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General ScienceEasyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2020, GAT

Vinegar is also known as

  1. A.ethanoic acid
  2. B.nitric acid
  3. C.sulphuric acid
  4. D.tartaric acid

Correct answer

A. ethanoic acid

Explanation

The correct answer is A, ethanoic acid. Vinegar is a dilute solution of ethanoic acid, commonly called acetic acid, in water.

Vinegar contains about 5 to 8 per cent ethanoic acid (CH3COOH) and is made by the fermentation of sugar or alcohol by acetic acid bacteria. It is used as a preservative in pickles and sauces because its acidity stops microbes from growing. Pure ethanoic acid freezes at about 16.6°C, so in cold weather it forms ice-like crystals and is called glacial acetic acid. It is a weak organic acid that reacts with sodium carbonate to give off carbon dioxide.

B, nitric acid (HNO3), is a strong mineral acid used to make fertilisers and explosives, never eaten.

C, sulphuric acid (H2SO4), is a strong mineral acid known as the king of chemicals and used in car batteries.

D, tartaric acid, is found in tamarind and grapes and is a part of baking powder.

Exam tip: vinegar, acetic acid; tamarind, tartaric acid; curd, lactic acid; lemon, citric acid; ant sting, methanoic (formic) acid.

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Q1.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2019, Paper IMedium

The principle involved in paper chromatography is

  1. A.Absorption
  2. B.Partition
  3. C.Solubility
  4. D.Volatility
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Partition

Paper chromatography separates substances because each one divides, or partitions, itself differently between two liquid phases. In paper chromatography the stationary phase is the water held in the cellulose fibres of the paper, and the mobile phase is the solvent that rises up the paper by capillary action.

Q3.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2019, Paper IEasy

Which one of the following is NOT a luminous object ?

  1. A.Sun
  2. B.Electric lamp
  3. C.Candle
  4. D.Moon
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Moon

The Moon gives out no light of its own; it only reflects sunlight, so it is a non-luminous object. A luminous object produces and emits its own light, while a non-luminous object is seen only because it reflects light falling on it.

Q4.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2023, Paper IMedium

In experiment #1, a bar magnet is moved towards a conducting wire loop axially, with the magnet's north pole facing the loop. In experiment #2, the same process as in experiment #1 is repeated except that the south pole of the magnet faces the loop. Which one of the following statements is true in this context?

  1. A.The direction of current in the loop will be of opposite nature in both the experiments.
  2. B.The direction of current in the loop will be the same in both the experiments.
  3. C.No current will flow in either of the two experiments.
  4. D.More current will flow in the loop in experiment #1.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. The direction of current in the loop will be of opposite nature in both the experiments.

Reversing the pole that approaches the loop reverses the change in magnetic flux, so the induced current reverses too. When a magnet moves towards a closed loop, the magnetic flux through the loop changes and an electric current is induced (Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction).

Q5.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2018, GATMedium

Which one of the following statements about classification of plants is correct?

  1. A.Thallophytes have well differentiated body design
  2. B.Funaria is a fungus
  3. C.All Pteridophytes are Phanerogams
  4. D.Vascular system is not found among Bryophytes
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Vascular system is not found among Bryophytes

Mosses and liverworts have no xylem or phloem, so water moves through them cell to cell. Bryophytes, such as Funaria (a moss) and Marchantia (a liverwort), are called the amphibians of the plant kingdom because they live on land but need water for fertilisation.