General Science Questions (MCQs) for Competitive Examinations
General Science Multiple choice questions for GK paper in SSC, NDA, CDS, UPSC, UPPSC and State PSC Examinations. These questions are part of GKToday’s 35000+ MCQs Bank Course in GKToday Android App
1. A Gold Ring which is 50% pure. Its purity can be alternatively shown as __:
[A] 18 Carat
[B] 18 Karat
[C] 12 Carat
[D] 12 Karat
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [ 12 Karat ]
Notes:
The carat is the common unit used to describe the mass of a gem. A 1-carat diamond, for example, has a mass of 0.20 g. The karat is the common unit used to describe the purity of a precious metal, such as gold. A 24-karat gold ring is as pure as can be. A gold ring that is 50 % pure is 12 karat.
2. Which among the following minerals is also known as Horn Silver?
[A] Silver Iodide
[B] Silver Chroride
[C] Zinc Phosphate
[D] Silver Sulphide
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Silver Chroride]
Notes:
Chlorargyrite is the mineral form of silver chloride (AgCl). It is also known as cerargyrite and, when weathered by desert air, as horn silver. Silver chloride is formed by the disappearance of the initial silver oxide layer.
3. Seaweeds are an important source of which of the following?
[A] Iron
[B] Chlorine
[C] Bromine
[D] Iodine
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Iodine]
Notes:
Edible seaweed products have been consumed in many Asian countries. Edible seaweeds accumulate iodine from seawater and are therefore a good dietary source of iodine. Adequate consumption of seaweed can eliminate iodine deficiency disorders, but excessive iodine intake is not good for health. The recommended dietary reference intake of 0.15 mg/d and 0.14 mg/d for iodine has been established in the United States and Taiwan, respectively. Seaweed is an excellent source of iodine. However, the amount it contains depends on the species. Kombu kelp offers the highest amount of iodine, with some varieties containing nearly 2,000% of the daily value in one gram. Seaweed is a source of iodine, necessary for thyroid function and to prevent goitre. However, an excess of iodine is suspected in the heightened cancer risk in Japanese who consume a lot of the plant, and even bigger risks in post-menopausal women.
4. Epidermal cells of which part of plant often secrete a waxy water resistant layer on their outer surface?
[A] Aerial parts only
[B] Roots only
[C] Both aerial parts and roots
[D] Neither aerial parts nor roots
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Aerial parts only]
Notes:
The major role of epidermis is to protect all the parts of the plant. Epidermal cells on the aerial parts of the plant often secrete a waxy, water-resistant layer on their outer surface. This aids in protection against loss of water, mechanical injury and invasion by parasitic fungi.
5. Which one of the following features is absent in a virus?
[A] Presence of cell wall
[B] Reproduce within host cell
[C] Fully parasitic in nature
[D] Presence of either DNA or RNA
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Presence of cell wall]
Notes:
A virus has a simple structure. It has no internal cellular structure, no cell wall or cell membrane, just the protein coat that holds the string of nucleic acid. It is made only of a nucleic acid + a protein coat. A cell wall is a layer located outside the cell membrane found in plants, fungi, bacteria, algae, and archaea.
6. Which word is common in the botanical names of trees like Ashoka, Tamarind or Coral?
[A] Terminalia
[B] Indica
[C] Salix
[D] Acacia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Indica]
Notes:
Tamarind tree (Tamarindus indica), Ashoka tree (Saraca Indica), Indian Coral tree (Erythrina Indica) have ‘Indica’ common in their botanical names. In biology/taxonomy, if a species originates in India, its scientific name sometimes includes “Indica”.
7. Rate of cooling depends on the
____:
[A] Nature of the radiating surface
[B] Area of the radiating surface
[C] Temperature difference between the body and the surroundings
[D] All of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [All of the above ]
Notes:
Newton’s Law of Cooling states that the rate of temperature of the body is proportional to the difference between the temperature of the body and that of the surrounding medium. When a body cools by radiation, then rate of cooling depends on: Nature of the radiating surface, that is, emissivity; Area of the radiating surface; Mass of the radiating surface; Specific heat of the radiating body; Temperature of radiating body and Temperature of the surrounding.
8. Which organ is the main digester and absorber of food?
[A] Colon
[B] Stomach
[C] Liver
[D] Small intestine
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Small intestine]
Notes:
The small intestine, the part of the gastrointestinal tract between the stomach and the large intestine, is the main digester and absorber of food. The small intestine has three distinct regions – the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum–that carry out the absorption of nutrients and minerals from food. It converts the food into a semi-solid mass.
9. Seed dormancy is regulated by ____:
[A] Abscisic acid
[B] Indole acetic acid
[C] Ethylene
[D] Gibberellic acid
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Abscisic acid]
Notes:
The transition from dormancy to germination in seeds is a key physiological process during the lifecycle of plants. Abscisic acid (ABA) is the sole plant hormone known to maintain seed dormancy. It acts through a gene expression network involving the transcription factor Abscisic Acid Insensitive 3 (ABI3).
10. An example of false fruit is ___:
[A] Guava
[B] Mango
[C] Tomato
[D] Apple
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Apple]
Notes:
An accessory fruit (sometimes called false fruit, spurious fruit, pseudo-fruit, or pseudo-carp) is a fruit in which some of the flesh is derived not from the ovary but from some adjacent tissue exterior to the carpel. Examples of accessory tissue are the receptacle of strawberries, figs, or mulberries, and the calyx of Gaultheria procumbens or Syzygium jambos. Pomes, such as apples and pears, are also accessory fruits, with much of the fruit flesh derived from a hypanthium.