General Physics MCQ Solved Paper for UPSC IES

1. Gamma radiations are used for
A. sterilising food stuff
B. controlling pests
C. cancer therapy
D. All of these
Answer : D

2. 'Acoustics' is a branch or study dealing with
A. historical sites
B. architecture
C. sound
D. trigonometry
Answer : C

3. Photo-electric cells convert
A. electrical energy into light energy
B. light energy into electrical energy
C. light energy into heat energy
D. electrical energy into heat energy
Answer : B

4. The mass number and the atomic number of an element are X and Y respectively. The number oC neutrons in the atom of that element is
A. X
B. Y
C. X + Y
D. X Y
Answer : D

5. The rocket engine is motivated by jet propulsion which uses the famous
A. Kepler's Laws
B. Newtonian Third Law of Motion
C. Bernoulli's Principle
D. Law of Relativity
Answer : B

6. The image of an object formed in a plane mirror
A. is real
B. is virtual
C. can be obtained on a screen
D. is slightly bigger than the object
Answer : B

7. Water has maximum density at
A. 0° C
B. -15° C
C. 4° C
D. 15° C
Answer : C

8. The phenomenon of spontaneous disintegration of certain heavy nuclei is termed
A. radioactivity
B. fission
C. fusion
D. implosion
Answer : A

9. The hydraulic jack to lift heavy vehicles in automobile service stations is one of the applications of
A. Pascal's law
B. Principle of Archimedes
C. Boyle's law
D. Hooke's law
Answer : A

10. The coil of an electric heater is made of
A. Platinum
B. Tungsten
C. Nichrome
D. Copper
Answer : C

11. On the Kelvin scale, the melting point of ice is
A. 0 K
B. 273 K
C. 373 K
D. 100 K
Answer : B

12. Besides protons, the nucleus of an atom contains
A. electrons
B. neutrons
C. neutrons and electrons
D. electrons, neutrons and other particles
Answer : B

13. When water is cooled from 4�C to 2�C its density
A. increases
B. decreases
C. remains the same
D. first increases then decreases
Answer : B

14. The electrical domestic tube light gives white fiourescent light because of
A. collision between molecules of filled gas under electric current
B. heavy current
C. vacuum inside the tube
D. falling of ultra violet rays on the white inner coating of the tube
Answer : D

15. Stars twinkle because of
A. refraction of light from them through air
B. reflection
C. absorption
D. All the above
Answer : A

16. 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

17. Astigmatism, a structural defect of the eye, is due to
A. the eye lens being thin
B. the eye lens being thick
C. lack of symmetry in the curvature of the eye preventing rays of light from being brought to a common focus
D. the pupil being very small
Answer : C

18. Before the invention of geostationary satellites, television stations could not transmit their programmes to far off places because
A. these signals are electromagnetic in nature
B. these are not electromagnetic in nature
C. their wavelength is very large
D. they are not reflected by the ionosphere but pass through it
Answer : D

19. If a body is taken from the earth to the moon
A. both its mass and weight will be different
B. its mass will be different but the weight will remain the same
C. its mass and weight will both remain unchanged
D. its mass will remain the same but weight will be different
Answer : D

20. Why is nuclear fusion also known as thermonuclear reaction?
A. Fusion converts nuclear energy into heat
B. Fusion demands conditions of extremely high temperature to produce it
C. Fusion produces large amount of heat
D. Fusion reactions takes place in the sun
Answer : B

21. Which of the following apparatus is used in the electrolysis of water?
A. Voltmeter
B. Voltameter
C. Ammeter
D. Potentiometer
Answer : B

22. The minimum velocity required by a satellite to escape earth's gravitational pull is
A. 18 km/s
B. 11.2 km /s
C. 21 km/s
D. 35 km/s
Answer : B

24. Out of the following which is an insulator?
A. Silver
B. Copper
C. Nichrome
D. Dry wood
Answer : D

25. The barometer was invented by
A. Michael Faraday
B. Torricelli
C. Thomas Alva Edison
D. Benjamin Franklin
Answer : B

26. Compared to the atomic bomb, the destructive power of a hydrogen bomb is
A. greater
B. less
C. equal
D. can't be determined
Answer : A

27. The focal length or lens or the eye is under the control or the
A. iris
B. pupil
C. ciliary body
D. cornea
Answer : C

28. 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

29. The mixing up of two gases as a result of random motion of molecules is called
A. diffusion
B. effusion
C. vaporisation
D. sublimation
Answer : A

30. The barometer was invented by
A. Michael Faraday
B. Torricelli
C. Thomas Alva Edison
D. Benjamin Franklin
Answer : B

31. The plants in a greenhouse are enclosed in a glass enclosure because
A. glass allows the heat radiations of shorter wavelengths from the sun to pass through
B. the plants absorb them - these shorter wavelengths - and reradiate them in the form of longer wavelengths
C. the longer wavelengths cannot penetrate through the glass walls
D. All the above
Answer : D

32. To concentrate light on the defective teeth, the dentists use
A. convex mirrors
B. concave mirrors
C. convex lens
D. concave lens
Answer : B

33. The largest reserve of radioactive element which can be used in a nuclear reactor has been found in India, The name of the element is
A. Thorium
B. Uranium
C. Plutonium
D. Radium
Answer : A

34. The colour of the light which travels through glass with minimum speed is
A. red
B. violet
C. green
D. yellow
Answer : B

35. How is it that Pluto is not always the farthest planet of the solar system?
A. Each planet becomes the farthest planet in its turn. Now it is the turn of Piuto
B. The Sun is now in the zodiac in which it is nearest to outer planets
C. The eccentricity of Piuto's orbit being substantial, this orbit cuts the orbit of Neptune
D. Piuto belongs to other solar system
Answer : C

36. What la the minimum velocity required for a rocket to overcome earth's gravity and travel into space?
A. 18 km/sec
B. 11.2 km/ sec
C. 21 km/ sec
D. 35 km/ sec
Answer : B

37. The earth's nearest neighbour in space is
A. the Sun
B. the Moon
C. the Venus
D. the Mars
Answer : B

38. Which of the following is not electromagnetic waves?
A. heat waves
B. sound waves
C. radio waves
D. light waves
Answer : B

39. 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

40. Of the following types of electromagnetic radiation which has the longest wavelength?
A. ultraviolet rays
B. gamma rays
C. radio waves
D. infrared waves
Answer : C

41. A nuclear reactor is said to have become 'critical' when
A. it stops due to malfunctioning
B. it starts emitting dangerous radioactive radiations
C. it is shut down to avoid explosion
D. it is ready to produce controlled energy
Answer : D

42. A person cups his hand around the mouth when shouting. Why?
A. Sound energy from his mouth is then directed in one direction
B. The cupped hand acts as a cardboard tube of short length
C. The pitch of sound increases
D. Both (a) and (b)
Answer : D

43. In a dynamo
A. mechanical energy is converted to light energy
B. mechanical energy is converted to heat energy
C. mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy
D. electrical energy is converted to mechanical energy
Answer : C

44. 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

45. A boat loaded with rocks floats in the middle of a swimming pool. A man in the boat throws the rocks overboard. The level of water in the pool will
A. increase
B. decrease
C. remain the same
D. first decrease and then increase
Answer : B

46. Diamond shines because of its
A. purity
B. hardness
C. high density
D. high refractive index and low critical angle
Answer : D

47. Air pressure is usually highest when the air is
A. warm and moist
B. cool and dry
C. warm and dry
D. cool and moist
Answer : D

48. The speed of light is minimum while passing through
A. air
B. glass
C. vacuum
D. water
Answer : B

49. Heat is transmitted from one end of a metal rod to its other end by the method of
A. conduction
B. convection
C. radiation
D. sublimation
Answer : A

50. 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