TORRID, TEMPERATE & FRIGID ZONES

TORRID, TEMPERATE & FRIGID ZONES

Torrid Zone

The mid-day sun is exactly overhead at least once a year on all latitudes in between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. This area, therefore, receives the maximum heat and is called the Torrid Zone.

Temperate Zones

The mid-day sun never shines overhead on any latitude beyond the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The angle of the sun’s rays goes on decreasing towards the poles. As such, the areas bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle in the Southern Hemisphere, have moderate temperatures. These are, therefore, called Temperate Zones.

Frigid Zones

Areas lying between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole in the Northern Hemisphere and the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole in the Southern Hemisphere, are very cold. It is because here the sun does not rise much above the horizon. Therefore, its rays are always slanting and provide less heat. These are, therefore, called Frigid Zones (very cold).

Activity:

Let’s Do

Take Torchlight. Switch on the torchlight on a Cardboard in the darkroom.

Torch-light falling on a straight surface is bright and covers a smaller area as shown in figure 2.4(a).

Torch-light falling on a slanted surface is less bright but covers a bigger area as shown in figure 2.4(b).