Social Science Geography Notes for Chapter 5 Water Class 7 - FREE PDF Download
FAQs on Water Class 7 Social Science Geography Chapter 5 CBSE Notes - 2025-26
1. How can I quickly revise the main topics of Class 7 Geography Chapter 5, Water?
For a quick revision, focus on these core concepts: the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation), the distribution of water on Earth (fresh vs. saline), and the three types of ocean movements (waves, tides, and currents). Understanding these three areas covers the essence of the chapter for the 2025-26 session.
2. What is the water cycle and what are its key processes in brief?
The water cycle describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the Earth's surface. For a quick summary, remember these key processes:
- Evaporation: The process where water turns into water vapour due to heat.
- Condensation: The cooling of water vapour, which forms clouds.
- Precipitation: Water falling back to Earth in the form of rain, snow, or sleet.
3. What is the difference between waves, tides, and ocean currents?
These are the three main types of ocean water movements. For revision, remember the key differences:
- Waves are the rise and fall of water on the ocean's surface, primarily caused by wind.
- Tides are the rhythmic rise and fall of ocean water, typically twice a day, caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon.
- Ocean Currents are streams of water that flow constantly in definite directions on the ocean's surface.
4. How is the Earth's water distributed?
A key concept to remember is the distribution of water. About 97.3% of the Earth's water is saline water found in oceans. Only about 2.7% is freshwater. Most of this freshwater is inaccessible, as it is locked in ice caps and glaciers, with a very small fraction available as groundwater, in lakes, and rivers for human use.
5. Why is ocean water, which is so abundant, not suitable for drinking?
Ocean water is saline, meaning it contains a high concentration of dissolved salts, mainly sodium chloride. The human body cannot process this much salt. Removing the salt through a process called desalination is possible but is currently too expensive and energy-intensive to be a widespread solution.
6. What is the main difference between spring tides and neap tides?
The key difference lies in the alignment of the sun, moon, and Earth, which affects the gravitational pull on the oceans.
- Spring Tides: These are exceptionally high tides that occur when the sun, moon, and Earth are in a straight line (during full and new moon phases). Their combined gravity creates a stronger pull.
- Neap Tides: These are unusually low high-tides that occur when the sun and moon are at a right angle to each other, causing their gravitational forces to work against one another.
7. How do ocean currents influence the climate of different places?
Ocean currents act as massive conveyor belts of heat. Warm currents carry water from the equator towards the poles, which helps warm the coastal lands they flow past. In contrast, cold currents carry water from polar regions towards the equator, which helps cool the adjacent coastal areas.
8. What is a terrarium and how does it relate to the concepts in this chapter?
A terrarium, an enclosure for small plants, is used in the chapter as a simple analogy to help summarise the water cycle. The water inside it evaporates from the soil and leaves, condenses on the cool glass surface, and then 'rains' back down. This mirrors the global processes of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation that constantly recycle Earth's water.











