Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question requires us to estimate the straight-line (aerial) distances between four pairs of Indian cities and arrange them in increasing order. This involves a general understanding of the geography of India.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
We will analyze the geographical locations of the cities in each pair to make a rough estimation of the distance.
- M (Lucknow - Bhopal): Lucknow is in central Uttar Pradesh, and Bhopal is in Madhya Pradesh. These two cities are relatively close to each other in the central part of India. This is likely the shortest distance.
- L (Kolkata - Bengaluru): Kolkata is in the east, and Bengaluru is in the south. This is a significant diagonal distance covering a large part of the country.
- K (Ahmedabad - Guwahati): Ahmedabad is in the west, and Guwahati is in the far northeast. This is a very long east-west distance spanning almost the entire width of India.
- N (Delhi - Thiruvananthapuram): Delhi is in the north, and Thiruvananthapuram is at the southern tip of India. This represents nearly the full north-south length of the country.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Let's estimate the approximate aerial distances:
- M: Lucknow to Bhopal is approximately 500-600 km.
- L: Kolkata to Bengaluru is approximately 1500-1600 km.
- K: Ahmedabad to Guwahati is approximately 2000-2100 km.
- N: Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram is approximately 2200-2300 km.
Based on these estimations, the ascending order of distances is:
Distance(M) < Distance(L) < Distance(K) < Distance(N).
This corresponds to the sequence M-L-K-N.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The correct ascending order of aerial distances is M-L-K-N.