CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL SCIENCE
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (50 MCQs)
1. What is Social Science primarily concerned with?
(A) Study of the natural world
(B) Systematic study of human society
(C) Study of machines
(D) Study of chemical reactions
Answer: (B) Systematic study of human society
2. Which of the following best describes the purpose of Social Science?
(A) To study only past events
(B) To study only geographical locations
(C) To understand society, institutions, cultures and human interactions
(D) To study only plants and animals
Answer: (C) To understand society, institutions, cultures and human interactions
3. Which of the following is NOT one of the four core disciplines of Social Science studied in Grades 9–10?
(A) Geography
(B) History
(C) Economics
(D) Physics
Answer: (D) Physics
4. Which discipline studies the Earth, its environments and the relationship between people and their surroundings?
(A) History
(B) Geography
(C) Economics
(D) Political Science
Answer: (B) Geography
5. Which discipline examines the human past and changes in societies over time?
(A) Economics
(B) Geography
(C) History
(D) Political Science
Answer: (C) History
6. Political Science primarily studies:
(A) Governance, power and political institutions
(B) Chemical substances
(C) The structure of the human body
(D) The motion of objects
Answer: (A) Governance, power and political institutions
7. Economics helps us understand how societies:
(A) Classify living organisms
(B) Produce, distribute and utilise resources
(C) Form mountains
(D) Study historical monuments only
Answer: (B) Produce, distribute and utilise resources
8. Which of the following is an example of Social Science in everyday life?
(A) Understanding how public authorities maintain roads
(B) Studying the chemical composition of water only
(C) Calculating the speed of light
(D) Observing the structure of an atom
Answer: (A) Understanding how public authorities maintain roads
9. Social Science explains events by examining:
(A) Only individual opinions
(B) Only natural laws
(C) History, geography, institutions, resources and human choices
(D) Only mathematical equations
Answer: (C) History, geography, institutions, resources and human choices
10. Why do social scientists collect information from different sources?
(A) To avoid studying society
(B) To develop explanations supported by evidence
(C) To replace observation with guesses
(D) To eliminate historical records
Answer: (B) To develop explanations supported by evidence
11. Which of the following is an example of a change that can be studied through Social Science?
(A) Development of transport in a locality
(B) Chemical bonding between atoms
(C) Reflection of light from a mirror
(D) Formation of an image by a lens
Answer: (A) Development of transport in a locality
12. Which ancient Indian concept describes the natural world through five fundamental elements?
(A) Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
(B) Panchamahabhutas
(C) Arthashastra
(D) Panchayati Raj
Answer: (B) Panchamahabhutas
13. The concept of Panchamahabhutas includes:
(A) Earth, water, fire, air and space
(B) Earth, plants, animals, soil and rivers
(C) Sun, Moon, stars, planets and comets
(D) History, Geography, Economics, Politics and Culture
Answer: (A) Earth, water, fire, air and space
14. What does the expression “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” mean?
(A) Knowledge is power
(B) The world is one family
(C) Nature is always changing
(D) Society is governed by laws
Answer: (B) The world is one family
15. Which ancient Indian text examined administration, economic management, taxation and the duties of rulers?
(A) Arthashastra
(B) Samaveda
(C) Tirukkural
(D) Panchatantra
Answer: (A) Arthashastra
16. The Arthashastra is attributed to:
(A) Aristotle
(B) Charles Darwin
(C) Kautilya
(D) Robert Whittaker
Answer: (C) Kautilya
17. Which of the following is a tool used by geographers?
(A) Microscope only
(B) Geographical Information System (GIS)
(C) Chemical balance only
(D) Telescope only
Answer: (B) Geographical Information System (GIS)
18. Geography studies both:
(A) Physical features of Earth and human communities
(B) Only ancient rulers
(C) Only financial markets
(D) Only political elections
Answer: (A) Physical features of Earth and human communities
19. Which of the following is a geographical question?
(A) Why are certain regions more prone to floods?
(B) How does a chemical reaction occur?
(C) What is the atomic number of oxygen?
(D) How is sound produced by a vibrating object?
Answer: (A) Why are certain regions more prone to floods?
20. The study of Geography integrates:
(A) Only historical perspectives
(B) Only economic perspectives
(C) Spatial and temporal perspectives
(D) Only political perspectives
Answer: (C) Spatial and temporal perspectives
21. History helps us understand:
(A) How societies change over time
(B) Only the present weather
(C) Only the distribution of minerals
(D) Only the working of machines
Answer: (A) How societies change over time
22. Modern historiography increasingly relies on:
(A) Rumours and assumptions
(B) Empirical evidence and scientific methods
(C) Personal opinions alone
(D) Imagination without evidence
Answer: (B) Empirical evidence and scientific methods
23. What is empirical evidence?
(A) Information collected through actual observation or experimentation
(B) A fictional account
(C) An unsupported personal belief
(D) A prediction without evidence
Answer: (A) Information collected through actual observation or experimentation
24. Which of the following is an archaeological source?
(A) A modern advertisement
(B) An excavated artefact
(C) A weather forecast
(D) A bank statement from today
Answer: (B) An excavated artefact
25. Which of the following is an example of a literary source?
(A) A manuscript
(B) A mountain
(C) A river
(D) A modern road
Answer: (A) A manuscript
26. Epigraphic sources consist of:
(A) Texts and records inscribed on durable materials
(B) Only oral conversations
(C) Only photographs of landscapes
(D) Only modern maps
Answer: (A) Texts and records inscribed on durable materials
27. Numismatics is the study of:
(A) Coins, currency and medals
(B) Mountains and valleys
(C) Plants and animals
(D) Weather and climate
Answer: (A) Coins, currency and medals
28. Genealogical records help trace:
(A) Family lineage and ancestry
(B) Ocean currents
(C) Soil fertility
(D) Political boundaries only
Answer: (A) Family lineage and ancestry
29. Which of the following is an example of an epigraphic source mentioned in the chapter?
(A) A Kannada inscription of Emperor Krishnadeva Raya
(B) A modern traffic signal
(C) A weather report
(D) A school timetable
Answer: (A) A Kannada inscription of Emperor Krishnadeva Raya
30. Political Science examines:
(A) Systems of governance and the distribution of power
(B) Only natural vegetation
(C) Only the history of trade
(D) Only the structure of minerals
Answer: (A) Systems of governance and the distribution of power
31. The Panchayati Raj system represents:
(A) International trade
(B) Grassroots democracy and local self-governance
(C) Industrial production
(D) Scientific experimentation
Answer: (B) Grassroots democracy and local self-governance
32. In Indian political thought, Rajadharma refers to:
(A) The duties of the ruler
(B) The study of plants
(C) The exchange of goods
(D) The construction of roads
Answer: (A) The duties of the ruler
33. Which of the following is associated with the study of Political Science?
(A) Constitutions and governments
(B) Cell division
(C) Chemical equations
(D) Sound waves
Answer: (A) Constitutions and governments
34. Economics studies how individuals and societies use:
(A) Unlimited resources without making choices
(B) Limited resources to meet their needs
(C) Only natural resources for recreation
(D) Only historical documents
Answer: (B) Limited resources to meet their needs
35. Which of the following is an economic activity?
(A) Production and distribution of goods
(B) Classification of mountains
(C) Study of inscriptions only
(D) Observation of stars only
Answer: (A) Production and distribution of goods
36. In an economy, consumers generally decide:
(A) What to buy
(B) What the weather will be
(C) Which mountains will form
(D) How historical events occurred
Answer: (A) What to buy
37. Producers determine:
(A) What and how much to produce
(B) The rotation of Earth
(C) The age of every historical monument
(D) The direction of ocean currents
Answer: (A) What and how much to produce
38. Sustainable growth aims to meet present needs without:
(A) Using any resources
(B) Harming the ability of future generations to meet their needs
(C) Allowing any economic activity
(D) Developing infrastructure
Answer: (B) Harming the ability of future generations to meet their needs
39. Which of the following was identified as a challenge during colonial rule in India?
(A) Widespread poverty and decline of traditional industries
(B) Complete elimination of poverty
(C) Disappearance of all trade
(D) End of all agricultural activities
Answer: (A) Widespread poverty and decline of traditional industries
40. Which of the following is a broader discipline within the Social Science family?
(A) Sociology
(B) Chemistry
(C) Physics
(D) Botany
Answer: (A) Sociology
41. Which of the following studies social relationships, ethical reasoning and human behaviour in greater depth?
(A) Only Geography
(B) Sociology, Philosophy, Anthropology and Psychology
(C) Only Economics
(D) Only History
Answer: (B) Sociology, Philosophy, Anthropology and Psychology
42. A drought affects crops, farmers’ incomes, government relief and migration. This example demonstrates that:
(A) Social Science disciplines are interconnected
(B) Economics is unrelated to society
(C) Geography has no influence on human life
(D) Political decisions never affect people
Answer: (A) Social Science disciplines are interconnected
43. Which of the following helps historians establish timelines and understand the past?
(A) Carbon-14 dating
(B) A random guess
(C) An unsupported opinion
(D) A fictional story alone
Answer: (A) Carbon-14 dating
44. Which of the following is an example of a numismatic source?
(A) A coin issued by King Samudragupta
(B) A river valley
(C) A forest
(D) A modern road map
Answer: (A) A coin issued by King Samudragupta
45. Why is Social Science important in a democratic society?
(A) It discourages public participation
(B) It helps citizens understand governance, rights and responsibilities
(C) It eliminates the need for laws
(D) It prevents people from asking questions
Answer: (B) It helps citizens understand governance, rights and responsibilities
46. Social Science encourages students to:
(A) Accept every claim without examination
(B) Avoid questioning social problems
(C) Ask informed questions and examine evidence
(D) Depend only on rumours
Answer: (C) Ask informed questions and examine evidence
47. Which of the following is a contemporary challenge that Social Science can help societies address?
(A) Climate change
(B) Sustainable development
(C) Social harmony
(D) All of these
Answer: (D) All of these
48. Social Science connects:
(A) Only the past and the present
(B) Only the present and the future
(C) The past, present and future
(D) None of these
Answer: (C) The past, present and future
49. Which of the following best explains the relationship between people and their environment?
(A) People and the environment influence each other
(B) The environment never affects human life
(C) Human activities never affect the environment
(D) Society develops independently of natural conditions
Answer: (A) People and the environment influence each other
50. The main aim of studying Social Science is to:
(A) Memorise facts without understanding them
(B) Understand society and become informed, responsible citizens
(C) Study only ancient history
(D) Focus exclusively on economic calculations
Answer: (B) Understand society and become informed, responsible citizens
CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL SCIENCE
ASSERTION–REASON QUESTIONS (10 QUESTIONS)
Directions: Choose the correct option.
(A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
(B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
1. Assertion (A): Social Science is the systematic study of human society.
Reason (R): Social Science examines human interactions, institutions, cultures and the connections that shape society.
Answer: (A)
2. Assertion (A): Geography studies only the physical features of the Earth.
Reason (R): Geography also studies human communities and their relationships with the natural environment.
Answer: (D)
3. Assertion (A): Modern historians use empirical evidence to understand the past.
Reason (R): Empirical evidence is information collected through actual observation or experimentation.
Answer: (A)
4. Assertion (A): Numismatics is useful for studying historical societies.
Reason (R): Coins can provide information about the economy, chronology, rulers, trade and culture.
Answer: (A)
5. Assertion (A): Political Science is concerned only with elections.
Reason (R): Political Science also examines constitutions, governance, power, institutions and public policy.
Answer: (D)
6. Assertion (A): Economics examines how societies use limited resources to meet their needs.
Reason (R): Economics studies the production, exchange and distribution of goods and services.
Answer: (A)
7. Assertion (A): Social Science disciplines are completely independent of one another.
Reason (R): A social problem, such as drought, can affect the environment, economy, politics and society.
Answer: (D)
8. Assertion (A): The Panchayati Raj system promotes local self-governance.
Reason (R): It gives citizens a voice in local development planning.
Answer: (A)
9. Assertion (A): Sustainable growth considers the needs of future generations.
Reason (R): Sustainable growth aims to meet present needs without harming the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
Answer: (A)
10. Assertion (A): Social Science helps citizens participate responsibly in public life.
Reason (R): Understanding government, laws, rights and responsibilities helps citizens make informed decisions.
Answer: (A)
