Chemistry MCQs
Chemistry Objective (Multiple Choice) General Knowledge Questions & Answers for SSC-CGL, UPPSC, UPSC, NDA, CDS and UPSC Civil Services Prelims Examination.
1. Which among the following is popularly called Hypo?
[A] Silver Bromide
[B] Silver nitrate
[C] Sodium thiosulphate
[D] Sodium phosphate
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Sodium thiosulphate ]
Notes:
Sodium thiosulfate is an important inorganic salt with several medical uses. It is also called sodium hyposulfite or ‘hypo’. It is used in several pharmaceutical preparations and also has various medical properties.
2. Which of the following is a thermosetting plastic?
[A] Polythene
[B] Bakelite
[C] Polyvinyl chloride
[D] Casseine
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bakelite]
Notes:
Bakelite is a thermosetting plastic formed from phenol and formaldehyde, used in electrical insulators and cookware handles. Unlike thermoplastics, it hardens irreversibly when heated and cannot be remolded. It was the first synthetic plastic, invented by Leo Baekeland in 1907.
3. Who among the following scientists had discovered Radium?
[A] Marie Sklodowska-Curie and Pierre Curie
[B] André-Louis Debierne
[C] Kasimir Fajans
[D] Oswald Helmuth Göhring
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Marie Sklodowska-Curie and Pierre Curie ]
Notes:
Radium is a chemical element with the symbol Ra and atomic number 88. Radium was discovered by Marie Sklodowska Curie, a Polish chemist, and Pierre Curie, a French chemist, in 1898.
4. Which among the following groups is characteristic to alcohols?
[A] OH group
[B] COOH group
[C] COO group
[D] CO group
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [OH group]
Notes:
Alcohols are organic compounds characterized by the presence of a hydroxyl group, denoted as -OH. This group consists of one oxygen atom bonded to a hydrogen atom. Due to the presence of the hydroxyl group, alcohols exhibit unique properties, such as the ability to form hydrogen bonds, making them polar. Alcohols are distinct from carboxylic acids (COOH), carbonates (COO), and carbonyl group compounds (CO).
5. Which of these is not considered an ore?
[A] Chalcopyrite
[B] Sphalerite
[C] Cinnabar
[D] Andesite
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Andesite]
Notes:
Andesite is an igneous volcanic rock with intermediate composition and is not used as an ore. Chalcopyrite is a major copper ore, sphalerite is the primary ore of zinc, and cinnabar is the main ore of mercury. Andesite mainly consists of plagioclase, pyroxene, and amphibole minerals and forms in volcanic arcs associated with subduction zones.
6. Argon is the third most common gas in the Earth’s atmosphere, at 0.93%. This gas is generated due to decay of which among the following isotopes in the Earth’s crust ?
[A] K-40
[B] Ca-40
[C] Ca-48
[D] K-41
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [K-40]
Notes:
Potassium-40 is a radioactive isotope of potassium with a long half-life of 1.251×10⁹ years. The decay of this particular isotope explains the large abundance of argon (0.93%) in the Earth’s atmosphere.
7. What is the nature of an aqueous solution of Sodium Acetate?
[A] Acidic
[B] Basic
[C] Neutral
[D] Either acidic or basic, depending on the temperature of the solution
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Basic]
Notes:
An aqueous solution of sodium acetate is basic in nature. This is because sodium acetate is a salt derived from a strong base (sodium hydroxide) and a weak acid (acetic acid). When dissolved in water, it undergoes hydrolysis to form sodium ions and acetate ions. The acetate ions react with water to form acetic acid and hydroxide ions, thus creating a basic solution.
8. Which among the following alkane has largely replaced the ozone layer-depleting halomethanes in household refrigerators and freezers?
[A] Methane
[B] Propane
[C] Butane
[D] Ethane
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Butane]
Notes:
Isobutane, which is known in the industry as R600A has been used in several domestic refrigerators in recent times because it is an excellent refrigerant and non-ozone depleting substance with low global warming potential. The only drawback is that it is highly inflammable.
9. What is the reason that despite being third most abundant element on the Earth’s surface and most abundant chemical substance in the universe, Hydrogen is not found as a gas in Earth’s atmosphere?
[A] It is very reactive and unstable gas
[B] It is so light that readily escapes earth’s gravity
[C] It is not found in free state in nature
[D] None of the above reasons
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [ It is so light that readily escapes earth’s gravity]
Notes:
Under ordinary conditions on Earth, elemental hydrogen exists as the diatomic gas, H2. However, hydrogen gas is very rare in the Earth’s atmosphere (1 ppm by volume) because of its light weight, which enables it to escape from Earth’s gravity more easily than heavier gases. However, hydrogen is the third most abundant element on the Earth’s surface, mostly in the form of chemical compounds such as hydrocarbons and water. Hydrogen gas is produced by some bacteria and algae and is a natural component of flatus, as is methane, itself a hydrogen source of increasing importance.
10. How many groups of p–block elements are there in the periodic table?
[A] 4
[B] 6
[C] 8
[D] 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [6]
Notes:
There are six groups of p–block elements in the periodic table numbering from 13 to 18.
