1.Which of the following is the SI unit of time?

1. Day
2. Hour
3. Minute
4. Second
Correct answer is 4

The SI unit of time is second.

2.What is a light year?

1. The amount of light received on earth in one year
2. The time it takes light to travel one metre
3. The distance light travels in one year
4. The speed at which light travels
Correct answer is 3

The distance travelled by light in one year is termed as a light year.

3.The metric system was created by the _____ in 1790.

1. British
2. Americans
3. French
4. Indians
Correct answer is 3

Correct

4.A sundial is used to measure _____.

1. time
2. length
3. the intensity of the sun's rays
4. the slope of the ground on which it rests
Correct answer is 1

A sundial is used to measure time.

5.Which of the following is a reason why SI units are

used globally?
1. They are only used by scientists.
2. They are the oldest units of measurement.
3. They are standardised and therefore easy to understand.
4. They are specific to each country and region.
Correct answer is 3

Having a standard unit system is important because it helps the entire world understand
measurements in one system - this allows for consistency.

6.The time taken to complete a journey and the speed

of travel are _____ to each other.
1. inversely proportional
2. directly proportional
3. unrelated
4. equal
Correct answer is 1

Speed = distance/time Hence, higher the speed, lesser will be the time of travel for the
same distance.

7.If it takes 60 minutes to paint a wall, then how long

will it take to paint 3 similar walls?
1. 20 minutes
2. 1 hour 20 minutes
3. 1 hour 80 minutes
4. 3 hours
Correct answer is 4

Time taken = 60 minutes × 3 = 180 minutes = 3 hours

8.Which of the following instruments can be used to

measure time accurately?
1. Sundial
2. Hourglass
3. Stopwatch
4. Water clock
Correct answer is 3

It measures time accurately, even when it comes to smaller units.

9.Which of the following types of clocks measures

time more accurately? A: An analogue wall clock B: A
digital wrist watch
1. A
2. B
3. Both A and B measure times with equal accuracy.
4. No conclusion can be drawn about accuracy without knowing the exact clock and watch
being used.
Correct answer is 2

Digital devices are more precise/accurate compared to analogue devices.

10.A defective clock is running 20 minutes ahead of

the actual time. What time will it show when it is
actually 2:50 p.m.?
1. 2:30 p.m.
2. 2:50 p.m.
3. 2:70 p.m.
4. 3:10 p.m.
Correct answer is 4
Correct

11.A defective watch is running 50 minutes behind

actual time. What time will it show when it is
actually 6:10 p.m.?
1. 5:20 p.m.
2. 6:10 p.m.
3. 6:60 p.m.
4. 7:00 p.m.
Correct answer is 1

Correct

12.The earth revolves in an orbit around the sun in

roughly 365 days and 6 hours. This creates a
discrepancy in the actual duration of one year and
the measured duration of one year. What was
changed in the calendar year to keep it
synchronised with the astronomical year or
seasonal year?
1. The addition of 1 more month to account for the extra time.
2. The addition of 1 more week to account for the extra time.
3. The concept of using the lunar cycles as a measurement was introduced.
4. The concept of having a leap year was introduced.
Correct answer is 4

To account for the extra day every four years, an extra day was introduced in the calendar.
Hence, once every four years, there are 366 days instead of 365 days.

13.A cyclist rides 15 km/h for the first half of a journey

and 20 km/h for the second half. If the journey is 40
km in total, how long does it take to complete the
entire journey?
1. 1 hour
2. 1 hour 20 minutes
3. 2 hours
4. 2 hours 20 minutes
Correct answer is 4

For the first half: Time taken = distance/speed = 4/3 hours For the second half: Time taken
= distance/speed = 1 hour So, the total time taken to complete the journey is 2 hours 20
minutes.

14.Akanksha is tasked with measuring the time taken

by 3 of her friends to individually complete one full
round on their 200 m school race track. Which of
the following instruments should she use? (A)
Hourglass (B) Sundial
1. Sundial - as this is more accurate than an hourglass.
2. Sundial - as this uses sunlight and the race is happening during the day.
3. Hourglass - as although the sundial is better, it cannot be used on a cloudy day.
4. Hourglass - as the sundial only tells time while an hourglass gives an estimate of the
passage of time.
Correct answer is 4

A sundial can only be used to tell the time at a certain point in the day and is not efficient
in measuring the passage of time very accurately.

15.Karthik uses his own pulse to measure the time

taken by him to run the length of a 100 m race track.
Why does he not get the same measurement each
time?
1. He might be measuring the pulse of different hands and, as a result, getting different
measurements.
2. The pulse becomes very faint while running and as a result he is not able to measure it
accurately.
3. The pulse rate changes with physical activity and as he is running, his pulse rate will
change.
4.He might not be a good runner and although the pulse is measuring the time accurately,
he is unable to clock in a consistent measure each time.
Correct answer is 3

The unit of measurement itself - pulse - is not a very accurate way to measure time in this
scenario as it changes with the intensity of physical activity being done.

16.The distance covered by a train from Chennai to

Bangalore is about 286 km at a speed of 44 km/h.
How much time will the train take to complete the
entire journey?
1. 5 hours
2. 5.5 hours
3. 6.5 hours
4. 7 hours
Correct answer is 3

Time = distance/speed = (286/44) = 6.5 hours

17.Assertion (A): A light year is the unit of

astronomical distance. Reason (R): A kilometre is
too small a unit to conveniently measure
astronomical distances. What is true about the
given assertion-reason pair?
1. Both A and R are correct and R is the correct reason for A.
2. Both A and R are correct but R is the incorrect reason for A.
3. A is correct but R is incorrect.
4. A is incorrect but R is correct.
Correct answer is 1

As the distance between astronomical entities is very large, standard units of

measurement used on earth are not apt to measure these distances.
18.By analysing the name of the clock, predict which
clock uses a swinging pendulum.
1. Atomic clock
2. Quartz clock
3. Digital clock
4. Mechanical clock
Correct answer is 4

The mechanical clock comprises an oscillating mechanism that marks the passing of time
and an escapement that counts its beats.

19.The Italian polymath, Galileo Galilei, is thought to have first

realised that the pendulum could be used as an accurate
timekeeper after watching the motion of suspended lamps at
Pisa Cathedral. In 1582, he investigated the regular swing of
the pendulum, and discovered that this was only dependent on
its length. (Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_timekeeping_devices)
What was the significance of this discovery?
1. It led to Galileo to construct the first ever pendulum clock.
2. It led to Leonardo da Vinci proposing the idea of the first pendulum clock in his
drawings.
3. The first pendulum clock, invented by Christiaan Huygens in 1656, increased the
accuracy of clocks more than sixty-fold.
4. Galileo did not share this discovery with anyone and hence no one recognised him.
Correct answer is 3

This discovery led to clocks becoming more accurate.

20.Incense clocks were first used in China mainly for religious

purposes, but also for social gatherings. Due to their frequent
use of Devanagari characters, American sinologist Edward H.
Schafer has speculated that incense clocks were invented in
India. (Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_timekeeping_devices)
What were some of the advantages of using an incense clock?
A: As incense burns evenly and without a flame, the clocks
were safe for indoor use. B: To mark different hours, differently
scented incenses (made from different recipes) could be
used. C: The incense sticks stayed perfectly straight even
when being burned i.e. they did not chip away.
1. Only A
2. Only A and B
3. Only B and C
4. All - A, B and C
Correct answer is 2

These were advantages of using incense sticks. C is incorrect since the incense sticks
would chip away (or fall off) as they burned.

21.Makara Sankranti, also known as Makara Sankrānti

or Maghi, is a festival day in the Hindu calendar, in
 reference to deity Surya (sun). It is observed each
year in January. It marks the first day of Sun's transit
into Makara (Capricorn). (Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice) What
do you think happens on winter solstice?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Correct answer is 3

The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of earth's poles
reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun.