•  There are long hours of sunshine.
•  There is precipitation in form of rainfall / wet conditions.
•  There is high humidity.
•  There is low pressure.
•  There is convergence of winds.
•  It is cloudy.

​(d) With the aid of a well labelled diagram, describe the occurrence of the solar eclipse.

• It occurs when the moon lies between the earth and the sun / when the sun rays are blocked by the moon from reaching the earth.
•  The shadow of the moon is cast on the earth’s surface.
•  The shadow is the solar eclipse
•  The shadow has two parts namely the umbra and penumbra.
•  The umbra shadow causes total solar eclipse.

​Related Geography Searches on Introduction To Geography Form 1 Level

Read More