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General Science Previous Year Questions (PYQ) with Answers – Page 6

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General Science questions asked in previous year papers of SSC, Banking, Railway and other exams, with the exam and year, answers and explanations.

1911 previous-year questions

All General Science questionsGeneral Science NotesPYQs by exam
Q101.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2026, GATMedium

A hollow prism is filled with water of refractive index 1.34 and white light is incident on the prism. The white light is assumed to have wavelengths ranging from 4020 Å to 6700 Å. What is the corresponding wavelength range in water?

  1. A.3000 Å to 5000 Å
  2. B.4020 Å to 6700 Å
  3. C.5000 Å to 7000 Å
  4. D.5386 Å to 8978 Å
Show answer
Correct answer: A. 3000 Å to 5000 Å

When light enters a denser medium, its wavelength is divided by the refractive index of that medium. The frequency of light is fixed by its source and does not change on refraction.

Q102.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2026, GKMedium

Consider the following statements regarding waves : 1. If the particles of a medium move along the direction of motion of the wave, the wave is called a longitudinal wave. 2. If the particles of a medium move perpendicular to the direction of motion of the wave, the wave is called a transverse wave. 3. Transverse waves may involve change in the shape of the medium, whereas longitudinal waves involve change in the density of the medium. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

  1. A.1 and 2 only
  2. B.1 only
  3. C.2 and 3 only
  4. D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: D. 1, 2 and 3

All three statements correctly describe how particles move in the two kinds of mechanical waves. In a longitudinal wave, such as sound in air, the particles vibrate back and forth along the direction in which the wave travels.

Q104.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2026, GATMedium

In a carrom game, a striker of mass 15 g hits a coin of mass 5 g head on and the coin moves with a speed of 0.36 m/s. If the time of contact between the striker and the coin is 3 milliseconds, then what is the average force applied by the striker on the coin?

  1. A.0.72 N
  2. B.0.60 N
  3. C.0.54 N
  4. D.0.30 N
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 0.60 N

Average force equals the change in momentum of the coin divided by the time of contact.

Q105.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2026, GATMedium

One year at a planet is 8 times as large as compared to the one year at the Earth. Which one of the following is correct about the planet's orbit?

  1. A.The semimajor axis of the planet's orbit is same as that of the Earth.
  2. B.The semimajor axis of the planet's orbit is twice as compared to that of the Earth.
  3. C.The semimajor axis of the planet's orbit is thrice as compared to that of the Earth.
  4. D.The semimajor axis of the planet's orbit is four times as compared to that of the Earth.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. The semimajor axis of the planet's orbit is four times as compared to that of the Earth.

Kepler's third law says the square of a planet's orbital period is proportional to the cube of the semimajor axis of its orbit.

Q106.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2026, GATHard

A biconvex lens is made of a material of refractive index 2 such that the ratio of the radii of curvature of its two faces is 1 : 2. A point source in air is placed on the principal axis of this lens at a distance u from the lens. Which one of the following is correct if the image is formed exactly at the same distance as that of the point source? (where R is the radius of curvature of the first face)

  1. A.u = R
  2. B.u = 2R
  3. C.2u = 3R
  4. D.3u = 4R
Show answer
Correct answer: D. 3u = 4R

A convex lens forms an image at the same distance as the object only when the object sits at 2f, and here 2f works out to 4R/3.

Q107.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2026, GKMedium

Which one among the following statements related to electric cells is correct?

  1. A.A primary cell is rechargeable.
  2. B.A secondary cell can be used only once.
  3. C.The emf of a battery is the power provided by the battery per unit current.
  4. D.The unit of emf is Joule.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The emf of a battery is the power provided by the battery per unit current.

The emf of a battery equals the power it supplies divided by the current it drives, because power P = EI.

Q108.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2026, GKMedium

Which one among the following statements regarding the electrical resistivity of a conducting wire is correct?

  1. A.The resistivity of the conductor increases if the length of the wire is increased.
  2. B.The resistivity of the conductor decreases if the length of the wire is increased.
  3. C.The resistivity of the conductor remains the same if the length of the wire is changed.
  4. D.The resistivity of the conductor increases if the cross-sectional area of the wire is increased.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The resistivity of the conductor remains the same if the length of the wire is changed.

Resistivity is a property of the material itself, so it stays the same when the length of the wire is changed.

Q109.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2026, GATMedium

A particle is moved from point X to point Y under a force field. The work done depends only on the initial and final speeds. Which one of the following is correct?

  1. A.The force is conservative.
  2. B.The net work equals the change in kinetic energy.
  3. C.The force is constant.
  4. D.The velocity must always increase.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The net work equals the change in kinetic energy.

A work done that is fixed by the starting and ending speeds alone is exactly what the work-energy theorem states: W(net) = ½mv² − ½mu².

Q110.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2026, GATHard

Two conducting wires made of the same material have lengths L and 1.2 L. If the volume of the longer wire is half that of the shorter wire, then what is the electric resistance of the longer wire in comparison with the shorter wire?

  1. A.288% larger
  2. B.200% larger
  3. C.188% larger
  4. D.108% larger
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 188% larger

The longer wire's resistance works out to 2.88 times that of the shorter one, which is 188% more. Resistance is R = ρL/A, where ρ is the resistivity of the material.

Q111.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2026, GATHard

An object is placed far beyond the centre of curvature of a concave mirror. The object then starts accelerating towards the mirror. Which one of the following is correct?

  1. A.The image will accelerate towards the centre of curvature.
  2. B.The image will accelerate towards the focus.
  3. C.The image will accelerate towards the pole of the mirror.
  4. D.The image will move with a constant speed towards the focus.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. The image will accelerate towards the centre of curvature.

As an object comes in from far away towards C, its real, inverted image moves out from the focus towards C, and the two meet at C. For a concave mirror, an object at infinity forms its image at the focus F, and an object at the centre of curvature…

Q113.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2026, GKMedium

An object is placed at a distance of 15 cm in front of a concave mirror with a radius of curvature of 20 cm. Which one among the following statements is correct for the image formed?

  1. A.The image is 30 cm from the mirror on the same side as the object.
  2. B.The image is formed at a distance of 30 cm behind the mirror.
  3. C.The image is 60 cm from the mirror on the same side as the object.
  4. D.The image is formed at a distance of 60 cm behind the mirror.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. The image is 30 cm from the mirror on the same side as the object.

The focal length is 10 cm, and an object between F and C of a concave mirror gives a real image beyond C, in front of the mirror.

Q114.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2026, GKMedium

An X-ray beam can be deflected by :

  1. A.An electric field
  2. B.A magnetic field
  3. C.An electric as well as a magnetic field
  4. D.Neither an electric field nor a magnetic field
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Neither an electric field nor a magnetic field

X-rays are electromagnetic waves made of photons, which carry no electric charge, so electric and magnetic fields cannot bend them.

Q115.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2026, GATEasy

A person jumps from a height on soft sand. Which one of the following is the correct reason for less likely injury to the person?

  1. A.The sand exerts no reaction force.
  2. B.The sand reduces the change in momentum.
  3. C.The sand increases the impact time.
  4. D.The sand increases the momentum.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The sand increases the impact time.

Soft sand gives way slowly, so the person is brought to rest over a longer time and the force on the body is smaller.

Q117.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2026, GATHard

A floating body is in stable state. Which one of the following is correct?

  1. A.The centre of gravity of the body is above its centre of buoyancy.
  2. B.The centre of gravity of the body is below its centre of buoyancy.
  3. C.The centre of gravity of the body coincides with its centre of buoyancy.
  4. D.The centre of gravity of the body is below the metacentre.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. The centre of gravity of the body is below the metacentre.

A floating body is stable only when its metacentre lies above its centre of gravity. When a floating body tilts slightly, its centre of buoyancy, the centre of the displaced liquid, shifts to one side.

Q118.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2026, GATMedium

For an object in gravitational field, the gravitational potential is the same at two points A and B, but the gravitational field is not the same at these two points. Which one of the following statements is correct?

  1. A.Positive work is done by gravity in moving the object from point A to point B.
  2. B.Negative work is done by gravity in moving the object from point A to point B.
  3. C.Gravity must be non-conservative in such a region.
  4. D.No work is done by gravity in moving the object from point A to point B.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. No work is done by gravity in moving the object from point A to point B.

Work done by gravity depends only on the difference in potential between the two points, and here that difference is zero.

Q119.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2026, GATHard

Consider the following : I. Gravitational field due to a spherical body II. Electrostatic field due to a point charge III. Strong nuclear force field due to a proton IV. Magnetic field due to a bar magnet How many of the above follow the inverse square law ?

  1. A.One
  2. B.Two
  3. C.Three
  4. D.All four
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Two

Only the gravitational field of a spherical body and the electrostatic field of a point charge fall off as 1/r².