Science – Medium Level – GK Questions

Chipko (1970s, Uttarakhand): villagers hugged trees to prevent logging. Pioneered eco-feminism and community-based conservation. Landmark environmental movement in India. [[MoEFCC, NCERT Geography Class 11]]

Liver converts toxic ammonia (from protein metabolism) to less toxic urea via ornithine cycle. Urea is excreted by kidneys. Key for nitrogenous waste management. [[NCERT Biology Class 11]]

Primary structure: linear sequence of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Determines higher-order folding and function. Central to biochemistry. [[NCERT Chemistry Class 12]]

Lenz's Law: direction of induced current opposes flux change (conservation of energy). Faraday's Law gives magnitude. Together they describe electromagnetic induction. [[NCERT Physics Class 12]]

KE = ½mv²: kinetic energy ∝ mass and ∝ (velocity)². Doubling speed quadruples KE. Critical for mechanics and safety calculations. [[NCERT Physics Class 11]]

All birds lay eggs (oviparous). No viviparous birds exist. Contrast with mammals where most are viviparous except monotremes. Basic zoology fact. [[NCERT Biology Class 11]]

Plane mirrors form virtual, erect, same-size images behind the mirror. Real images can be projected on screen; virtual cannot. Fundamental ray optics concept. [[NCERT Physics Class 10]]

ADH (Antidiuretic Hormone/Vasopressin) from posterior pituitary promotes water reabsorption in kidneys. Deficiency causes excessive dilute urine (diabetes insipidus), distinct from diabetes mellitus. [[NCERT Biology Class 11]]

Escape velocity v_e = √(2GM/R) ≈ 11.2 km/s for Earth. Orbital velocity is ~7.9 km/s. Critical for space mission planning. [[NCERT Physics Class 11]]

Disproportionation: one species undergoes both oxidation and reduction. Example: 2H₂O₂ → 2H₂O + O₂ (O in H₂O₂: -1 → -2 in H₂O and 0 in O₂). Important redox concept. [[NCERT Chemistry Class 11]]

HTTPS (HTTP Secure) uses SSL/TLS encryption to protect data integrity and confidentiality. Essential for e-commerce, banking, and privacy. HTTP is unencrypted. [[CERT-In Guidelines]]

R = ρL/A: resistance ∝ length (L), ∝ resistivity (ρ), ∝ 1/area (A). Temperature increases ρ for metals. Fundamental for circuit design. [[NCERT Physics Class 10]]

Pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood from lungs to left atrium. Pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood from right ventricle to lungs. Common point of confusion. [[NCERT Biology Class 11]]

Covalent bonds (shared electrons) have bond energies 150-1100 kJ/mol; ionic 400-4000 kJ/mol (but weaker in solution); hydrogen 10-40 kJ/mol; Van der Waals <5 kJ/mol. Context matters, but covalent is generally strongest intramolecularly. [[NCERT Chemistry Class 11]]

Namami Gange (launched 2014) is an integrated conservation mission for pollution abatement, rejuvenation, and sustainable use of the Ganga. Flagship environmental program. [[NMCG Reports, NCERT Geography Class 11]]

No horizontal force → no horizontal acceleration → vₓ constant. Vertical component changes due to gravity. Key for solving projectile problems. [[NCERT Physics Class 11]]

Cloud service models: IaaS (virtualized computing resources), PaaS (development platforms), SaaS (software applications). Examples: AWS (IaaS), Google App Engine (PaaS), Gmail (SaaS). [[MeitY Reports]]

Humans hear 20 Hz (bass) to 20,000 Hz (treble). Ultrasonic (>20 kHz) used in medical imaging; infrasonic (<20 Hz) from earthquakes. Important for acoustics. [[NCERT Physics Class 9]]

Thermosets (Bakelite, melamine) have cross-linked polymers that don't soften on heating; they char. Thermoplastics (PE, PVC) soften and can be remolded. Important for materials science. [[NCERT Chemistry Class 12]]

Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is Rajasthan's state bird. <150 individuals remain due to habitat loss, power lines. Conservation priority under Project Great Indian Bustard. [[MoEFCC, NCERT Biology Class 12]]