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General ScienceMediumAsked in: NDA · NDA (I) 2024, 21 Apr 2024

LIGO experiment confirmed one of the predictions of:

  1. A.String theory
  2. B.Special theory of relativity
  3. C.Quantum mechanics
  4. D.General theory of relativity

Correct answer

D. General theory of relativity

Explanation

The correct answer is D, General theory of relativity. LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in the USA, detected gravitational waves for the first time in September 2015 (announced in February 2016), and such waves were predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity in 1916. General relativity treats gravity as the curving of space-time and says that huge accelerating masses, like two black holes spiralling into each other, send ripples through space-time at the speed of light. LIGO's two detectors at Hanford and Livingston measured a change in arm length smaller than the width of a proton. India is building a third detector, LIGO-India, at Hingoli in Maharashtra. A, String theory, has made no prediction that any experiment has yet confirmed. B, Special relativity, deals with motion at constant speed and does not include gravity. C, Quantum mechanics, describes atoms and particles, not gravitational waves. Exam tip: LIGO means gravitational waves, which means general relativity; the 2017 Physics Nobel went to Weiss, Barish and Thorne for it.

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Q1.General ScienceAsked in: RRB ALP · CBT-2, 22 Jan 2019, Shift 3Easy

The SI unit of potential difference is ______.

  1. A.Ampere
  2. B.Tesla
  3. C.Coulomb
  4. D.Volt
Show answer

Correct answer: D. Volt

Explanation

The correct answer is D, Volt. Potential difference is the work done to move a unit charge between two points, and its SI unit is the volt. V = W/Q, so 1 volt = 1 joule per coulomb. It is measured with a voltmeter, which is always connected in parallel across the part of the circuit being tested. The unit is named after Alessandro Volta, the Italian scientist who made the first electric battery, the voltaic pile. Household supply in India is 230 V, while a pencil cell gives 1.5 V. A is wrong because the ampere is the unit of electric current, measured with an ammeter joined in series. B is wrong because the tesla is the unit of magnetic field strength (magnetic flux density). C is wrong because the coulomb is the unit of electric charge; one coulomb is the charge of about 6.25 × 10¹⁸ electrons. Exam tip: Current = ampere, Charge = coulomb, Potential difference = volt, Resistance = ohm, Power = watt, Energy = joule.

Q2.General ScienceAsked in: RRB ALP · CBT-1, 25 Nov 2024, Shift 1Easy

Electric devices like laundry iron, electric toaster, electric oven, electric kettle and electric heater are based on which effect of electric current?

  1. A.Chemical effect
  2. B.Magnetic effect
  3. C.Physiological effect
  4. D.Heating effect
Show answer

Correct answer: D. Heating effect

Explanation

The correct answer is D, Heating effect. An iron, toaster, oven, kettle and heater all turn electrical energy into heat when current flows through a coil of high resistance. This is explained by Joule's law of heating: heat produced H = I²Rt, so the heat grows with the square of the current, with the resistance and with the time. The heating coils are made of nichrome, an alloy of nickel and chromium, because it has high resistance and does not melt or oxidise easily when red hot. The electric fuse and the filament bulb also work on this effect. A is wrong because the chemical effect of current is used in electroplating and in charging batteries. B is wrong because the magnetic effect runs electric bells, fans, motors and electromagnets. C is wrong because the physiological effect is the shock or muscle twitch that current causes in a living body. Exam tip: H = I²Rt; heater coil = nichrome, bulb filament = tungsten, fuse wire = tin-lead alloy with a low melting point.

Q3.General ScienceAsked in: RRB ALP · CBT-1, 28 Nov 2024, Shift 1Easy

The problem of myopia in human eye can be corrected by using:

  1. A.a biconvex lens of suitable power
  2. B.a plain glass plate
  3. C.a concave lens of suitable power
  4. D.a convex lens of suitable power
Show answer

Correct answer: C. a concave lens of suitable power

Explanation

The correct answer is C, a concave lens of suitable power. A concave lens spreads the light rays slightly before they enter the eye, so the image moves back onto the retina. In myopia, or short-sightedness, a person sees nearby objects clearly but distant objects look blurred. It happens when the eyeball is too long or the eye lens is too curved, so light from far objects meets in front of the retina. Concave lenses have negative power, so spectacles for myopia carry a minus number such as -2.0 D (dioptre). A is wrong because a biconvex lens brings rays together and would make the blur worse. B is wrong because a plain glass plate has no power and does not change where the rays meet. D is wrong because a convex lens corrects hypermetropia, or long-sightedness, in which the image forms behind the retina. Exam tip: Myopia = concave (minus) lens; Hypermetropia = convex (plus) lens; Presbyopia in old age = bifocal lens; Astigmatism = cylindrical lens.

Q4.General ScienceAsked in: RRB ALP · CBT-1, 27 Nov 2024, Shift 3Easy

Which gland secretes adrenaline?

  1. A.Thyroid gland
  2. B.Adrenal gland
  3. C.Pineal gland
  4. D.Pituitary gland
Show answer

Correct answer: B. Adrenal gland

Explanation

The correct answer is B, Adrenal gland. Adrenaline is made by the adrenal glands, which sit like caps on top of the two kidneys. It is released in fear, anger or sudden danger, so it is called the "fight or flight" hormone. It raises the heartbeat and breathing rate, increases blood sugar and sends more blood to the muscles so that the body can react fast. Adrenaline comes from the inner part of the gland, the adrenal medulla; the outer part, the cortex, makes cortisol and aldosterone. A is wrong because the thyroid gland in the neck makes thyroxine, which controls metabolism and needs iodine. C is wrong because the pineal gland in the brain makes melatonin, which controls the sleep-wake cycle. D is wrong because the pituitary gland makes growth hormone and controls several other glands, so it is called the master gland. Exam tip: Adrenal = adrenaline (emergency hormone), Thyroid = thyroxine (metabolism), Pancreas = insulin (blood sugar), Pituitary = master gland.

Q5.General ScienceAsked in: RRB ALP · CBT-1, 29 Aug 2018, Shift 2Easy

Which cell organelle is called the Master of the Cell?

  1. A.Mitochondria
  2. B.Endoplasmic reticulum
  3. C.Nucleolus
  4. D.Nucleus
Show answer

Correct answer: D. Nucleus

Explanation

The correct answer is D, Nucleus. The nucleus is called the master or control centre of the cell because it directs all the activities of the cell. It holds the chromosomes, which carry DNA, the genetic instructions for making proteins and for passing traits from parents to children. It is wrapped in a double membrane called the nuclear envelope, whose pores let messages move in and out. Robert Brown discovered the nucleus in 1831. Mature red blood cells of mammals have no nucleus. A is wrong because mitochondria release energy as ATP and are called the powerhouse of the cell. B is wrong because the endoplasmic reticulum is a network of membranes that makes and carries proteins and fats. C is wrong because the nucleolus is a small body inside the nucleus that makes ribosomes, so it is only a part of the control centre. Exam tip: Nucleus = control centre, Mitochondria = powerhouse, Ribosome = protein factory, Lysosome = suicide bag, Golgi body = packaging unit.