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. Which among the following metals is the hardest metal?
[A] Platinum
[B] Gold
[C] Iron
[D] Tungsten
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Tungsten]
Notes:
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).
2. Identify the process from the options below, which is a physical change?
[A] Oxidation
[B] Reduction
[C] Sublimation
[D] Decomposition
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Sublimation]
Notes:
Sublimation describes a phase transition where a substance changes from a solid directly to a gas, bypassing the liquid state. This physical transformation is distinct from chemical changes like oxidation or reduction. Sublimation happens under certain combinations of pressure and temperature. Examples include dry ice (solid CO2), which sublimates at room temperature, and solid water, or ice, which sublimates under low pressure conditions.
3. Which one of the following endocrine gland is situated in the neck?
[A] Pituitary
[B] Thyroid
[C] Pancreas
[D] Adrenals
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Thyroid]
Notes:
The thyroid gland is one of the largest endocrine glands in the human body which is found in the neck. It controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and controls how sensitive the body is to other hormones.
4. The right pulmonary artery is _____:
[A] Longer than the left
[B] Shorter than the left
[C] Wider than the left
[D] Of same size as the left
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Longer than the left]
Notes:
The right pulmonary artery is longer and larger and runs horizontally outward in front of right main bronchus and behind the superior vena cava, to the base of the right lung where it divides in two branches. The left pulmonary artery is shorter and runs horizontally over the left upper division bronchus, to the base of the left hilum where it divides into two branches.
5. In the context of agriculture, the term barani refers to ____:
[A] Rain-fed farming
[B] Irrigated farming
[C] Mixed farming
[D] Dry farming
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Rain-fed farming]
Notes:
Barani area are traditionally rain-fed areas. These are any low rain area where the rain-fed dry farming is practiced. Bagar tract, the dry sandy tract of land on the border of Rajasthan state adjoining the states of Haryana and Punjab, is an example of Barani land.
6. If in any water Body, there is high BOD value then it is generally ____:
[A] Very clean
[B] Highly productive
[C] Very polluted
[D] Highly unproductive
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Very polluted]
Notes:
Biochemical Oxygen Demand or Biological Oxygen Demand, is a measurement of the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) that is used by aerobic microorganisms when decomposing organic matter in water. It indicates the amount of putrescible organic matter present in water. Therefore, a low BOD is an indicator of good quality water, while a high BOD indicates polluted water.
7. Bacteriophage was discovered by ____:
[A] Paul Ehrlich
[B] Burrill and Smith
[C] Felix D’Herelle and Frederick Twort
[D] Kluyver and Niel
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Felix D’Herelle and Frederick Twort]
Notes:
Bacteriophage refers to any of a group of viruses that infect bacteria. Bacteriophages were discovered independently by Frederick W. Twort in Great Britain (1915) and Felix d’Herelle in France (1917). D’Herelle coined the term Bacteriophage, meaning “bacteria eater”.
8. In which one of the following is swim bladder absent?
[A] Cartilaginous fish
[B] Silverfish
[C] Cuttlefish
[D] Bony fish
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Cartilaginous fish]
Notes:
The swim bladder is an internal gas-filled organ that contributes to the ability of a fish to control its buoyancy, and thus to stay at the current water depth without having to waste energy in swimming. The cartilaginous fish (e.g. sharks and rays) split from the other fishes about 420 million years ago and lack both lungs and swim bladders, suggesting that these structures evolved after that split.
9. One of the best solutions to get rid of non-biodegradable wastes is ____:
[A] Burning
[B] Dumping
[C] Burying
[D] Recycling
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Recycling]
Notes:
The best way of getting rid of non-biodegradable waste such as plastic is by recycling them. Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” waste hierarchy. Burning may release toxic gas into the atmosphere. Burying and dumping will hardly solve anything because of their very long life of self decomposition.
10. Preserved traces of living organisms retained in the form of impressions of the body parts in the soil are called ____:
[A] Specimen
[B] Phylogeny
[C] Fossils
[D] Antique
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Fossils]
Notes:
A fossil is the naturally preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the geologic past. There are two main types of fossils; body and trace. Body fossils include the remains of organisms that were once living, and trace fossils are the signs that organisms were present (i.e. footprints, tracks, trails, and burrows).