SSC CHSL Tier 1 2016 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Krypton is a noble gas belonging to Group 18 of the periodic table. At room temperature and pressure, it exists in a gaseous state. Because krypton consists of individual, monoatomic atoms held together only by extremely weak London dispersion forces, very little thermal energy is required to overcome these forces and transition it from a solid to a liquid. Consequently, krypton has an exceptionally low melting point of approximately -157.36 °C or 115.79 K.

Explanation

The strength of a hydrogen bond is directly proportional to the electronegativity and inversely proportional to the atomic size of the electronegative atom bonded to hydrogen. Fluorine is the most electronegative element in the periodic table and possesses a very small atomic radius. This high electronegativity strongly polarizes the H-F bond, creating a large partial positive charge on the hydrogen atom and a highly concentrated partial negative charge on the fluorine atom. The resulting electrostatic attraction between these polar molecules forms an exceptionally strong intermolecular hydrogen bond.

Explanation

Machine language, or machine code, is the fundamental language of a computer, consisting of binary digits (0s and 1s). The central processing unit (CPU) of a computer is designed to directly recognize and execute these instructions without any intermediate translation or compilation. Each machine code instruction performs a specific basic task, such as moving data, performing an arithmetic calculation, or altering the execution flow.

Explanation

The Khasi tribes are an indigenous ethnic group primarily residing in the state of Meghalaya in northeastern India. They constitute a major portion of the population in the Khasi Hills region of the state. The Khasis are globally renowned for their unique matrilineal social system, where lineage, inheritance, and family name are passed down through the female line, and the youngest daughter typically inherits the ancestral family property. Their traditional language, Khasi, is part of the Austroasiatic language family.

Explanation

According to the Fisher equation, the nominal interest rate is the sum of the real interest rate and the inflation rate. Therefore, the nominal rate of interest is 6% + 3% = 9%.

Explanation

Point elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of quantity demanded to a change in price at a specific point on the demand curve. The formula for point elasticity of demand is:

E = (ΔQ / ΔP) × (P / Q)

where: ΔQ is the change in quantity demanded: 210 - 200 = 10 units ΔP is the change in price: 220 - 240 = -20 P is the initial price: 240 Q is the initial quantity: 200

Substituting these values into the formula:

E = (10 / -20) × (240 / 200)

E = -0.5 × 1.2

E = -0.6

The negative sign reflects the law of demand, representing the inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded.

Explanation

Under perfect competition, a firm is a price taker, meaning the market price is given and remains constant for the individual firm. Consequently, the marginal revenue (MR) earned from selling an additional unit of output is always equal to the market price (P). The universal condition for profit maximization for any firm is to produce at an output level where marginal revenue equals marginal cost (MR = MC). Substituting price for marginal revenue under perfect competition, the firm maximizes its profits by adjusting its output until the market price equals the marginal cost of production (P = MC).

Explanation

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are highly stable, non-toxic, and non-flammable synthetic compounds containing chlorine, fluorine, and carbon. When released into the atmosphere, they slowly drift upward into the stratosphere, where intense solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation breaks them down. This photolysis process releases free chlorine atoms. A single chlorine atom acts as a catalyst to repeatedly break down ozone (O₃) molecules into oxygen (O₂) molecules without being consumed itself in the process. This catalytic destruction of ozone by active chlorine species causes the severe thinning of the stratospheric ozone layer, commonly referred to as the ozone hole.

Explanation

The Bhopal gas tragedy, which occurred on the night of December 2–3, 1984, at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, was caused by the accidental leak of methyl isocyanate. This highly toxic, volatile, and colorless organic compound, with the chemical formula CH₃NCO, was used as an intermediate in the manufacture of carbamate pesticides. Upon release, the gas reacted aggressively with moisture in human tissues, causing severe respiratory distress, acute pulmonary edema, and immediate death to thousands of residents in the surrounding areas.

Explanation

The United States possesses the largest proven coal reserves in the world, holding more than 250 billion short tons of coal, which represents approximately 22% to 23% of the global total. These vast, recoverable reserves are highly concentrated in key geological areas, most notably the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana, the Appalachian Basin in the eastern region, and the Illinois Basin.

Explanation

Venus is the second planet from the Sun, situated between Mercury and Earth in our solar system. It orbits the Sun at an average distance of approximately 108 million kilometers.

Explanation

Canberra was selected as the capital of Australia in 1908 as a compromise between the rival cities of Sydney and Melbourne. A planned city designed by American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, Canberra officially became the seat of the Australian government and parliament in 1927.

Explanation

Ashoka was the third emperor of the Maurya Dynasty, ruling from around 268 to 232 BCE. He was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the Maurya Empire, and the son of Bindusara. Under Ashoka's rule, the empire expanded to cover almost the entire Indian subcontinent, stretching from modern-day Afghanistan in the west to Bangladesh in the east. His reign is particularly celebrated for his patronisation of Buddhism and the propagation of Dhamma through various rock and pillar edicts after the Kalinga War.

Explanation

Aurangzeb seized the Mughal throne after winning a brutal war of succession against his brothers. After defeating his eldest brother and the crown prince, Dara Shikoh, at the Battle of Samugarh in 1658, Aurangzeb had him executed. He also executed his younger brother, Murad Bakhsh, and drove his other brother, Shah Shuja, into exile. To secure his position as emperor, Aurangzeb imprisoned his father, Shah Jahan, inside the Agra Fort in 1658, keeping him under house arrest there until Shah Jahan's death in 1666.

Explanation

Bartolomeo Cristofori, an Italian instrument maker, invented the piano around the year 1700. Working at the court of Grand Prince Ferdinando de' Medici in Florence, Italy, Cristofori developed the "gravicembalo col piano e forte" (harpsichord with soft and loud), which eventually came to be known as the pianoforte, and later simply the piano. He replaced the plucking mechanism of the traditional harpsichord with a hammer-strike action, allowing the player to vary the volume of the sound by altering the force with which the keys are pressed.

Explanation

An ideal fluid is a theoretical fluid that is completely incompressible and has no internal friction or resistance to flow. Viscosity is the measure of a fluid's internal resistance to gradual deformation by shear or tensile stress. Since an ideal fluid is assumed to be inviscid, it experiences no internal shear stresses and offers no resistance to flow, which means its viscosity is zero.

Explanation

Statement (a) corresponds to an oligopoly. In an oligopoly market, a few large firms dominate the industry, creating a state of mutual interdependence. While each firm has significant control over its own price and quantity of output, it cannot make decisions in isolation and must constantly anticipate and react to the pricing and output strategies of its competitors.

Statement (b) corresponds to a pure monopoly. Under a pure monopoly, there is only one seller in the market with absolute control over the supply of a product that has no close substitutes. This market structure allows the sole firm to act as a price maker and set its output level at the point where marginal revenue equals marginal cost (MR = MC) to secure maximum profits.

Explanation

Sound intensity is defined as the power carried by sound waves per unit area in a direction perpendicular to that area. The formula for sound intensity (I) is:

I = P / A

where P represents the sound power and A represents the area. In the International System of Units (SI), power is measured in watts (W) and area is measured in square meters (m²). Therefore, the SI unit of sound intensity is watt per square meter (W/m²).

Explanation

The Constitution of India currently has 12 Schedules. Although there were originally 8 Schedules when the Constitution was adopted in 1949, subsequent amendments have increased the number to 12.

Explanation

M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar was the first Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, holding the office from 30 May 1952 until 7 March 1956. He was a distinguished freedom fighter and legislator who also went on to serve as the second Speaker of the Lok Sabha and later as the Governor of Bihar.

Explanation

Martin Crowe was an iconic batsman and captain of the New Zealand national cricket team. Active internationally from 1982 to 1995, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers produced by New Zealand. He played 77 Test matches, scoring 5,444 runs including 17 centuries, and represented his country in 143 One Day Internationals. He captained New Zealand during the 1992 Cricket World Cup, leading them to the semi-finals with his innovative captaincy, and was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2015.

Explanation

Untouchable is a pioneering novel written by Mulk Raj Anand and published in 1935. The book depicts a single day in the life of Bakha, a young sweeper who experiences the harsh and humiliating realities of untouchability and the caste system in pre-independence India. This work established Mulk Raj Anand as a prominent figure in Indo-Anglian literature, known for his realistic and empathetic portrayal of the marginalized and oppressed classes.

Explanation

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster of April 26, 1986, occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. The massive release of radioactive contaminants heavily affected the surrounding regions of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, which were then part of the Soviet Union. Due to high levels of radiation, the government established exclusion zones and eventually resettled around 350,000 people from highly contaminated areas across these three countries. Kazakhstan, being located in Central Asia, was far away from the path of the radioactive plume and did not require any population resettlement.

Explanation

The exosphere is the outermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere, representing the transition zone between the atmosphere and outer space. It begins above the thermosphere at an altitude of around 500 to 1000 km and extends up to approximately 10,000 km. In this layer, the air is extremely thin and composed mainly of very low-density gases like hydrogen and helium. Because the atoms and molecules are so far apart, they rarely collide, and some possess enough kinetic energy to escape Earth's gravity into space.

Explanation

Infosys became the first Indian company to list on the NASDAQ stock exchange in the United States on March 11, 1999. The company listed its American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) at a time of rapid growth in the Indian information technology services sector, representing a major milestone that opened the doors for Indian corporates to tap into international capital markets.

Explanation

Pakistan gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 14, 1947, following the end of British colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent. The British Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act of 1947, which partitioned British India into two independent sovereign dominions, India and Pakistan, officially bringing an end to the British Raj.

Explanation

Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal Emperor who ruled the Indian subcontinent for nearly 49 years, died on 3 March 1707 in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, at the age of 88. His death marked the beginning of the decline of the Mughal Empire.

Explanation

The induction coil, an early type of electrical transformer used to produce high-voltage pulses from a low-voltage direct current supply, was invented by the Irish physicist and priest Nicholas Callan in 1836. Working at St. Patrick's College in Maynooth, Callan wound a secondary coil of fine wire over a primary coil of thicker wire around an iron core. By using a mechanical interrupter to rapidly connect and disconnect the primary circuit, he successfully induced a significantly higher voltage in the secondary circuit, creating the foundational design for modern step-up transformers.

Explanation

According to the lens formula: 1/f = 1/v - 1/u

Here, the object is placed at a distance of 20 cm from the optical centre, so the object distance u is -20 cm (or -0.2 m) by sign convention. The image is formed on the other side of the lens at a distance of 16 cm, which means the image distance v is +16 cm (or +0.16 m).

Substituting these values into the formula to find the focal length f: 1/f = 1/0.16 - 1/(-0.2) 1/f = 6.25 + 5 1/f = 11.25 m⁻¹

The power of a lens P in diopters is equal to the reciprocal of its focal length in meters: P = 1/f P = 11.25 D

Since a convex lens has converging properties, its power is positive.

Explanation

The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model is a standardized conceptual framework developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to describe how different network protocols interact and enable communication between computing systems. It divides the entire communication process into seven distinct, structured layers. These layers, ordered from lowest to highest, are the Physical layer, Data Link layer, Network layer, Transport layer, Session layer, Presentation layer, and Application layer. Each layer has a specific set of functions and interacts directly with the layers immediately above and below it to ensure seamless data transmission.

Explanation

Sir Henry Cole, a prominent British civil servant and patron of the arts, invented the first commercial Christmas card in London in 1843. Seeking a time-saving way to answer his massive pile of seasonal mail and wishing to encourage ordinary people to use the newly established Penny Post, he commissioned artist John Callcott Horsley to design an illustrated card. The design featured a family raising a toast to Christmas alongside a charitable act, with the message wishing a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, initiating the modern tradition of sending Christmas cards.

Explanation

Trypsin is a pancreatic serine protease that plays an essential role in the digestive system. It is synthesized in an inactive form, trypsinogen, and secreted into the small intestine. Upon activation by enteropeptidase, trypsin catalyzes the hydrolysis of peptide bonds, specifically cleaving proteins on the carboxyl side of lysine and arginine residues. This enzymatic action breaks down large, complex protein molecules into smaller peptides and amino acids, allowing them to be absorbed by the body.

Explanation

Aspirin, chemically known as acetylsalicylic acid, is historically derived from willow bark. The bark of the willow tree, belonging to the genus Salix, contains an active compound called salicin. In the human body, salicin is metabolized into salicylic acid, which has significant anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and fever-reducing properties. Ancient civilizations utilized extracts of willow bark for medicinal purposes long before the compound was chemically synthesized in the nineteenth century to produce modern aspirin.

Explanation

Canis familiaris is the scientific name for the domestic dog. In binomial nomenclature, the first part, Canis, represents the genus of dog-like carnivores, while the second part, familiaris, refers specifically to the domestic dog, highlighting its historical domestication and close association with humans.

Explanation

Citric acid, with the chemical formula C₆H₈O₇, is a weak organic tricarboxylic acid that occurs naturally in citrus fruits. Lemons and limes contain particularly high concentrations of this acid, which can account for up to 8% of the dry weight of the fruit. It is responsible for the characteristic sour and sharp taste of lemons, and it also plays a significant role as a natural preservative and antioxidant.

Explanation

Clarke's process, also known as the lime softening process, is a chemical method used to remove temporary hardness from water on a large scale. Temporary hardness is caused by the presence of dissolved calcium and magnesium bicarbonates. In this process, a calculated amount of calcium hydroxide (lime water) is added to the hard water. This reacts with the soluble bicarbonates to form insoluble precipitates of calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide, which settle down and can be easily filtered out.

The chemical reactions involved are: Ca(HCO₃)₂ + Ca(OH)₂ → 2CaCO₃ + 2H₂O Mg(HCO₃)₂ + 2Ca(OH)₂ → 2CaCO₃ + Mg(OH)₂ + 2H₂O

Explanation

The Group of Monuments at Pattadakal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the west bank of the Malaprabha River in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. Built during the 7th and 8th centuries under the Chalukya dynasty, this site is renowned for its eclectic art, which represents a harmonious blend of northern (Nagara) and southern (Dravida) temple architectural styles. It comprises nine Hindu temples and one Jain sanctuary, with the Virupaksha Temple being the most prominent masterpiece of this group.

Explanation

The Hemis Festival is a prominent two-day annual Buddhist festival celebrated at the Hemis Monastery in the Leh-Ladakh region. It commemorates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava, who is revered as the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. Since Ladakh was an administrative region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2016, prior to its reorganization into a separate Union Territory in 2019, the festival was held in Jammu and Kashmir. The main highlight of this vibrant celebration is the traditional Cham dance, which is a mystic masked dance performed by Buddhist lamas to the accompaniment of drums, cymbals, and horns, symbolizing the victory of good over evil.

Explanation

Arc elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of quantity demanded to a change in price between two points on a demand curve. The formula for the midpoint or arc elasticity of demand is:

E_d = (ΔQ / ΔP) × ((P₁ + P₂) / (Q₁ + Q₂))

Here, the given values are: Initial quantity (Q₁) = 1000 Final quantity (Q₂) = 950 Change in quantity (ΔQ) = Q₂ - Q₁ = 950 - 1000 = -50

Initial price (P₁) = 240 Final price (P₂) = 280 Change in price (ΔP) = P₂ - P₁ = 280 - 240 = 40

Substituting these values into the formula:

E_d = (-50 / 40) × ((240 + 280) / (1000 + 950)) E_d = -1.25 × (520 / 1950) E_d = -1.25 × (4 / 15) E_d = -5/15 E_d = -1/3 ≈ -0.33

Explanation

The SI unit of inductance is the henry, represented by the symbol H. It is named after the American scientist Joseph Henry, who discovered electromagnetic induction independently of Michael Faraday. An inductor has an inductance of one henry when a current changing at the rate of one ampere per second induces an electromotive force of one volt across it. Mathematically, this relation is expressed as 1 H = 1 V·s/A.

Explanation

A price floor is a government-imposed regulatory measure that sets a minimum legal limit on the price that can be charged for a product, commodity, or service. It is designed to protect sellers and producers by ensuring that the market price does not fall below a certain level deemed necessary to cover production costs and maintain a reasonable standard of living. To be effective and binding, a price floor must be established above the market-clearing equilibrium price. Common real-world examples of price floors include statutory minimum wage laws to protect workers and minimum support prices for agricultural goods to safeguard farmers from volatile price drops.

Explanation

Water vapor is a highly variable gas in the Earth's atmosphere, with nearly 99% of its total volume confined to the troposphere. Its concentration is strongly dependent on temperature and geographic location, ranging from close to 0% in extremely cold, dry polar regions and arid desert environments to a maximum of approximately 4% in warm, humid tropical regions near the equator.

Explanation

Potable water is defined as water that is safe for drinking and food preparation. The presence of harmful bacteria, also known as pathogens, in potable water poses severe health risks. These microorganisms, which include bacteria like Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Vibrio cholerae, can cause serious waterborne infections and illnesses such as cholera, typhoid, and gastroenteritis. Even in the absence of any visible change in appearance or smell, the biological contamination by these disease-causing agents immediately compromises the safety of the water, rendering it completely unfit for human consumption.

Explanation

New Zealand was the first country to formally propose a carbon tax aimed at addressing global warming and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The nation initiated plans in 2002 for a comprehensive carbon tax intended to levy charges on emissions across various sectors, establishing its status as a pioneer in proposing nationwide carbon pricing policies to fulfill its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

Explanation

The Elephanta Caves are located on Elephanta Island, also known as Gharapuri, which is situated in the Mumbai Harbour about 10 kilometers east of Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra. They are a collection of ancient rock-cut cave temples predominantly dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva, known for their majestic architecture and detailed sculptures, including the famous three-faced Trimurti statue. In 1987, UNESCO designated the Elephanta Caves as a World Heritage Site. Visitors can access the island via a ferry ride from the Gateway of India in Mumbai.

Explanation

Spring tides occur during the full moon and new moon phases when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are aligned in a straight line, a configuration known as syzygy. In this alignment, the gravitational forces of both the Sun and the Moon reinforce each other, combining to pull the Earth's ocean water in the same direction. This cumulative gravitational pull results in the greatest tidal range, producing the highest high tides and the lowest low tides.

Explanation

Humayun's Tomb, located in Delhi, was commissioned in 1565 by Humayun's widow, Empress Hamida Banu Begum, nine years after his death. Built with the patronage of her son, Emperor Akbar, the construction was completed in 1572 under the supervision of the Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyath. It is recognized as the first grand garden-tomb (Charbagh style) in the Indian subcontinent and served as a major architectural precursor to the Taj Mahal.

Explanation

Sabarmati Ashram was established by Mahatma Gandhi in 1915, initially at the Kocharab Bungalow in Ahmedabad. It was later relocated to its present site on the banks of the Sabarmati River on 17 June 1917 to facilitate various activities like farming and animal husbandry. The ashram served as the headquarters for Gandhi's struggle for India's independence, hosting key historic events including the launch of the famous Dandi March in 1930.

Explanation

At the 17th International Indian Film Academy Awards held in Madrid, Spain, in June 2016, the comedy-drama film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, directed by Kabir Khan and starring Salman Khan in the lead role, won the Best Film award. The film was both a critical and commercial success, receiving widespread appreciation for its story of cross-border peace and human connection.

Explanation

As altitude increases, atmospheric pressure decreases. When an airplane flies at a high altitude, the ambient atmospheric pressure inside the cabin is lower than the atmospheric pressure at ground level. A fountain pen contains a small amount of air trapped inside its ink reservoir. At ground level, this trapped air is balanced at normal atmospheric pressure. When the plane reaches high altitude, the lower atmospheric pressure outside the pen creates a pressure differential. The higher-pressure air trapped inside the pen expands to equalize with the external environment, pushing the ink out through the nib and causing it to leak.