Assertion (A): Areas lying within five to eight degrees latitude on either side of the equator receive rainfall throughout the year. Reason (R): High temperatures and high humidity cause convectional rain to fall mostly in the afternoons near the equator.

1. This is an Assertion-Reason question about equatorial climate and rainfall. 2. Assertion (A): Areas lying within five to eight degrees latitude on either side of the equator receive rainfall throughout the year. This is true. The equatorial region (roughly 5-10 degrees N/S) experiences consistently high temperatures and humidity, leading to convectional uplift and rainfall almost daily, resulting in significant precipitation distributed throughout the year. 3. Reason (R): High temperatures and high humidity cause convectional rain to fall mostly in the afternoons near the equator. This is also true. Intense solar heating near the equator leads to high temperatures and evaporation (high humidity). This causes warm, moist air to rise (convection), cool, condense, and form clouds, typically resulting in heavy convectional rainfall, often in the afternoon. 4. Evaluating the relationship: Both A and R are true. Does R explain A? Yes. The process described in R (high temp & humidity -> convectional rain) is precisely the mechanism that leads to the year-round rainfall experienced in the equatorial belt described in A. Therefore, R is the correct explanation for A. 5. The correct option is (A).