General Science Questions (MCQs) for Competitive Examinations

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Magnetite (Fe3O4) typically contains about 70% iron by weight. It is black in color and strongly magnetic. Hematite (Fe2O3) contains about 60–70% iron. Limonite contains 35–50% iron. Siderite (FeCO3) contains about 48% iron. Magnetite is widely mined due to its high iron concentration compared to other ores.

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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.

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Chemical weapons are called “poorman’s bomb”. These cause catastrophic damage, and are easy to produce. Sarin is a colorless and odourless agent, and is extremely potent. It was used in Damascus in 2013. Mustard Gas is possibly the most commonly used chemical agent and gets its name from the distinctive odour of rotten mustard. It is less potent and usually only 5 to 10 percent people exposed to it usually die. It was widely used during Second World War. VX is a nerve agent which is odourless and appears as brownish oily substance.

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Heavy water is water that contains heavy hydrogen or deuterium. Deuterium differs from the hydrogen usually found in water, protium, in that each atom of deuterium contains a proton and a neutron. Heavy water may be deuterium oxide, D2O or it may be deuterium protium oxide, DHO.

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Tungsten has the highest tensile strength of any natural metal, with an ultimate strength of 1510 megapascals. Tungsten has the highest melting point (3422 °C, 6192 °F), lowest vapor pressure (at temperatures above 1650 °C, 3000 °F).

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Biofortification is the breeding crops to increase their nutritional value. This can be done either through conventional selective breeding or genetic engineering. Biofortification differs from ordinary fortification because it focuses on making plant foods more nutritious as the plants are growing, rather than having nutrients added to the foods when they are being processed.

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The wings of insects, bats and birds, that evolved independently in each lineage separately after diverging from an ancestor without wings, are examples of analogous organs. Analogous organs are the opposite of homologous organs, which have similar functions but different origins.

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The plastid is a major double-membrane organelle found in the cells of plants. Plastids are the site of manufacture and storage of important chemical compounds used by the cell. Plastids often contain pigments used in photosynthesis, and the types of pigments present can change or determine the cell’s colour.

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Vermicomposting is the process of using worms also called red worms and micro-organisms to turn kitchen waste into black, earthy-smelling, nutrient-rich humus. Vermicompost is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.

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Vitamin D is essential in helping the body absorb and use calcium; in fact, the body cannot absorb calcium at all without some vitamin D. Vitamin D helps our intestines absorb calcium from the food we eat and helps build stronger bones.