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CBSE · Class 7 · Social Science

From Barter to Money

Standard difficulty · 20 questions · 40 marks

Name: Date: Score: ____ / 40

Write full answers in Sections B and C. Answers are on the last page — try every question first!

Section A — Choose the correct answer8 × 1 = 8 marks
1.
Exchanging goods or services directly, without money, is called:
  1. minting
  2. taxation
  3. banking
  4. barter
2.
The bookseller lets you pay the remaining ₹50 next week. Which function of money is this?
  1. standard of deferred payment
  2. unit of weight
  3. means of barter
  4. source of tax
3.
No one agrees how many bags of wheat a sweater is worth. Which problem of barter is this?
  1. portability
  2. durability
  3. double coincidence of wants
  4. no common measure of value
4.
Which place used cowrie shells as money?
  1. the Solomon Islands
  2. Yap Island in the Pacific
  3. many parts of India and the world
  4. ancient Rome
5.
1 rupee = 16 annas. How many annas are there in 6 rupees and 11 annas?
  1. 83 annas
  2. 107 annas
  3. 71 annas
  4. 123 annas
6.
1 rupee = 16 annas. How much is 112 annas in rupees and annas?
  1. 7 rupees 0 annas
  2. 9 rupees 4 annas
  3. 11 rupees 2 annas
  4. 8 rupees 0 annas
7.
On the textbook’s timeline, debit and credit cards came into use in India in 1980. How many years before 2044 was that?
  1. 59 years
  2. 65 years
  3. 74 years
  4. 64 years
8.
A farmer swaps his ox for 21 bags of wheat. He gives 5 bags for shoes, 6 for a sweater and 1 for medicine. How many bags are left to store?
  1. 9 bags
  2. 11 bags
  3. 16 bags
  4. 10 bags
Section B — Short answer8 × 2 = 16 marks
9.
What is barter? Give an example.
10.
Name the function of money: (a) A farmer sells wheat and keeps the money to spend months later. (b) The bookseller lets you pay the remaining ₹50 next week.
11.
Name the problem of barter: (a) Your stored wheat rots or is eaten by rats. (b) A cow cannot be cut in half to pay for a small purchase.
12.
In 1947, one anna could buy a dozen bananas. With 1 rupee = 16 annas, how many dozen bananas could 18 rupees buy then? And if a dozen costs ₹80 today, what would that many dozen cost now?
13.
Under the Arthashastra, a salary could be paid as an adhaka (about 3 kg) of grain a day. How much grain is that in 77 days?
14.
Where was each used as money: (a) tevau feather coils (b) the copper tajadero
15.
Official paper money came into use in India in 1861. How many years before 2055 was that?
16.
Asha buys fruit for ₹270 and pays with a ₹500 note. How much change is due? How could the payment be made without cash?
Section C — Longer answers4 × 4 = 16 marks
17.
Explain the problems of the barter system with an example.
18.
Match each with its function of money: (a) A shopkeeper uses the money customers pay to give workers their wages. (b) You save coins in a piggy bank for a bicycle next year. (c) A family buys a fridge now and pays in instalments later. Choose from: store of value; standard of deferred payment; medium of exchange.
19.
The Arthashastra says a yearly salary of 60 panas could be replaced by about 3 kg of grain a day. (a) How many panas would 16 years of salary be? (b) How much grain is that, at 1,095 kg a year? (c) The fine for not helping a neighbour was 100 panas. What does that show?
20.
Under barter, an ox is worth 30 bags of wheat. A farmer needs a sack of salt (2 bags), a cooking pot (2 bags), a blanket (5 bags). (a) How many bags does he use? (b) How many are left? (c) Name two problems he faces that money would solve.
AmbifulWorksheets
Practice that never repeats
CBSE · Class 7 · Social Science

Answer key

From Barter to Money · AW-7SS-BTM-2026-V1 · For parents — fold back or tear off before handing the sheet to your child.

QAnswerWorking
1(d) barter—
2(a) standard of deferred payment—
3(d) no common measure of value—
4(c) many parts of India and the world—
5(b) 107 annas16 × 6 + 11
6(a) 7 rupees 0 annas112 ÷ 16
7(d) 64 years2044 − 1980
8(a) 9 bags21 − 5 − 6 − 1
9Exchanging goods or services without money, such as swapping a spare eraser for a classmate’s spare pencil.—
10(a) store of value (b) standard of deferred payment—
11(a) durability (b) divisibility—
12288 dozen; ₹23,04016 × 18; × 80
13231 kg3 × 77
14(a) the Solomon Islands (b) Central Mexico and Central America—
15194 years2055 − 1861
16₹230; by scanning the seller’s QR code and paying by UPI (or a card).500 − 270
17A farmer with an ox must find someone who wants an ox and has what he needs (double coincidence), agree on value with no common measure, cannot split the ox, finds it hard to carry, and cannot store wheat for long.—
18(a) medium of exchange (b) store of value (c) standard of deferred payment—
19(a) 960 panas (b) 17,520 kg (c) Helping others was valued so highly that refusing cost more than a year’s salary.60 × 16; 1,095 × 16
20(a) 9 bags (b) 21 bags (c) Any two: finding people who want wheat (double coincidence), carrying the wheat (portability), storing it before it rots (durability).2 + 2 + 5