(a) Highlight four characteristics each of the following: (i) Time Zone (ii) International Dateline. (b) lf two towns A and B are located on different time ...

(a) Four characteristics each

(i) Time Zone

1. A time zone is a belt or region of the earth that keeps the same standard time.
2. Each standard time zone covers \(15^\circ\) of longitude, because the earth turns \(15^\circ\) in one hour (\(360^\circ \div 24 = 15^\circ\)).
3. Places within one time zone use a common (standard) time based on a central meridian.
4. Time increases (is ahead) eastward and decreases (is behind) westward from the Greenwich Meridian.

(ii) International Date Line

1. It is an imaginary line drawn approximately along the \(180^\circ\) meridian.
2. It runs roughly north-south from the North Pole to the South Pole through the Pacific Ocean.
3. It is not perfectly straight; it bends to avoid dividing land areas and island groups into two different dates.
4. A traveller crossing it going westward gains a day (adds one day), while one crossing it going eastward loses a day (subtracts one day).

(b) Calculation of the longitude of town B

Time in A = 9.00 a.m.; time in B = 6.00 p.m. same day. B is ahead of A, so B lies to the east of A.

Time difference \(= 6.00\text{ p.m.} - 9.00\text{ a.m.} = 9\) hours.

Longitude difference \(= 9 \times 15^\circ = 135^\circ\).

Since B is east of A and A is at \(30^\circ\)W:

(Starting from \(30^\circ\)W and moving \(30^\circ\) east reaches the \(0^\circ\) meridian, leaving \(105^\circ\) to be counted eastward.)

The longitude of town B is \(105^\circ\)E.