SSC CHSL Tier 1 2016 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Anaerobic respiration is a biological process in which cells break down organic molecules, such as glucose, to generate energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) without using oxygen. Instead of oxygen, other inorganic molecules such as nitrate, sulfate, or carbon dioxide are used as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain. This metabolic pathway is commonly utilized by various microorganisms, including certain bacteria and archaea, as well as by eukaryotic cells like animal muscle cells during periods of intense exercise when oxygen supply is depleted.

Explanation

A water molecule consists of two hydrogen atoms covalently bonded to a single oxygen atom. Because oxygen is significantly more electronegative than hydrogen, it exerts a stronger pull on the shared electrons, drawing them closer to its nucleus. This unequal sharing of electrons creates a dipole, resulting in polar covalent bonds within the molecule where the oxygen atom carries a partial negative charge and the hydrogen atoms carry partial positive charges.

Explanation

Neon is a noble gas situated in group 18 and period 2 of the periodic table, possessing an atomic number of 10. Magnesium is an alkaline earth metal situated in group 2 and period 3 of the periodic table, possessing an atomic number of 12. Since 12 is greater than 10, Magnesium has an atomic number greater than that of Neon.

Explanation

Data definition language is a subset of SQL used to create, modify, and define the structure of a database. It allows database creators to specify the database schema, which includes defining the tables, declaring the specific data types for each attribute, and establishing constraints and relationships among those tables, such as primary keys, foreign keys, and referential integrity.

Explanation

Nataraja, which translates to the Lord of Dance, is the depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer. In this iconic representation, Shiva performs the Tandavam, a divine dance that symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation, preservation, and destruction. The traditional iconography shows him dancing within a flaming halo, holding a damaru representing the sound of creation, and fire representing destruction, while one foot suppresses Apasmara, the demon of ignorance and chaos.

Explanation

At market equilibrium, the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied:

D = S

Substituting the given demand and supply functions:

90000 - 23P = 9000 + 7P

Rearranging the terms to solve for the equilibrium price P:

90000 - 9000 = 7P + 23P

81000 = 30P

P = 81000 / 30

P = 2700

Explanation

The demand curve represents the graphical relationship between the price of a commodity and the quantity demanded, holding other factors constant.

According to the law of demand, there is an inverse or negative relationship between price and quantity demanded. As the price of a good increases, the purchasing power of consumers for that good decreases, and they also tend to substitute it with relatively cheaper alternatives. Consequently, consumers are willing and able to purchase less of the good, leading to a decrease in the quantity demanded. This inverse relationship is represented visually by a downward-sloping demand curve.

Explanation

Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The infection is primarily transmitted through the ingestion of water or food contaminated with the feces of an infected person. Upon entering the gastrointestinal tract, these bacteria colonize the small intestine and release cholera toxin, which triggers a massive secretion of water and electrolytes, leading to rapid dehydration and severe diarrhea.

Explanation

Methane (CH₄) is a potent greenhouse gas that plays a significant role in the greenhouse effect and global warming. It is highly efficient at trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere, with a global warming potential that is significantly higher than that of carbon dioxide (CO₂) over a 100-year timeframe. Atmospheric methane is emitted from both natural sources, such as wetlands, and anthropogenic activities, including livestock farming, rice cultivation, fossil fuel extraction, and landfill decomposition.

Explanation

Satara is a prominent historical city and district located in the state of Maharashtra, India. While the region is globally recognized for its ecological importance—particularly the Kaas Plateau, which is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, and various nearby wildlife sanctuaries in the Western Ghats—there is no officially designated national park named Satara National Park.

Explanation

Bhaskaracharya, also known as Bhaskara II, was a prominent 12th-century Indian mathematician and astronomer who made pioneering contributions to both fields. In his major treatise on mathematical astronomy, Siddhanta Shiromani, he calculated the length of the sidereal year, which is the exact time required for the Earth to orbit the Sun. He calculated this orbital period to be approximately 365.2588 days. His calculation is remarkably precise, differing from the modern accepted value of 365.25636 days by only about 3.5 minutes.

Explanation

Wellington has served as the capital of New Zealand since 1865, when the seat of government was moved from Auckland to a more central geographic location. Situated at the southwestern tip of the North Island on the Cook Strait, it is the southernmost capital city of a sovereign state in the world.

Explanation

Chess originated in ancient India during the Gupta Empire around the 6th century AD. In its earliest form, it was known as Chaturanga, which translates to four divisions of the military: infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariotry. These divisions were represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively. The game was highly popular among kings and the ruling class as a tool to develop military strategy and intellect before spreading to Persia and eventually the rest of the world.

Explanation

Ashoka the Great, who ruled from approximately 268 to 232 BCE, was the third emperor of the Maurya Dynasty. He was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya Empire, and the son of Bindusara. Under his rule, the empire reached its greatest territorial extent, covering almost the entire Indian subcontinent. Ashoka is widely celebrated for his patronization of Buddhism and his extensive rock and pillar edicts, which propagated his policies of Dhamma throughout his vast realm.

Explanation

Nick Holonyak Jr. invented the first practical visible-spectrum light-emitting diode (LED) in 1962 while working as a consulting scientist at General Electric in Syracuse, New York. His pioneering development of the gallium arsenide phosphide alloy semiconductor enabled the emission of visible red light, paving the way for the widespread commercial use of LEDs in electronic displays, indicator lights, and modern energy-efficient lighting. He is widely recognized as the father of the light-emitting diode.

Explanation

Henry Cavendish first determined the value of the universal gravitational constant (G) in 1798 through his famous Cavendish experiment. He used a highly sensitive torsion balance apparatus to measure the extremely weak gravitational force between lead spheres of known masses. Although his primary objective was to determine the average density of the Earth, his precise measurements of the gravitational force and the masses of the spheres allowed for the direct calculation of the value of G.

Explanation

Work done W by a force F during a displacement d is given by the formula:

W = F · d = F d cos θ

where θ is the angle between the force vector and the displacement vector.

For an object undergoing circular motion, the centripetal force acts radially inward toward the center of the circular path. The instantaneous displacement of the object is along the tangent to the circle at that point. Because the radius and the tangent of a circle are always perpendicular to each other, the angle θ between the centripetal force and the direction of displacement is exactly 90° at every instant.

Since cos 90° = 0, the calculation is:

W = F d cos 90° = 0

Consequently, the centripetal force does no work on the moving object.

Explanation

The Constitution of India had 22 parts, 395 articles, and 8 schedules at the time of its adoption on 26 November 1949.

Although subsequent constitutional amendments have added new parts (such as Part IVA, Part IXA, Part IXB, and Part XIVA) and deleted Part VII, bringing the actual count of parts to 25, the sequential numbering of the Parts remains from Part I to Part XXII. Consequently, the structure of the Indian Constitution is formally organized into 22 numbered parts.

Explanation

Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most runs and centuries in Test cricket, but his highest individual score in Test matches is 248 not out, which he scored against Bangladesh in Dhaka in December 2004. Throughout his legendary career spanning twenty-four years from 1989 to 2013, he did not score a triple hundred in any of his 200 Test match appearances.

Explanation

Indu Sundaresan is the author of the critically acclaimed historical novel The Twentieth Wife, published in 2002. This novel is the first book in her Taj Trilogy and chronicles the life of Mehrunnisa, who eventually becomes Empress Nur Jahan, the twentieth and most beloved wife of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The story vividly portrays her journey from a child of refugees to one of the most influential and powerful women in the Mughal Empire.

Explanation

The Panch Mahal is a five-story pillared pavilion built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar within the palace complex of Fatehpur Sikri. This unique structure features a tiered architecture with decreasing floor areas, culminating in a single domed chhatri at the very top. It was primarily designed as a pleasure palace and a vantage point for the royal ladies of the court to enjoy the fresh evening breezes and view the surrounding landscape.

Explanation

Kedarnath Singh was an eminent Indian poet, critic, and essayist who wrote in the Hindi language. He was honored with the prestigious Jnanpith Award for the year 2013 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Hindi literature. Some of his notable poetry collections in Hindi include Akaal Mein Saras, which also won him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1989, as well as Abhi Bilkul Abhi and Zameen Pak Rahi Hai. He was the tenth writer in the Hindi language to receive the Jnanpith Award.

Explanation

Oxidoreductases, transferases, and hydrolases represent the first three classes of the systematic classification of enzymes established by the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. This classification categorizes enzymes based on the specific type of chemical reaction they catalyze. Specifically, oxidoreductases catalyze oxidation-reduction reactions, transferases facilitate the transfer of functional groups from one substrate to another, and hydrolases catalyze the cleavage of chemical bonds through the addition of water.

Explanation

Gymnosperms are vascular plants, which means they possess a well-developed transport system composed of vascular bundles containing xylem and phloem. These tissues are specialized for conducting water, minerals, and nutrients throughout the plant body. Consequently, the assertion that vascular bundles are absent in gymnosperms is false.

Explanation

Dolly the sheep was the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. She was born on July 5, 1996, at the Roslin Institute in Scotland, using the process of somatic cell nuclear transfer. In this technique, the cell nucleus from an adult mammary gland cell was transferred into an unfertilized egg cell that had its nucleus removed. Dolly's successful cloning demonstrated that a specialized cell could be used to create an exact genetic copy of the animal from which it came, proving that adult cells can be reprogrammed to generate an entire new organism.

Explanation

Dehydration is a chemical reaction or physical process that involves the removal of water (H₂O) from a molecule, substance, or organism. In organic chemistry, dehydration reactions typically involve the loss of a water molecule from a reactant, such as the acid-catalyzed conversion of an alcohol into an alkene. In a physiological context, dehydration refers to the excessive loss of water from body tissues.

Explanation

The covalent character of a chemical bond depends on the sharing of electrons between two bonding atoms. According to Pauling's electronegativity scale, the difference in electronegativity (ΔEN) between the two atoms determines the nature of the bond. When the electronegativity difference between the bonding atoms is small or zero, the bonding electrons are shared more equally between them. This equal or near-equal sharing of electron density minimizes charge separation, which increases the covalent character of the bond. When the difference in electronegativities is lesser, the sharing of electrons is more symmetric, maximizing this covalent nature.

Explanation

A query language is a specialized computer language designed to facilitate interaction with databases and information retrieval systems. It provides the mechanism for searching and retrieving specific data from a system based on user-defined criteria. Beyond simple data retrieval, a query language supports the computation of derived information by applying various logical operations, mathematical calculations, filtering criteria, and aggregate functions like summation, averaging, or grouping, which generate new insights from the raw stored data.

Explanation

Garadi is a prominent and traditional folk dance of the Union Territory of Puducherry. According to Hindu mythology, this dance originates from the Ramayana, representing the celebration of the Vanar Sena (monkey army) following Lord Rama's victory over Ravana. Performers dress up as monkeys, paint their bodies, and dance to the rhythm of drums and sticks, making it a key cultural highlight of Puducherry's festivals.

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_d = (ΔQ / ΔP) × (P / Q)

where P is the initial price, Q is the initial quantity demanded, ΔP is the change in price, and ΔQ is the change in quantity demanded.

From the given data: P = 80 Q = 600 ΔP = 60 - 80 = -20 ΔQ = 750 - 600 = 150

Substituting these values into the formula: E_d = (150 / -20) × (80 / 600)

This simplifies to: E_d = -7.5 × (2/15) = -1

Explanation

Redistributing taxes as subsidies represents a transfer payment within an economy. This process simply transfers financial resources from one group of citizens to another without directly producing new goods, services, or capital assets. Since it only alters the distribution of existing income rather than generating new economic output or expanding the nation's productive capacity, it does not increase the overall wealth of the nation.

Explanation

Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi, which is a rod-shaped, Gram-negative, flagellated bacterium. This pathogen is transmitted through the fecal-oral route, usually via contaminated food or drinking water. Once ingested, the bacteria multiply within the gastrointestinal tract and enter the bloodstream, leading to systemic infection characterized by high fever, abdominal pain, and weakness.

Explanation

Ozone (O3) is a potent greenhouse gas, particularly when present in the troposphere, which is the lowest layer of the Earth's atmosphere. In this region, ozone molecules absorb infrared radiation (heat) emitted from the Earth's surface and trap it in the atmosphere, thereby contributing directly to the greenhouse effect and global warming.

Explanation

Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Indian Air Force. It is a mid-level officer rank positioned above Flight Lieutenant and below Wing Commander, typically responsible for commanding a flight or acting as a staff officer within a squadron.

Explanation

Malé is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Maldives. It is situated on the island of Malé in the Kaafu Atoll, serving as the political, economic, and administrative center of the country. Historically, it was the walled seat of the Maldivian Royal Dynasties, traditionally known as the King's Island. Today, Malé is one of the most densely populated cities in the world and houses all major government institutions, the national bank, and the primary commercial port of the island nation.

Explanation

Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram, was founded by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I in the 7th century CE. The town was named Mamallapuram in honour of Narasimhavarman I, who held the title Mamallan, meaning the great wrestler. Situated on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, the city served as a major seaport for the Pallava kingdom. During his reign, significant architectural masterpieces, including the monolithic rock-cut temples known as the Pancha Rathas, were commissioned, establishing the city as a prominent center of art and architecture.

Explanation

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the legendary founder of the Maratha Empire in western India. He carved out an independent Maratha kingdom from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur and successfully resisted the expansion of the Mughal Empire. In 1674, he was formally crowned as the Chhatrapati (sovereign) at Raigad Fort, establishing the Maratha dynasty, and ruled until his death in 1680.

Explanation

Assen Jordanoff was a Bulgarian-American inventor, aviator, and engineer who made significant contributions to aeronautical safety and engineering. In 1957, he designed an early prototype of the protective airbag system, with the original goal of ensuring safety for both pilots during emergency landings and automobile drivers during collisions. His innovative concepts in passive vehicle safety laid the groundwork for the modern airbag systems used in vehicles worldwide today.

Explanation

The boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which its vapor pressure becomes equal to the external atmospheric pressure. At high altitudes, the column of air above is shorter and less dense, which results in a lower atmospheric pressure. Because the surrounding pressure is reduced, water molecules require less thermal energy to escape into the vapor phase, meaning the vapor pressure of water matches the lower atmospheric pressure at a lower temperature.

Explanation

By Newton's second law of motion, force is defined as the rate of change of momentum:

F = dp/dt

Rearranging this relationship gives momentum as the product of force and time:

p = F × t

The SI unit of force is the newton (N) and the SI unit of time is the second (s). Thus, momentum can be measured in newton seconds (N s). This is dimensionally identical to the standard unit of momentum, kilogram meter per second (kg m/s), because:

1 N s = 1 (kg m/s²) × s = 1 kg m/s

Explanation

The Communist Party of India was formally founded on December 26, 1925, during its first Party Conference held in Kanpur. This conference brought together various communist groups from different parts of India under a single, centralized organization to coordinate their activities. S.V. Ghate was elected as the first General Secretary of the party, marking the official beginning of the communist movement's organized political presence on Indian soil.

Explanation

Article 39A of the Indian Constitution directs the State to secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on a basis of equal opportunity, and in particular, to provide free legal aid by suitable legislation or schemes to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities. This article was inserted by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976 and is placed under Part IV of the Constitution, which delineates the Directive Principles of State Policy. These principles serve as constitutional guidelines for the government to establish a welfare state and ensure socio-economic justice.

Explanation

Correct Answer: D

Brian Lara is one of the select batsmen in the history of Test cricket to have scored two triple centuries. His first triple century was an innings of 375 runs against England at St John's in 1994, which established a new world record for the highest individual score in Test cricket at the time. His second triple century was an unbeaten 400 runs, which he converted into a quadruple century, against England at the same venue in 2004, reclaiming the record for the highest individual score in Test history.

Explanation

Swami and Friends is the debut novel of the renowned Indian English novelist R. K. Narayan. Published in 1935, the book introduces the fictional town of Malgudi, which serves as the setting for many of his subsequent works. The narrative revolves around the childhood adventures, trials, and friendships of a school-going boy named Swaminathan, capturing the innocence and complexities of growing up in pre-independence British India.

Explanation

Keoladeo National Park, formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, is located in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. It is a world-famous avifauna sanctuary that hosts thousands of birds, especially during the winter season, serving as a major wintering area for Siberian cranes and other migratory waterfowl. Recognized for its rich biodiversity and ecological significance, the park was declared a protected sanctuary in 1971, designated a National Park in 1982, and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. It is a man-made and man-managed wetland that plays a crucial role in the conservation of various bird species.

Explanation

Oxybutynin is an anticholinergic and antispasmodic medication primarily prescribed to treat overactive bladder and urinary incontinence. It works by relaxing the detrusor muscle of the bladder wall through the antagonism of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. This relaxation increases bladder capacity and reduces the frequency and urgency of involuntary bladder contractions, thereby preventing the involuntary leakage of urine.

Explanation

Ribosomes are the molecular machines responsible for protein synthesis in all living cells. During the process of translation, they bind to messenger RNA (mRNA) and decode its genetic sequence. Based on this code, ribosomes assemble amino acids in the precise order required to build functional polypeptide chains, which subsequently fold into active proteins.

Explanation

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. This virus belongs to the Picornaviridae family and is transmitted from person to person, primarily through the fecal-oral route or less frequently by contaminated food or water. After entering the body, the virus multiplies in the intestine and can subsequently invade the nervous system, potentially leading to irreversible paralysis.

Explanation

Ammonia is a binary hydride consisting of one nitrogen atom covalently bonded to three hydrogen atoms, giving it the chemical formula NH₃. It is a colorless gas with a highly pungent and suffocating odor, and it serves as a fundamental building block in the synthesis of nitrogenous fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and household cleaning products.

Explanation

Oxygen exists as a diatomic gas (O₂) at standard temperature and pressure. In its solid state, the individual oxygen molecules are held together only by weak intermolecular London dispersion forces. Because very little thermal energy is required to overcome these weak forces, oxygen has an extremely low melting point of -218.79 °C (54.36 K).