Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: 1 3 2 4
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Questions that ask you to arrange cities from north to south check your mental map of India and your understanding of relative latitude. The cities Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Cochin lie along the eastern and southern parts of India. Correctly ordering them helps you improve spatial awareness and exam readiness for sequence based questions.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Bhubaneswar is the capital of Odisha on the eastern coast and is situated further north than Hyderabad and Chennai. Hyderabad lies inland in Telangana, roughly between Bhubaneswar and Chennai in latitude. Chennai is a coastal city on the Bay of Bengal, located south of Hyderabad. Cochin, also known as Kochi, is a coastal city in Kerala on the Arabian Sea and lies further south than Chennai. Therefore, when moving from north to south, the order should start with Bhubaneswar, then Hyderabad, then Chennai, and finally Cochin.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Visualise or refer to a map of India and locate Bhubaneswar in Odisha on the east coast.
Step 2: Locate Hyderabad in Telangana inland to the south west of Bhubaneswar.
Step 3: Locate Chennai on the east coast of Tamil Nadu, south of both Bhubaneswar and Hyderabad.
Step 4: Locate Cochin (Kochi) on the west coast of Kerala, even further south than Chennai.
Step 5: From north to south, list the cities: Bhubaneswar (1), Hyderabad (3), Chennai (2), Cochin (4).
Step 6: Match this sequence with the given options and identify 1 3 2 4 as the correct order.
Verification / Alternative check:
Checking approximate latitudes confirms the reasoning. Bhubaneswar lies around 20 degrees north, Hyderabad near 17 degrees north, Chennai around 13 degrees north, and Cochin around 10 degrees north. Since latitudes closer to the equator are smaller in number, Cochin is the southernmost, and Bhubaneswar is the northernmost among the four. This numerical confirmation matches the order 1 3 2 4 from north to south.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
Students often confuse Hyderabad and Chennai because both are in southern India and may not memorise their exact relative positions. Another mistake is to ignore that Cochin is on the western coast but still has to be compared by latitude rather than east west position. To avoid such errors, try to learn approximate latitudes or at least remember that Bhubaneswar is the northernmost, Cochin the southernmost, with Hyderabad and then Chennai in between when moving north to south.
Final Answer:
Arranged from north to south, the correct order is 1 3 2 4, that is Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Cochin.
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