Chemistry MCQs
Chemistry Objective (Multiple Choice) General Knowledge Questions & Answers for SSC-CGL, UPPSC, UPSC, NDA, CDS and UPSC Civil Services Prelims Examination.
1. A high-refractive-index polymer (HRIP) is a polymer that has a refractive index greater than _?
[A] .50
[B] 1.0
[C] 1.20
[D] 1.50
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [1.50]
Notes:
A high-refractive-index polymer is a polymer that has a refractive index greater than 1.50. Such materials are required for anti-reflective coating and photonic devices such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) and image sensors.
2. Which among the following is the correct set of chemical formulae of Chile Saltpetre, Saltpetre and Quick Lime?
[A] KNO3, NaNO3, CaO
[B] NaNO3, KNO3, Ca(OH)2
[C] Na(OH)2, KOH, CaO
[D] NaNO3, KNO3, CaO
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [NaNO3, KNO3, CaO]
Notes:
Saltpetre, also spelled Saltpeter, also called Nitre, or Niter, any of three naturally occurring nitrates, distinguished as (1) ordinary saltpetre, or potassium nitrate, KNO3; (2) Chile saltpetre, cubic nitre, or sodium nitrate, NaNO3; and (3) lime saltpetre, wall saltpetre, or calcium nitrate, Ca(NO3)2.
Calcium oxide (CaO), commonly known as quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound.
3. Presence of which among the following minerals in Banana makes them slightly radioactive?
[A] Sodium
[B] Calcium
[C] Magnesium
[D] Pottasium
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Pottasium]
Notes:
Bananas contain potassium-40, a radioactive isotope of potassium, which makes them slightly radioactive. The radiation is very minor and not dangerous at all to humans, but it is enough to trigger sensitive radiation sensors. The potassium provides bananas some of their nutritional benefits as well.
4. The term “white coal” sometimes referred to which of the following?
[A] Geothermal Electricity
[B] Wind Energy
[C] Hydroelectricity
[D] Biomass Energy
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Hydroelectricity]
Notes:
The term white coal was used for Hydroelectricity, particularly in Europe, because of its capability to produce more energy than any other source except coal. The term was coined by a French Engineer Aristide Bèrges.
5. Calamine is an ore of which among the following?
[A] Zinc
[B] Copper
[C] Mercury
[D] Iron
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Zinc]
Notes:
Calamine is an ore that contains zinc carbonate along with impurities like iron oxide. Through smelting, the zinc carbonate in calamine can be reduced to extract pure zinc metal. Other common zinc ores are sphalerite (zinc sulfide) and smithsonite (zinc carbonate). So calamine is considered a zinc ore due to its zinc carbonate content.
6. The Helium atoms that have lost two electrons are called ________?
[A] Alpha rays
[B] Beta rays
[C] Gamma rays
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Alpha rays]
Notes:
Helium atoms that have lost two electrons are called alpha rays. Alpha rays are also called alpha particles or alpha radiation. Alpha particles are made up of two protons and two neutrons bound together into a particle that is identical to a helium-4 nucleus.
Alpha particles are named after the first letter in the Greek alphabet, α. They were the first nuclear radiation to be discovered.
When a helium atom loses its electrons, it is left with only the nucleus. This is called an alpha particle.
7. Which of the following elements is the most electronegative?
[A] Chlorine
[B] Fluorine
[C] Bromine
[D] All of them have the same electronegativity
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Fluorine]
Notes:
Electronegativity is defined as an atom’s ability to attract an electron pair when forming a covalent bond. This property increases as you move left to right across the periodic table due to an increase in the nuclear charge’s attractive forces. It decreases as you move top to bottom, owing to the shielding effect of sub-levels and increased atomic radius, which makes electrons easier to remove. This culminates in Fluorine, being the highest and furthest to the right on the periodic table, hence it is the most electronegative.
8. What happens to water’s vapor pressure when heated?
[A] It increases
[B] It decreases
[C] It first increases then decreases
[D] No change
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [It increases]
Notes:
Vapor pressure of water increases as its temperature rises. At 25°C, water’s vapor pressure is approximately 23.8 mmHg, while at 100°C it reaches 760 mmHg. When a liquid is heated, kinetic energy of molecules grows, allowing more to escape as vapor and thus increasing vapor pressure.
9. Which among the following is the lowest atomic number element without any stable isotopes?
[A] Technetium
[B] Molybdenum
[C] Ruthenium
[D] Niobium
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Technetium]
Notes:
The correct answer is Technetium. It has the atomic number 43 and is the lowest atomic number element without any stable isotopes. All of its isotopes are radioactive, with Technetium-98 being the most stable, having a half-life of about 4.2 million years. Technetium was first artificially produced in 1937 by Carlo Perrier and Emilio Segrè, making it the first element to be artificially created.
10. Which of the following chemicals is resposible for temporary acid rain in colder regions?
[A] Hydrogen chloride
[B] Sulphur dioxide
[C] Nitric acid
[D] Nitrogen oxides
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Hydrogen chloride]
Notes:
Hydrogen chloride gas released from volcanic eruption is responsible for temporary acid rain in colder regions.