SCERT Kerala Standard X Social Science II - Part 1 Vocabulary Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards based on the Kerala SCERT Social Science II (Part 1) textbook for Standard X, covering Weather, Climate, Climatic Regions, Consumer Protection, and Money and Economy.

Weather

Atmospheric conditions such as temperature, pressure, wind, humidity, and precipitation for a shorter period of time.

Climate

The average weather condition experienced for a longer period over a larger area, typically determined by considering weather conditions of about $35$ to $40$ years.

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)

The principal agency responsible for weather observations and forecasts in India, functioning under the Ministry of Earth Sciences with headquarters in Delhi.

Nuclear Fusion

The reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei collide and merge together to form a larger atom, generating massive amounts of energy; it occurs in all stars including the sun.

Insolation

The amount of sun's rays reaching the earth’s surface, usually in the form of short waves.

Conduction

The process of heat transfer to the lower part of the atmosphere which is directly in contact with the surface of the earth.

Convection

The process where heat is transferred to higher reaches of the atmosphere as heated air expands and rises up.

Advection

The horizontal transfer of heat through the movement of wind.

Radiation

The emission of energy in the form of long waves after the earth’s surface gets heated up.

Terrestrial Radiation

The re-radiation of energy in the form of long waves from the earth’s surface into the atmosphere.

Green House Effect

The phenomenon where atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide absorb terrestrial radiation, heating up the atmosphere.

Heat Budget of the Earth

The process of heat balancing where the surface temperature remains stable as almost all energy reaching the earth as insolation is radiated back.

Maximum-Minimum Thermometer

A special instrument made of two ordinary thermometers connected by a U-shaped glass tube used to record the highest and lowest temperatures of a day.

Diurnal Range of Temperature

The difference between the maximum temperature and the minimum temperature of a single day.

Isotherms

Imaginary lines on a map connecting places having equal temperature.

Thermal Equator

An imaginary line connecting places with the highest mean annual temperature along every longitude.

Normal Lapse Rate

The phenomenon of gradual decrease in temperature at the rate of $6.4^\text{o} C$ per kilometre of altitude ($km^{-1}$).

Atmospheric Pressure

The weight exerted by the atmospheric air over the earth’s surface.

Barometer

An instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure, which is usually recorded in millibars ($mb$) or hectopascal ($hpa$).

Isobars

Imaginary lines drawn on maps to connect places having equal atmospheric pressure.

Doldrum

The Equatorial Low Pressure Belt characterized by vertical air currents and a lack of horizontal wind.

Coriolis Force

A force caused by the earth's rotation that deflects winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

The equatorial low-pressure region where the trade winds from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres converge.

Absolute Humidity

The actual amount of water vapour present per unit volume of the atmosphere.

Relative Humidity

The percentage ratio between the actual amount of water in the atmosphere and the total water-holding capacity at a particular temperature and time.

Condensation

The process where water vapour turns into tiny droplets of water or ice crystals as the atmosphere reaches its saturation point.

Climatic Region

An extensive geographical area in which similar climate characteristics are observed.

Savannas

Tropical grasslands found between $10^\text{o}$ and $30^\text{o}$ latitudes, known as Llanos in Venezuela and Campos in Brazil.

Taiga Region

A cold climatic region located between $55^\text{o}$ and $70^\text{o}$ North, dominated by sub-Arctic coniferous evergreen trees like pine and spruce.

Tundra Region

An extreme cold zone extending north of the Arctic Circle characterized by permafrost and vegetation limited to mosses and lichens.

Global Warming

The increase in atmospheric temperature caused by the excessive production of greenhouse gases which trap terrestrial radiation.

Climate Refugees

People who are forced to leave their homes and livelihoods due to climate-related phenomena such as sea-level rise or desertification.

Utility

The want-satisfying power of a commodity or good, measured in units called utils.

Marginal Utility (MU)

The change in total utility that occurs when one additional unit of a commodity is consumed.

Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility

The principle that the marginal utility from consuming additional units of a commodity declines as its consumption increases.

Consumer Protection Act 2019

A law that came into force on July 20, 2020, replacing the 1986 Act, aimed at empowering consumers and protecting their rights in areas including e-commerce.

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

A unified tax system implemented in India on July 1, 2017, to make the economy transparent under the concept of 'One Nation, One Tax'.

Velocity of Circulation of Money

The number of times a unit of money is exchanged in a given period of time.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

The central bank of India, established on April 1, 1935, which acts as the ultimate authority for printing currency and regulating the banking system.

Repo Rate

The rate of interest charged by the Reserve Bank of India on loans taken from it by commercial banks.

Reverse Repo Rate

The rate of interest given by the Reserve Bank of India on deposits made by commercial banks.

Demonetization

The act of withdrawing currency notes from circulation; most recently implemented in India on November 8, 2016, for $500$ and $1,000$ rupee notes.

Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)

The specific amount of money that banks must keep as reserves with the Reserve Bank out of the total deposits they receive.

Financial Inclusion

The process of ensuring that banking and financial services reach common, rural, and marginalized people to promote inclusive economic growth.