NCERT Class 11 Geography Chapter 10 : WATER IN THE ATMOSPHERE | Line-by-Line MCQs & Mains Questions for UPSC

Chapter Insights: Chapter -10- WATER IN THE ATMOSPHERE

📚 NCERT Integrated 📖 Standard Book Ref ✅ PSC & UPSC Aligned

This chapter details the crucial role of water vapour in the atmosphere, which drives weather phenomena. It begins by defining humidity in its various measures: Absolute Humidity (the actual water vapour content) and Relative Humidity (the percentage of moisture relative to the air's capacity at a given temperature).

Key concepts like saturation and dew point (the temperature at which air becomes saturated) are introduced. The chapter explains the processes that change water's state: Evaporation (liquid to vapour, driven by heat) and Condensation (vapour to liquid/solid, caused by cooling).

Condensation requires hygroscopic nuclei (like dust or salt particles) and leads to various forms: Dew (on cold surfaces above freezing), Frost (below freezing), Fog/Mist (cloud at ground level), and Clouds.

Clouds are classified into four basic types—Cirrus (high, wispy), Cumulus (middling, fluffy), Stratus (layered), and Nimbus (dark, rain-bearing)—which combine to form other varieties. When condensed particles grow heavy enough to overcome air resistance, they fall as Precipitation.

This includes rainfall, snowfall, sleet (frozen raindrops), and hail (layered ice pellets). Rainfall is categorized by its origin: Convectional (from heated rising air), Orographic/Relief (from air forced up mountain slopes, creating wet windward sides and dry rain-shadow leeward areas), and Cyclonic/Frontal.

The chapter concludes with the world distribution of rainfall, outlining patterns based on latitude, proximity to coasts, and prevailing winds, identifying regions from heavy equatorial rainfall to arid rain-shadow and high-latitude zones.

Note on Coverage: These questions are developed through a line-by-line analysis of the textbook. This ensures that even the smaller details and nuanced concepts often overlooked are covered for comprehensive exam preparation.

Preparation Method

We recommend reading the NCERT chapter thoroughly before attempting these questions. The page numbers provided correspond to the actual textbook pages to help you locate the source material quickly.

Section A: Descriptive Questions

  1. Name the three forms in which water is present in the atmosphere. What are the two main processes that add moisture to it? (Pg. 1) Page 86
  2. What is meant by 'saturated air'? What is the 'dew point'? (Pg. 1) Page 86
  3. What conditions favour a higher rate of evaporation? (Pg. 1) Page 86
  4. List the forms that condensation can take after the dew point is reached. (Pg. 2) Page 87
  5. Differentiate between fog and mist. What is smog? (Pg. 2) Page 87
  6. Name and describe the four basic cloud types based on their height, shape, and appearance. (Pg. 2-3) Page 87-88
  7. What is precipitation? Name the different forms it can take. (Pg. 3) Page 88
  8. Describe the formation of hailstones. (Pg. 3) Page 88
  9. Explain the process of Orographic or Relief rainfall. What is a 'rain-shadow area'? (Pg. 4) Page 89
  10. State the general patterns of world rainfall distribution with respect to latitude, coastal vs. interior areas, and windward vs. leeward sides. (Pg. 4) Page 89

Section B1: Multiple Choice Questions

Page 86

What is the term for the actual amount of water vapour present in a unit volume of air? (Pg. 1)

A) Absolute HumidityB) Relative HumidityC) Specific HumidityD) Saturated Air
View Answer
Answer: A
Source Reference: Page 86
Page 86

The main cause for the process of evaporation is: (Pg. 1)

A) PressureB) WindC) HeatD) Condensation
View Answer
Answer: C
Source Reference: Page 86
Page 86

Condensation in free air results from cooling around small particles known as: (Pg. 1)

A) Dew pointsB) Hygroscopic condensation nucleiC) Smog particlesD) Ice crystals
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 86
Page 87

What is deposited when condensation occurs on cooler solid surfaces with dew point above freezing? (Pg. 2)

A) FrostB) FogC) DewD) Hail
View Answer
Answer: C
Source Reference: Page 87
Page 87

What is a cloud with its base at or very near the ground called? (Pg. 2)

A) DewB) FrostC) FogD) Smog
View Answer
Answer: C
Source Reference: Page 87
Page 87

Which clouds are thin, detached, feathery, and formed at very high altitudes (8,000-12,000m)? (Pg. 2)

A) CumulusB) StratusC) NimbusD) Cirrus
View Answer
Answer: D
Source Reference: Page 87
Page 87-88

Which clouds are black or dark gray, very dense, and opaque? (Pg. 2-3)

A) CirrusB) CumulusC) StratusD) Nimbus
View Answer
Answer: D
Source Reference: Page 87-88
Page 88

What is precipitation in the form of fine flakes of snow called? (Pg. 3)

A) SleetB) HailC) SnowfallD) Frost
View Answer
Answer: C
Source Reference: Page 88
Page 88

On the basis of origin, how many main types of rainfall are identified? (Pg. 3)

A) TwoB) ThreeC) FourD) Five
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 88
Page 89

Which slope of a mountain receives greater rainfall in orographic precipitation? (Pg. 4)

A) Leeward SlopeB) Windward SlopeC) Eastern SlopeD) Western Slope
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 89
Page 89

Which regions receive heavy rainfall of over 200 cm per annum? (Pg. 4)

A) Interior Continental AreasB) Coastal areas of continentsC) Equatorial belt and windward slopes of western coasts in temperate zonesD) Central parts of tropical lands
View Answer
Answer: C
Source Reference: Page 89
Page 90

(Exercise) Which one of the following processes is responsible for transforming liquid into vapour? (Pg. 5)

A) CondensationB) TranspirationC) EvaporationD) Precipitation
View Answer
Answer: C
Source Reference: Page 90
Page 90

(Exercise) The air that contains moisture to its full capacity is called: (Pg. 5)

A) Relative humidityB) Specific humidityC) Saturated airD) Dew point
View Answer
Answer: C
Source Reference: Page 90
Page 90

(Exercise) Which one of the following is the highest cloud in the sky? (Pg. 5)

A) CirrusB) StratusC) NimbusD) Cumulus
View Answer
Answer: A
Source Reference: Page 90

Section B2: One-Word / Factual Check

The percentage of moisture present compared to the air's full capacity at a given temperature is called ______ humidity. (Pg. 1) Page 86

Show Answer
relative (Reference: Page 86)

The transformation of water vapour into water is called ______. (Pg. 1) Page 86

Show Answer
condensation (Reference: Page 86)

The most favourable condition for condensation is the ______ in air temperature. (Pg. 1-2) Page 86-87

Show Answer
decrease (Reference: Page 86-87)

When condensation takes place below freezing point, forming minute ice crystals, it is called ______. (Pg. 2) Page 87

Show Answer
frost (Reference: Page 87)

Clouds are masses of minute water droplets or ice crystals formed by the ______ of water vapour in free air. (Pg. 2) Page 87

Show Answer
condensation (Reference: Page 87)

Cumulus clouds look like ______ and have a flat base. (Pg. 2) Page 87

Show Answer
cotton wool (Reference: Page 87)

Layered clouds covering large portions of the sky are called ______ clouds. (Pg. 2) Page 87

Show Answer
stratus (Reference: Page 87)

Frozen raindrops or refrozen melted snow-water that falls as small ice pellets is called ______. (Pg. 3) Page 88

Show Answer
sleet (Reference: Page 88)

Rainfall caused when heated air rises, expands, cools, and condenses is called ______ rain. (Pg. 3) Page 88

Show Answer
convectional (Reference: Page 88)

The area on the leeward side of a mountain that gets less rainfall is known as the ______ area. (Pg. 4) Page 89

Show Answer
rain-shadow (Reference: Page 89)

Areas in high latitudes and rain-shadow zones receive very low rainfall, less than ______ cm per annum. (Pg. 4) Page 89

Show Answer
50 (Reference: Page 89)

(Exercise) The three types of precipitation are rain, snow, and ______. (Pg. 5) Page 90

Show Answer
sleet (Reference: Page 90)

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