SSC CHSL Tier 1 2016 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Point elasticity of demand is calculated using the formula:

E_d = (ΔQ / ΔP) × (P / Q)

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

The values given are: Initial Price (P) = 600 Final Price = 500 Change in Price (ΔP) = 500 - 600 = -100 Initial Quantity (Q) = 10000 Final Quantity = 12000 Change in Quantity (ΔQ) = 12000 - 10000 = 2000

Substituting these values into the formula:

E_d = (2000 / -100) × (600 / 10000)

E_d = -20 × 0.06

E_d = -1.2

The negative sign represents the inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded as described by the law of demand.

Explanation

When the supply of sugar increases, the market supply curve shifts to the right. At the initial equilibrium price, this rightward shift creates a market surplus because the quantity supplied is now greater than the quantity demanded. In response to this surplus, competitive market forces push the market price downward. As the price falls, consumers are willing to purchase more sugar, which increases the quantity demanded along the demand curve. This price reduction continues until a new equilibrium is reached at a lower market price and a higher quantity of sugar exchanged.

Explanation

Chlorotrifluoromethane, represented by the chemical formula CClF₃, is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-13). It acts as both a powerful greenhouse gas and an ozone-depleting substance.

When CClF₃ reaches the stratosphere, it is broken down by high-energy solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This photolysis reaction releases highly reactive chlorine free radicals. These chlorine radicals act as catalysts in a chain reaction that breaks down stratospheric ozone (O₃) molecules into oxygen (O₂), leading to the depletion of the ozone layer.

In addition to its ozone-depleting potential, CClF₃ is an extremely potent greenhouse gas. It possesses a high global warming potential (GWP) because its molecular bonds strongly absorb infrared radiation within the atmospheric window. This traps outgoing thermal radiation in the Earth's atmosphere, contributing significantly to the greenhouse effect.

Explanation

Pentlandite, chemically represented as (Fe,Ni)₉S₈, is the primary and most economically significant ore mineral of nickel. It typically occurs in association with other sulfide minerals within mafic and ultramafic igneous intrusions. It contains approximately 34% nickel by weight, making it the chief source for global nickel extraction.

Explanation

Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet cosmonaut who became the first human in outer space on April 12, 1961. His spacecraft, Vostok 1, completed a single orbit of Earth in approximately 108 minutes, marking a major breakthrough in space exploration and the global Space Race.

Explanation

Rome has been the capital of Italy since 1871, following the unification of the country. Located in the central-western region of the Italian Peninsula along the banks of the Tiber River, Rome is the political, administrative, and historical center of the Italian Republic, housing all the principal institutions of the national government.

Explanation

Nathu La is a Himalayan mountain pass located in the East Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Situated at an elevation of about 4,310 meters, it acts as an important mountain pass connecting India with China's Tibet Autonomous Region. It serves as one of the officially designated border personnel meeting points and is one of the three open trading border posts between India and China. Historically, it formed an offshoot of the ancient Silk Road, facilitating trade and cultural exchanges across the border.

Explanation

The United States declared its independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress. This sovereignty was formally recognized by Great Britain in 1783 through the Treaty of Paris, which concluded the American Revolutionary War.

Explanation

The partition of Bengal was announced on 19 July 1905 by Lord Curzon, who served as the Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905. The official reason provided by the British administration for this division was administrative convenience, as Bengal was a massive province with a population of around 78 million. However, the actual political motive was to weaken Bengal as the nerve center of Indian nationalism by dividing the population on communal and linguistic lines. The implementation of this partition on 16 October 1905 triggered intense opposition, leading to the launch of the Swadeshi and Boycott movements.

Explanation

The inventor of instant noodles was Momofuku Ando, who was a citizen of Japan. Born in Taiwan under Japanese rule in 1910, Ando moved to Japan, founded Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd., and eventually became a naturalized Japanese citizen. He invented the world's first instant noodles, Chikin Ramen, in 1958 in Osaka, Japan, to address post-World War II food shortages, and later introduced Cup Noodles in 1971.

Explanation

Using the thin lens formula: 1/f = 1/v - 1/u

According to the Cartesian sign convention for a convex lens, the object distance is negative and the real image distance on the other side is positive: Object distance, u = -25 cm Image distance, v = +20 cm

Substituting these values into the lens formula: 1/f = 1/20 - 1/(-25) 1/f = 1/20 + 1/25 1/f = (5 + 4)/100 1/f = 9/100 cm⁻¹

The focal length f of the lens is: f = 100/9 cm = 1/9 m

The power of a lens P in diopters is defined as the reciprocal of its focal length in meters: P = 1/f P = 1 / (1/9) P = +9 diopters

Explanation

Capacitance is the ability of a body to store an electrical charge. It is defined quantitatively as the ratio of the change in an electric charge on a conductor to the corresponding change in its optical or electric potential, expressed by the relation C = Q/V, where C is capacitance, Q is charge, and V is potential difference. The SI unit of capacitance is the farad, represented by the symbol F, named in honor of the physicist Michael Faraday. One farad is equivalent to one coulomb per volt (1 F = 1 C/V).

Explanation

By convention, the Parliament of India meets for three sessions in a year. These are the Budget Session, which takes place from February to May; the Monsoon Session, which is held from July to September; and the Winter Session, which runs from November to December. While the Constitution of India only specifies that the maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot be more than six months, meaning it must meet at least twice a year, the established practice is to conduct these three annual sessions to handle legislative business and budgetary approvals.

Explanation

The International Premier Tennis League was founded in 2013 by Mahesh Bhupathi, the multiple-time Grand Slam-winning Indian tennis player. He conceptualized the league as a franchise-based professional tennis tournament played across various Asian cities, modeled similarly to cricket's Indian Premier League.

Explanation

The book Daughter of the East is the autobiography of Benazir Bhutto, first published in 1988. In the memoir, Bhutto chronicles her personal life, her family legacy, her education at Harvard and Oxford, and her political journey in Pakistan, where she served as the first female Prime Minister of a Muslim-majority nation. The book was also published in the United States under the title Daughter of Destiny.

Explanation

Hack is a programming language developed by Facebook as a dialect of PHP. It was designed to run on the HipHop Virtual Machine (HHVM), which Facebook also created. Facebook introduced Hack in March 2014 to combine the fast development cycle of a dynamically typed language like PHP with the safety, reliability, and performance benefits provided by static typing.

Explanation

Under the Hornbostel-Sachs system, idiophones produce sound through the vibration of the instrument's entire solid body itself when struck, shaken, or rubbed, without the aid of strings, membranes, or columns of air. Ghungroos are musical anklets consisting of numerous small metallic bells, typically made of brass or bronze, each containing a small iron pellet. When a dancer moves, these internal pellets strike the metallic shells, causing the solid metal bodies of the bells to vibrate and produce sound. This characteristic design classifies them as idiophones, which correspond directly to the Ghana Vadya category in the traditional Indian system of musical instruments.

Explanation

According to Article 84 of the Constitution of India, a person must be a citizen of India and not less than 30 years of age to be eligible for chosen as a member of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha). Since the Prime Minister of India can be a member of either House of Parliament, a Prime Minister who represents the Rajya Sabha must fulfill the age eligibility criteria of that House, which makes the minimum age requirement 30 years.

Explanation

The Mountain Railways of India refer to five scenic railway lines constructed in the mountainous regions of India during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These five heritage lines are the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, the Kalka–Shimla Railway, the Matheran Hill Railway, and the Kangra Valley Railway. Built using innovative engineering solutions to traverse extremely steep and rugged terrains, three of these five railways—the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, and the Kalka–Shimla Railway—are collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Explanation

Pratibha Ray is an eminent Indian academic and writer who writes novels and short stories in the Odia language. She was conferred the prestigious 47th Jnanpith Award for the year 2011 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Indian literature, specifically through her extensive and deeply impactful works in Odia. Among her celebrated creations are novels like Yajnaseni and Shilapadma, which have been widely translated into multiple languages.

Explanation

Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, is an allergic response to environmental allergens such as pollen, dust mites, mold spores, and pet dander. When an individual with a sensitive immune system inhales these airborne particles, their body produces antibodies and releases inflammatory chemicals like histamine. This physiological reaction leads to characteristic symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes, which are direct indications of an allergy.

Explanation

Bryophytes are non-vascular plants belonging to the cryptogams, a group of plants that reproduce via spores and do not produce seeds or flowers. Flowers are specialized reproductive structures that are unique to angiosperms, which are highly evolved flowering plants. Since bryophytes lack both vascular tissues and advanced reproductive organs, flowers are entirely absent in this group.

Explanation

Jellyfish are free-swimming marine coelenterates belonging to the phylum Cnidaria. They possess a gelatinous, umbrella-shaped bell and long, trailing tentacles that hang down from the margins of their bodies. These tentacles contain specialized stinging cells called cnidocytes, which house coiled, venomous threads known as nematocysts. Jellyfish use these trailing tentacles to stun, paralyze, and capture prey, as well as for defense while drifting in water currents.

Explanation

Each nitrogen atom has 5 valence electrons, making a total of 10 valence electrons in a N₂ molecule. The two nitrogen atoms share 6 electrons to form a triple covalent bond, which satisfies the octet rule for both atoms. The remaining 4 valence electrons are non-bonding and are distributed as one lone pair on each nitrogen atom.

Explanation

Aluminum is a group 13 element and typically forms a trivalent cation, Al³⁺, by losing three valence electrons. Nitrogen is a group 15 element and forms a trivalent nitride anion, N³⁻, by gaining three electrons to complete its outer octet. Since both ions have equal and opposite charges of magnitude three, they combine in a 1:1 ratio to form a neutral ionic compound. This yields the empirical chemical formula AlN.

Explanation

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that links billions of devices worldwide using the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP). It serves as an international network of networks, connecting millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope. This massive infrastructure allows for the sharing of vast amounts of information and resources globally, facilitating essential services such as the World Wide Web, communication, and data exchange across different organizational boundaries.

Explanation

Zardozi is a traditional form of metal embroidery that originated in Persia, with its name derived from the Persian words zar meaning gold and dozi meaning embroidery. While the craft was known in India earlier, Zardozi attained immense popularity and reached its zenith during the Mughal era under the patronship of Emperor Akbar. Akbar was a great lover of arts and crafts, and under his rule, the imperial courts heavily promoted this lavish craft. Artisans used real gold and silver threads, often embellished with precious stones and pearls, to decorate royal garments, court tents, canopies, and scabbards, establishing Zardozi as a prominent symbol of wealth and power during his reign.

Explanation

Point elasticity of demand is calculated using the initial point formula:

E = (ΔQ / ΔP) × (P₁ / Q₁)

where: Q₁ is the initial quantity = 1000 units Q₂ is the new quantity = 1250 units ΔQ is the change in quantity = Q₂ - Q₁ = 1250 - 1000 = 250 units P₁ is the initial price P₂ is the new price = 150 ΔP is the change in price = P₂ - P₁ = 150 - P₁ E is the point elasticity of demand = -1

Substituting these values into the formula:

-1 = (250 / (150 - P₁)) × (P₁ / 1000)

Simplifying the fraction 250/1000 to 1/4:

-1 = (1 / (150 - P₁)) × (P₁ / 4)

-1 = P₁ / (600 - 4P₁)

-(600 - 4P₁) = P₁

-600 + 4P₁ = P₁

3P₁ = 600

P₁ = 200

Explanation

Fiscal policy refers to the use of government revenue collection, primarily through taxation, and expenditure to influence a country's economy. Customs duty is a type of indirect tax levied on the import and export of goods. Because taxation is a primary tool used by the government to generate revenue, regulate trade, protect domestic industries, and manage overall economic activity, customs duty is a fundamental instrument of fiscal policy.

Explanation

Poliomyelitis, commonly known as polio, is a highly infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. This virus belongs to the genus Enterovirus and is primarily transmitted through the fecal-oral route, frequently via contaminated drinking water or food. Once ingested, the virus replicates in the intestines and can invade the central nervous system, leading to muscle weakness and acute flaccid paralysis.

Explanation

Chlorotrifluoromethane (CClF₃), commonly known as CFC-13, is a chlorofluorocarbon. In the stratosphere, ultraviolet radiation causes the photodissociation of CClF₃, releasing highly reactive chlorine free radicals. These chlorine atoms act as catalysts in a chain reaction that breaks down ozone (O₃) molecules into oxygen molecules, leading to the depletion of the protective ozone layer. Furthermore, chlorofluorocarbons are strong absorbers of terrestrial infrared radiation, making them extremely potent greenhouse gases with high global warming potential.

Explanation

Rakesh Sharma, a former Indian Air Force pilot, became the first Indian citizen to travel into space on April 3, 1984. He flew aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T-11 as part of the Intercosmos program. During the mission, he spent nearly eight days aboard the Salyut 7 space station, where he conducted several scientific experiments, including multispectral photography of northern India and studies on the effects of yoga in space. His historic journey made India the 14th nation to send an astronaut into outer space.

Explanation

The Hwang Ho, also known as the Yellow River, is referred to as China's Sorrow because of the devastating floods it has caused throughout history. The river carries a massive volume of fine, yellow loess silt from the Loess Plateau. As this silt deposits on the riverbed, it gradually raises the water level above the surrounding agricultural plains. During heavy rains, the river frequently burst its dikes, catastrophically changing its course and causing widespread destruction, famine, and the loss of millions of lives.

Explanation

Pakistan does not share a border with West Bengal as it is situated on the far western side of the Indian subcontinent, sharing its border with western Indian states and union territories. West Bengal is located in the eastern region of India and only shares international borders with Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Explanation

The Battle of Delhi, also known as the Battle of Tughlaqabad, was fought on 7 October 1556. The conflict took place between the forces of Hem Chandra Vikramaditya (popularly known as Hemu), the chief minister and general of the Sur Empire, and the Mughal forces led by Tardi Beg Khan. Hemu emerged victorious in this encounter, which enabled him to capture Delhi and temporarily establish Hindu rule in North India, crowning himself with the title of Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya shortly before the Second Battle of Panipat.

Explanation

Baji Rao II was the last Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, reigning from 1796 to 1818. He was the son of Raghunathrao and succeeded Madhavrao II. His reign was marked by internal conflicts among the Maratha chiefs, which led him to sign the Treaty of Bassein with the British East India Company in 1802. This treaty effectively subordinated the Peshwa's authority to the British and precipitated the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha Wars, ultimately resulting in the defeat of the Marathas and the abolition of the Peshwa title in 1818.

Explanation

The modern barcode scanner, specifically designed to read the Universal Product Code (UPC), was commercially introduced and used for the first time in 1974. On June 26, 1974, a cashier at Marsh's Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, used a photographic barcode scanner to scan a 10-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum, marking the first commercial implementation of barcode scanning technology.

Explanation

Dispersion of light is the phenomenon where a beam of white light splits into its constituent spectrum of colors when it passes through a refracting medium like a glass prism. This splitting occurs because white light is composed of waves of different wavelengths, which travel at different speeds inside the medium. Consequently, each wavelength bends, or refracts, by a slightly different angle, separating the white light into its component colors.

Explanation

The becquerel (symbol: Bq) is the SI unit of radioactive activity. It represents the rate of radioactive decay, defined as one nuclear decay or disintegration per second (1 Bq = 1 s⁻¹). The unit is named in honor of Antoine Henri Becquerel, who discovered radioactivity in 1896 alongside Marie and Pierre Curie.

Explanation

The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. Its seat is located in New Delhi at the Parliament House, which is officially designated in Hindi as Sansad Bhavan. The term Sansad translates to Parliament, and Bhavan means house or building. The iconic circular building was designed by the British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker in 1912-1913, and its construction was completed in 1927.

Explanation

Article 48A of the Constitution of India is included in Part IV, which outlines the Directive Principles of State Policy. This article was inserted by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976, directing the State to make efforts to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country. These principles serve as non-justiciable guidelines for the State in policy-making and governance.

Explanation

The official song of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil was We Are One (Ole Ola). The track was performed by Pitbull alongside guest vocals from Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte. Released in April 2014, it served as the lead single for the official tournament album, One Love, One Rhythm, and was performed live at the opening ceremony in Sao Paulo.

Explanation

The Palace of Illusions is a highly acclaimed novel written by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, first published in 2008. The book provides a powerful reimagining of the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, narrated entirely from the perspective of Panchaali, also known as Draupadi. It explores her inner thoughts, struggles, and relationships against the backdrop of a deeply patriarchal society and the events leading up to the Kurukshetra War.

Explanation

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, which includes Tadoba National Park, is located in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. Established in 1955, it is the oldest and largest national park in Maharashtra, spanning a core area of approximately 625 square kilometers. The park derives its name from Taru or Tadoba, a local deity worshipped by the indigenous Gond tribes, and the Andhari River that flows through the forest.

Explanation

Bhanu Athaiya was the first Indian to win an Academy Award (Oscar) in 1983. She won the award in the Best Costume Design category for her work on the epic biographical film Gandhi, directed by Richard Attenborough. She shared this honor with British costume designer John Mollo. Her historically authentic designs successfully captured Mahatma Gandhi's life and the changing eras of the Indian freedom struggle over a span of several decades.

Explanation

The sclera, represented here as Sdera, is the tough, fibrous outer protective layer of the eyeball that constitutes the white part of the eye. It is composed of dense connective tissue containing collagen and elastic fibers, which helps maintain the overall shape of the eyeball, protects the sensitive inner structures from mechanical injury, and provides critical attachment sites for the extraocular muscles responsible for controlling eye movement.

Explanation

Proteins are large biomolecules consisting of one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Amino acids serve as the basic structural building blocks of proteins. They are linked together covalently by peptide bonds to form polypeptide chains, which then fold into specific three-dimensional structures to perform a wide range of essential biological functions in living organisms.

Explanation

The modern periodic table is organized such that the 4th period contains 18 elements, starting with the alkali metal Potassium (Z = 19) in Group 1. Following Potassium is Calcium (Z = 20) in Group 2. The transition metals begin in Group 3 with Scandium (Z = 21). Moving to the next group, the element placed in Group 4 and Period 4 is Titanium, which has the atomic number 22. Its electronic configuration is [Ar] 3d² 4s², indicating its position in the d-block of the 4th period and 4th group.

Explanation

A gigabyte (GB) represents 10⁹ bytes in the decimal system, which is equivalent to one billion bytes. A trillion bytes (10¹² bytes) corresponds to a terabyte (TB), not a gigabyte. This makes a trillion bytes the incorrect equivalence for a gigabyte.

Explanation

Point elasticity of demand is calculated using the formula: E_d = (ΔQ / ΔP) × (P₁ / Q₁)

where: E_d is the point elasticity of demand (-2) P₁ is the initial price (800) P₂ is the final price (750) ΔP is the change in price, which is P₂ - P₁ = 750 - 800 = -50 Q₁ is the initial quantity demanded Q₂ is the final quantity demanded (2250) ΔQ is the change in quantity demanded, which is Q₂ - Q₁ = 2250 - Q₁

Substituting these values into the formula: -2 = ((2250 - Q₁) / -50) × (800 / Q₁)

Simplifying the equation: -2 = (2250 - Q₁) × (-16 / Q₁)

Multiplying both sides by -1: 2 = (2250 - Q₁) × (16 / Q₁)

Dividing both sides by 2: 1 = (2250 - Q₁) × (8 / Q₁)

Multiplying both sides by Q₁: Q₁ = 8 × (2250 - Q₁) Q₁ = 18000 - 8Q₁ 9Q₁ = 18000 Q₁ = 2000 units