General Physics MCQ Solved Paper for UPSC CSE

1. The device that is used to measure the electromotive force of a cell is
A. an ammeter
B. a rheostat
C. a voltmeter
D. a voltameter
Answer : C

2. When a body is projected upwards
A. the time for the upward journey and downward journey are the same
B. the upward journey takes more time
C. the downward journey takes more time
D. Can't be said
Answer : A

3. A ruse wire is characterised by
A. high resistance and high melting point
B. high resistance and low melting point
C. low resistance and high melting point
D. low resistance and low melting point
Answer : D

4. The audible range of a normal human ear is frequencies ranging from
A. 10000 to 20000 Hz
B. 50 to 15000 Hz
C. 20 to 20000 Hz
D. 15 to 50000 Hz
Answer : C

5. When a body is partly or wholly immersed in a liquid the apparent loss of weight is equal to the weight of the liquid displaced by the submerged portion. This is known as
A. Pascal's law
B. Bernoulli's law
C. Archimedes' law
D. Boyle's law
Answer : C

6. Primary colours are
A. colours of the rainbow
B. colours in the spectrum of white light
C. colours which cannot be produced by mixing other colours
D. colours found in nature
Answer : C

7. X-rays are
A. deflected by electric field
B. deflected by magnetic field
C. slightly deflected by electric field and magnetic field
D. not deflected by electric and magnetic fields
Answer : D

8. The electron has a mass equal to
A. 1.9 x 10-13 kg
B. 9.1 x 10-31 kg
C. 1 x 10-15 kg
D. 1.6 x 10-19 kg
Answer : B

9. Nuclear fusion is a process in which
A. the atoms and molecules lose their identity
B. nucleus is split into fragments
C. the nuclear reaction between two light atomic nuclei results in the formation of a heavier nucleus with release of a large quantity of nuclear energy in the process
D. absorption of neutron by a nucleus
Answer : C

10. A solar eclipse occurs when the earth, the sun and the moon are in a straight line, and
A. when the moon passes between the sun and the earth
B. when the sun comes between the earth and the moon
C. when the earth comes between the sun and the moon
D. on a full moon day
Answer : A

11. The cell that can be recharged, after it has run down, by passing a direct current through it from a source of current is
A. Voltaic cell
B. Leclanche cell
C. Dry cell
D. An accumulator
Answer : D

12. The red colour of the setting sun is due to
A. the least scattered red colour reaching the eye
B. the dispersion of sun light occurred in air molecule in atmosphere
C. the diffraction of sunrays in atmospheric layers
D. interference of all the rays coming from the sun
Answer : A

13. When the resistance of a circuit increases the current will
A. increase
B. decrease
C. remain the same
D. None of the above
Answer : B

14. At what temperature do the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales give the same reading?
A. 212°
B. 32°
C. -40°
D. 0°
Answer : C

15. The extremely luminous objects located at the centre of some distant galaxies and which are sources of high energy electromagnetic radiation are known as
A. Nebulae
B. Quasars
C. Meteors
D. Comets
Answer : B

16. At what temperature do the Fahrenheit and Kelvin scales give the same reading?
A. 212°
B. 32°
C. -40°
D. 0°
Answer : D

17. When a steel ball is placed on the surface of mercury, it does not sink because
A. of the surface tension of mercury
B. mercury is a semi-solid
C. of the high viscosity of mercury
D. the density of mercury is greater than that of steel
Answer : D

18. An electric fan converts
A. electrical energy into heat energy
B. electrical energy into mechanical energy
C. mechanical energy into electrical energy
D. mechanical energy into heat energy
Answer : B

19. A man stands on the pan of a balance holding a fish in his right hand and bucket of water in his left hand. If he transfers the fish into the bucket, the total weight on the pan
A. increases
B. decreases
C. remains the same
D. first increases and then decreases
Answer : C

20. Alternating Current (AC) is more advantageous than direct current because
A. it can be transmitted easily and efficiently
B. Alternating Current (AC) loses the least amount of energy when transmitted at high voltages
C. Alternating Current (AC) voltage can be easily increased or decreased
D. all the above
Answer : D

21. Sound waves
A. are electromagnetic waves
B. can easily pass through vacuum
C. are always transverse waves
D. require a material medium for propagation
Answer : A

22. The scientist who first sent electromagnetic waves to distant places was
A. James Clerk Maxwell
B. Heinrich Hertz
C. Thomas Alva Edison
D. Baird
Answer : C

23. A hunter on the ground wishes to shoot a bird on a tree at a distance with his rifle. He has to point the rifle
A. at the lower elevation than the bird
B. at a higher elevation than the bird
C. in the same direction as the bird
D. vertically upwards
Answer : B

24. Radio waves sent out by radio stations are reflected by
A. troposphere
B. stratosphere
C. mesosphere
D. ionosphere
Answer : D

25. Solar radiation is preferred to other sources of energy because
A. it is practically inexhaustible
B. it is the cheapest form of energy
C. it does not cause pollution
D. All of the above
Answer : D

26. Isotones are species of atoms containing
A. same number of protons but different number of neutrons
B. same number of neutrons but different number of protons
C. the same total number of protons and neutrons
D. same number of protons and different number of electrons
Answer : B

27. It is difficult to bon potatoes at the top or a mountain because
A. the water available is hard
B. it is colder than at sea level
C. the potatoes become hard
D. the boiling point of water is lower at that height on account of low atmospheric pressure
Answer : D

28. An ammeter has
A. a high resistance
B. a very low resistance
C. no resistance at all
D. resistance of 400 � w
Answer : B

29. The phenomenon of radioactivity was discovered by
A. Rutherford
B. Bohr
C. Henri Bacquerel
D. Marie Curie
Answer : C

30. The escape velocity of a satellite projected from the surface of the earth is independent of
A. the mass of earth
B. the mass of the satellite
C. the radius of the earth
D. gravitation of the earth
Answer : B

31. The following are the atmospheric zones above the surface of the earth:
A) Troposphere
B) Ionosphere
C) Stratosphere
D) Exosphere
Select the correct sequence from the earth's surface on the basis of the codes given below:
A. ACBD
B. ABCD
C. CABD
D. BACD
Answer : A

32. In the electrical circuit of a house the fuse acts as
A. a thermopile
B. a load
C. a step down device
D. a safety device
Answer : D

33. Which part of the eye photographic camera?
A. Lens
B. Iris
C. Retina
D. Eyelid
Answer : D

34. When a bottle of perfume is opened in one corner of a room the smell spreads soon throughout the room. This is an example of
A. surface tension
B. capillarity
C. viscosity
D. diffusion
Answer : D

35. A solar eclipse occurs when the earth, the sun and the moon are in a straight line, and
A. when the moon passes between the sun and the earth
B. when the sun comes between the earth and the moon
C. when the earth comes between the sun and the moon
D. on a full moon day
Answer : A

36. Alternating Current (AC) is more advantageous than direct current because
A. it can be transmitted easily and efficiently
B. Alternating Current (AC) loses the least amount of energy when transmitted at high voltages
C. Alternating Current (AC) voltage can be easily increased or decreased
D. all the above
Answer : D

37. The ballistic missile, Agni 11, tested by India has a maximum range of
A. 1000 km
B. 1500 km
C. 2000 km
D. 500 km
Answer : C

38. In very cold countries alcohol is used as a thermometric liquid because
A. alcohol is a poor conductor of heat
B. alcohol can be coloured for its level to be seen easily
C. its freezing point is very low
D. it will not stick to the glass tube
Answer : C

39. The maximum displacement of the particle in a mechanical wave motion is known as
A. amplitude
B. vibration
C. frequency
D. phase
Answer : A

40. An ohm is a unit of
A. potential difference
B. resistance
C. current
D. All the above
Answer : B

41. An ohm is a unit of
A. potential difference
B. resistance
C. current
D. All the above
Answer : B

42. When the velocity of a body is halved
A. its momentum is halved
B. its kinetic energy is halved
C. its acceleration is halved
D. its potential energy is halved
Answer : A

43. Why is it cool near an open pond on a hot summer day?
A. Evaporation at the surface causes cooling
B. The heat obsorbed at the surface is passed on to the bottom
C. Because of impurity in the water
D. Because of convection currents set up inside water
Answer : A