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 cotton wick dipped in pure honey when ignited with a matchstick will ______?
[A] Burn steadily
[B] Burn with a cracking sound
[C] Not burn at all
[D] Burn producing a large amount of smoke
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Burn steadily]
Notes:
A cotton wick soaked in pure honey, when lit with a matchstick, will burn consistently. This is primarily due to the high sugar content of the honey acting as fuel for the flame. Contrary to common misconceptions, honey doesn’t produce much smoke or any unusual sounds during combustion.
2. Identify the Noble Gas from the following options:
[A] Nitrogen
[B] Hydrogen
[C] Oxygen
[D] Helium
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Helium]
Notes:
Helium, a noble gas, is the second most abundant element in the universe after Hydrogen. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, and non-reactive because its outermost electron shell is full with two electrons. This complete outer shell gives it the stability that defines the Noble Gases. Despite its abundance in the universe, Helium is relatively rare on Earth, primarily obtained from natural gas wells.
3. Which among the following is the objective of the Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) mixing with Petroleum?
[A] Raise Octane Number
[B] Antioxidant Stabilizer
[C] Lead Scavanger
[D] Fuel Dye
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Raise Octane Number ]
Notes:
MTBE is a gasoline additive, used as an oxygenate to raise the octane number. Its use is controversial in the US and declining in that country in part because of its occurrence in groundwater and legislation favoring ethanol.
4. Which of the following is the correct term used to describe Graphite, Carbon and Diamonds?
[A] Isotopes
[B] Isomers
[C] Isotones
[D] Allotropes
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Allotropes]
Notes:
Allotropes refer to two or more different physical forms in which an element can exist. The property is due to different ways atoms bond together. The most common instance is the element carbon, which exists in several different forms, including diamond, graphite, and fullerenes, making it an allotropic element. It’s crucial to note that allotropy applies to elements, not compounds.
5. Which of the following best describes the nature of Froth and Foam?
[A] Solid suspended in gas
[B] Liquid suspended in gas
[C] Gas suspended in liquid
[D] Gas suspended in solid
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Gas suspended in liquid]
Notes:
Froth and foams are examples of “gas suspended in liquid”. They are typically created when gas bubbles are dispersed in a liquid. This physical phenomenon is commonly observed in many daily life scenarios such as soap lather and carbonated drinks. Technically, they are a special case of colloid where little blobs of one liquid are dispersed in another and show the property of surface tension.
6. The atomic weight of Chlorine is 35. It consists of _______?
[A] 17 Protons + 18 Neutrons
[B] 17 Neutrons + 18 protons
[C] 17 Neutrons + 17 Protons + 1 electron
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [17 Protons + 18 Neutrons]
Notes:
Chlorine has an atomic number of 17, meaning it has 17 protons. Its atomic weight is approximately 35, which indicates it typically has 18 neutrons (35 – 17 = 18). Therefore, the correct composition is 17 protons and 18 neutrons. Chlorine is a halogen and exists primarily as two stable isotopes: Chlorine-35 and Chlorine-37.
7. Ground Level Ozone is formed due to reaction between:
[A] VOCs, Oxides of Nitrogen & Sunlight
[B] VOCs, Sulphur dioxide & Sunlight
[C] Ozone, Sulphur dioxide & Oxides of Nitrogen
[D] Ozone, Oxides of Nitrogen & Sunlight
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [VOCs, Oxides of Nitrogen & Sunlight]
Notes:
Ground Level Ozone results from photochemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of sunlight.
8. Which of the following are two predominant acids of acid rain?
[A] sulphuric acid and nitric acid
[B] carbonic acid and hydrochloric acid
[C] nitric acid and hydrochloric Acid
[D] hydrofluoric acid and hydrochloric Acid
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ sulphuric acid and nitric acid ]
Notes:
Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of precipitation with acidic components, such as sulphuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms.
9. Which among the following impurity in drinking water causes the “Bamboo Spine” disorder?
[A] Nitrate
[B] Fluorides
[C] Arsenic
[D] Sulphides
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [ Fluorides]
Notes:
Ankylosing Spondylitis is a chronic, inflammatory arthritis and autoimmune disease that mainly affects joints in the spine and the sacroiliac joints in the pelvis. It tends to affect the spine and in late stages, the spine will fuse and this has given rise to the term “bamboo spine”. It is mainly caused due to impurities in drinking water associated with fluorides.
10. Which among the following is produced when we pass chlorine into slaked lime?
[A] DDT
[B] Baking Powder
[C] Bleaching Powder
[D] Gypsum
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [ Bleaching Powder]
Notes:
Bleaching powder is made by passing Cl2 into slaked lime. Though bleaching powder is often written as Ca(OCl)2 , it is really a mixture and not a compound.