NCERT Class 6 Social Science Chapter 14 Questions and Answers
The Big Questions (Page 195)
1. How are economic activities classified?
Answer: Economic activities are classified into three main sectors based on the nature of work and the type of output produced.
The three sectors are:
1. Primary Sector
These activities involve direct use of natural resources.
People extract raw materials from nature.
Examples: agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry, livestock rearing.
These activities form the base of all other economic activities.
2. Secondary Sector
These activities process raw materials obtained from the primary sector.
They convert raw materials into finished or semi-finished goods.
Examples: manufacturing clothes from cotton, making furniture from wood, producing cars from steel.
This sector adds value to raw materials.
3. Tertiary Sector
These activities provide services to support primary and secondary sectors.
They do not produce goods but help in distribution and functioning.
Examples: transportation, banking, education, healthcare, trade.
This sector is also called the Service Sector.
Thus, economic activities are classified on the basis of their relationship with natural resources, production process, and services provided.
2. What differentiates these activities to be grouped into sectors?
Answer: Economic activities are grouped into sectors based on the following differences:
1. Nature of Work
Primary: Extraction from nature
Secondary: Processing of raw materials
Tertiary: Providing services
2. Type of Output
Primary: Raw materials
Secondary: Manufactured goods
Tertiary: Services
3. Role in Production
Primary: Produces basic materials
Secondary: Converts materials into usable products
Tertiary: Helps in distribution and support
These differences help us understand how each sector performs a unique function in the economy.
3. How are the three sectors interconnected?
Answer: The three sectors are interdependent and support each other.
Example: Milk Production (AMUL case)
Primary Sector – Farmers milk cows (raw milk).
Secondary Sector – Milk is processed into butter, cheese, milk powder.
Tertiary Sector – Transportation, packaging, banking, retail shops sell the products.
If one sector stops functioning, the whole chain gets disturbed.
Thus, no sector can function independently; they work together to ensure economic growth.
THINK ABOUT IT (Page no 199)
Q1: Can you think of any primary activities that you may have seen in the past? What are the natural resources used in these activities? Name two of them and discuss your experiences with your classmates.
Answer: Yes, I have observed some primary sector activities in real life.
1. Farming: Farmers grow crops like wheat and rice using natural resources such as soil, water and sunlight. I once visited a farm where I saw ploughing, sowing of seeds and irrigation through canals.
2. Fishing: During a coastal visit, I saw fishermen catching fish. This activity depends mainly on water bodies like seas and rivers. Boats and nets are used, but the resource is completely natural.
Both activities directly depend on nature, so they belong to the Primary Sector.
LET’S EXPLORE (Page 200)
Q1: Now that we have seen some examples of secondary sector activities, can you name two more economic activities in the secondary sector?
Answer: Yes, two more activities of the Secondary Sector are:
1. Textile Production: Cotton or wool is processed in factories to produce clothes and fabrics.
2. Furniture Making: Wood is processed into tables, chairs and cupboards in workshops or factories.
Both activities involve processing raw materials into finished goods, so they belong to the secondary sector.
THINK ABOUT IT (Page 207)
Q1: Observe the different stages of the process shown in Fig. 14.1 on page 206 and discuss them with your fellow classmates.
Answer: Fig. 14.1 shows the journey of a book through eight stages involving all three economic sectors.
1. Cutting Trees: This represents a Primary Sector activity because a tree is cut down using natural resources. The raw material obtained here is wood, which comes directly from nature.
2. Collecting Logs: This stage also belongs to the Primary Sector as the logs are gathered and handled in their raw form before any processing begins.
3. Loading Logs for Transport: This is a Tertiary Sector activity because it involves providing a service to move raw materials from one place to another.
4. Transporting Logs: This represents the Tertiary Sector, as transportation is a service that connects the place of extraction to the place of manufacturing.
5. Making Paper: This is a Secondary Sector activity because wood is processed and converted into paper in a factory. It involves manufacturing and value addition.
6. Storing and Moving Paper Rolls: This belongs to the Tertiary Sector, as storage and distribution are service activities that support production.
7. Printing and Making Books: This stage is part of the Secondary Sector because paper is transformed into printed books through manufacturing processes.
8. Selling Books in Shops: This is a Tertiary Sector activity because books are sold to consumers through retail services.
Conclusion: This entire process clearly shows the interdependence of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary sectors, as each stage depends on the other to complete the production and distribution of books.
LET’S EXPLORE (Page 207)
Q2: Label the pictures in the illustration shown in Fig. 14.1 on page 206 as: 1. Primary sector 2. Secondary sector 3. Tertiary sector.
Answer: The pictures can be labelled as follows:
- Primary Sector: Cutting trees and collecting logs.
- Secondary Sector: Making paper and printing books in factories.
- Tertiary Sector: Loading goods, transporting books and selling them in shops.
LET’S EXPLORE (Page 208)
Q1: List the economic activities in your neighbourhood and label them appropriately as primary, secondary or tertiary. Draw arrows to show how they are connected to each other. In what ways are they dependent on each other? What would happen if one of the activities ceased to exist?
Answer: Economic Activities and Classification:
1. Primary Sector:
Farming – Growing wheat and vegetables using land and water.
Dairy Collection – Supplying milk obtained from cows and buffaloes.
2. Secondary Sector:
Flour Mill – Grinding wheat into flour.
Tailoring Shop – Stitching clothes from fabric.
3. Tertiary Sector:
Grocery Store – Selling food items and daily necessities.
Auto-rickshaw Service – Providing transportation.
School – Providing education services.
Mobile Repair Shop – Offering repair and maintenance services.
Connection (Flow of Activities):
Farmers grow wheat → Flour mill grinds wheat into flour → Grocery store sells flour to consumers.
Dairy farmers supply milk → Grocery store distributes milk to households.
Textile industry supplies cloth → Tailor stitches garments → Customers purchase clothes.
Auto-rickshaw services help people reach farms, shops and schools.
Dependence Among Activities:
The secondary sector depends on the primary sector for raw materials like wheat and milk.
The tertiary sector depends on both primary and secondary sectors to sell and transport goods.
Transport services connect producers and consumers.
Schools and repair shops depend on the smooth functioning of other sectors for daily needs and income flow.
What Would Happen If One Activity Stopped?
If farming stopped, there would be no wheat for the flour mill and no vegetables for grocery stores. This would directly affect food supply. Secondary industries would slow down, and tertiary services like shops and transport would suffer losses.
This example clearly shows the interdependence of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary sectors, where each sector supports the functioning of the others.
Questions, Activities and Projects (Page 208)
Q1: What is the primary sector? How is it different from the secondary sector? Give two examples.
Answer: The Primary Sector includes economic activities that involve the direct extraction or use of natural resources to produce raw materials. These activities depend completely on nature. Examples include farming and fishing.
The Secondary Sector, on the other hand, involves processing and transforming raw materials obtained from the primary sector into finished or semi-finished goods. Examples include textile manufacturing and paper production.
The main difference is that the primary sector extracts resources from nature, whereas the secondary sector adds value by converting those resources into usable products.
Q2: How does the secondary sector depend on the tertiary sector? Illustrate with a few examples.
Answer: The Secondary Sector depends on the Tertiary Sector for essential support services that enable production and distribution.
Factories require transport services to bring raw materials and deliver finished goods to markets. They depend on banking services for financial transactions, loans and payments. They also need communication services to coordinate with suppliers and customers.
For example, a car manufacturing factory needs transport companies to distribute cars to dealers and banks to manage payments. Without these services, industrial production cannot function efficiently.
Q3: Give an example of interdependence between primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. Show it using a flow diagram.
Answer: An example of interdependence can be seen in the cotton industry.
Primary Sector – Cotton Farming (cotton is grown using land and water)
↓
Secondary Sector – Cotton is processed into yarn → yarn into cloth → cloth into garments
↓
Tertiary Sector – Transporting garments → Selling in markets and retail shops → Consumers purchase them
This example clearly shows that the primary sector provides raw materials, the secondary sector manufactures goods, and the tertiary sector ensures distribution and sales. If any one sector stops functioning, the entire production chain is affected.