The Tropic of Cancer passes through how many states of India?

Introduction / Context:
The Tropic of Cancer is an important line of latitude at about 23.5 degrees north. It marks the northernmost point where the sun can be directly overhead at noon and is a key reference line in school geography. In India, this latitude passes through a number of states from west to east. Many exams ask how many states are crossed by the Tropic of Cancer or ask you to list them.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question focuses on the Tropic of Cancer in the Indian context.

We are asked to give the number of Indian states it passes through.

The options are 5, 6, 7 and 8.

We assume the current state boundaries and standard school atlas information.

Concept / Approach:
The Tropic of Cancer enters India in Gujarat and then passes through Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. Counting these states gives a total of eight. The approach is therefore to memorise the full west to east sequence and then simply count them, rather than guessing a number.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Starting from the west, note that the Tropic of Cancer enters India in Gujarat.Step 2: Then it crosses Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in central India.Step 3: Moving further east, it passes through Chhattisgarh and then Jharkhand and West Bengal.Step 4: Finally, it crosses into the north eastern states of Tripura and Mizoram before leaving India, making a total of eight states.

Verification / Alternative check:
A physical map of India with lines of latitude clearly marked will show the Tropic of Cancer labelled and crossing the above mentioned states. Some school atlases list the names right along the line, which makes counting easy. When you trace the line carefully, you will not find it passing through any other states, nor will you find fewer than eight states involved. This visual verification supports the total of eight states.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The options 5, 6 and 7 all undercount the actual number of states. Even if one forgets a few smaller states, the full correct list clearly has more than seven states. Choosing any of these smaller numbers would imply that one or more states in the standard list has been omitted, which does not match the atlas based reality.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners remember only the larger or more familiar states like Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and forget the smaller north eastern states, especially Tripura and Mizoram. Others may misplace the line slightly in their mental map and wrongly include or exclude a state. A robust memory technique is to recite the sequence Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram until it becomes automatic, and then remember that this list has exactly eight states.

Final Answer:
The Tropic of Cancer passes through 8 states of India.