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UPSC Science & Technology PYQs 2000 | Vaidra | Vaidra
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Science & Technology UPSC PYQ 2000

55 questions from the UPSC 2000 examination.

55 questions

1Easyprelims2 marks
Space Technology & Astronomy

A ‘black hole’ is a body in space which does not allow any radiation to come out. This property is due to its

Avery small size
Bvery large size
Cvery high density
Dvery low density
2Easyprelims2 marks
Health & Diseases

Most of the explosions in mines occur due to the mixing of

Ahydrogen with oxygen
Boxygen with acetylene
Cmethane with air
Dcarbon dioxide with ethane
3Mediumprelims2 marks
Biotechnology & Genetics

Assertion (A): “DNA Finger-printing” has become a powerful tool to establish paternity and identity of criminals in rape and assault cases. Reason (R): Trace evidences such as hairs, saliva and dried semen are adequate for DNA analysis.

ABoth A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
BBoth A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
CA is true, but R is false
DA is false, but R is true
4Mediumprelims2 marks
Health & Diseases

Match List I (Diseases) with List II (Types of disease) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists: List I I. Haemophilia II. Diabetes III. Diabetes IV. Ringworm List II A) Deficiency disease B) Genetic disease C) Hormonal disorder D) Fungal infection Codes:

AI-B, II-C, III-D, IV-A
BI-B, II-C, III-A, IV-D
CI-C, II-B, III-A, IV-D
DI-C, II-B, III-D, IV-A
5Mediumprelims2 marks
Chemistry

Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists: List I I. German Silver II. Solder III. Bleaching Powder IV. Hypo List II A) Tin B) Nickel C) Sodium D) Chlorine Codes:

AI-A, II-B, III-D, IV-C
BI-B, II-A, III-C, IV-D
CI-A, II-B, III-C, IV-D
DI-B, II-A, III-D, IV-C
6Hardprelims2 marks
Logical Reasoning & Puzzles

Examine the following relationships among members of a family of six persons A, B, C, D, E and F. I. The number of males equals that of females. II. A and E are sons of F. III. D is the mother of two, one boy and one girl. IV. B is the son of A. V. There is only one married couple in the family at present. Which one of the following inferences can be drawn from the above?

AA, B and C are all females
BA is the husband of D
CE and F are children of D
DD is the grand-daughter of F
7Mediumprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

The distribution of 1,00,000 tourists who visited India during a particular year is shown in the given charts. Based on this, the number of Japanese tourists below the age of 39 who visited India in the year concerned is

A10,000
B8,000
C6,000
D4,000
8Easyprelims2 marks
Health & Diseases

Soft drinks such as colas contain significant quantities of

Acaffeine
Bnicotine
Ctannin
Drenin
9Easyprelims2 marks
Physics

Fluorescent tubes are fitted with a choke. The choke coils

Astep up the line voltage
Bstep down the line voltage
Creduce current in the circuit
Dchoke low-frequency currents
10Easyprelims2 marks
Health & Diseases

The blood glucose level is commonly expressed as

Amm of Hg
Bmilligram per decilitre
Cparts per million
Dgrams per litre
11Mediumprelims2 marks
Biotechnology & Genetics

Assertion (A): In human beings, the females play a major role in determining the sex of the offspring. Reason (R): Women have two ‘X’ chromosomes.

ABoth A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
BBoth A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
CA is true, but R is false
DA is false, but R is true
12Easyprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

In a class there are 18 boys who are over 160 cm tall. If these boys constitute three fourths of the boys and the total number of boys is two third of the number of students in the class, then what is the number of girls in the class?

A6
B12
C18
D24
13Mediumprelims2 marks
Physics

Assertion (A): In a motion picture, usually 24 frames are projected every second over the whole length of the film. Reason (R): An image formed on the retina of eye persists for about 0.1 s after the removal of stimulus.

ABoth A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
BBoth A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
CA is true, but R is false
DA is false, but R is true
14Easyprelims2 marks
Materials & Engineering

Aluminium surfaces are often “anodized”. This means the deposition of a layer of

Achromium oxide
Baluminium oxide
Cnickel oxide
Dzinc oxide
15Easyprelims2 marks
Logical Reasoning & Puzzles

A club has 108 members. Two-thirds of them are men and the rest are women. All members are married except for 9 women members. How many married women are there in the club?

A20
B24
C27
D30
16Easyprelims2 marks
Computer & Information Technology

The memory of a computer is commonly expressed in terms of Kilobytes or Megabytes. A byte is made up of

Aeight binary digits
Beight decimal digits
Ctwo binary digits
Dtwo decimal digits
17Easyprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

Which one of the following has a greater perimeter than the rest?

AA square with an area of 36 sq. cm
BAn equilateral triangle with a side of 9 cm
CA rectangle with 10 cm as length and 40 sq. cm as area
DA circle with a radius of 4 cm
18Easyprelims2 marks
Computer & Information Technology

For reproducing sound, a CD (Compact Disc) audio player uses a

Aquartz crystal
Btitanium needle
Claser beam
Dbarium titanate ceramic
19Easyprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

What is the maximum number of pieces of 5 cm × 5 cm × 10 cm cake that can be cut from a big cake of 5 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm size?

A10
B15
C18
D30
20Easyprelims2 marks
Chemistry

A small pouch containing silica gel is often found in bottles of medicine in tablet or powder form because silica gel

Akills bacteria
Bkills germs and spores
Cabsorbs moisture
Dabsorbs all gases present inside the bottle
21Mediumprelims2 marks
Physics

Assertion (A): A man standing on a completely frictionless surface can propel himself by whistling. Reason (R): If no external force acts on a system, its momentum cannot change.

ABoth A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
BBoth A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
CA is true, but R is false
DA is false, but R is true
22Easyprelims2 marks
Biotechnology & Genetics

Insect resistant cotton plants have been genetically engineered by inserting a gene from a/an

Avirus
Bbacterium
Cinsect
Dplant
23Mediumprelims2 marks
Logical Reasoning & Puzzles

The given diagram shows the number of students who failed in an examination comprising papers in English, Hindi and Mathematics. The total number of students who took the test is 500. What is the percentage of students who failed in at least two subjects?

A6.8
B7.8
C34
D39
24Mediumprelims2 marks
Chemistry

Consider the following statements: Hard water is not suitable for I. Drinking. II. Washing clothes with soap. III. Use in boilers. IV. Irrigating crops. Which of these statements are correct?

AI and III
BII and III
CI, II and IV
DI, II, III and IV
25Easyprelims2 marks
Biology

The sensation of fatigue in the muscles after prolonged strenuous physical work is caused by

Aa decrease in the supply of oxygen
Bminor wear and tear of muscle fibres
Cthe depletion of glucose
Dthe accumulation of lactic acid
26Mediumprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

In the given figure, all line segments of the shaded portion are of the same length and at right angles to each other. The same can be cut out of a board of side 10 cm. What is the area of the shaded portion?

A36 cm²
B48 cm²
C52 cm²
D64 cm²
27Mediumprelims2 marks
Physics

Assertion (A): Small glass beads fixed on traffic signals glow brightly when light falls upon them. Reason (R): Light is totally reflected when the angle of incidence exceeds a certain critical value and light travelling in a denser medium is reflected back into a rarer medium.

ABoth A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
BBoth A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
CA is true, but R is false
DA is false, but R is true
28Mediumprelims2 marks
Logical Reasoning & Puzzles

Consider the following pictures of a dice: What is the number opposite of 3?

A1
B4
C5
DData insufficient
29Mediumprelims2 marks
Physics

When a CD (Compact Disc used in audio and video systems) is seen in sunlight, rainbow-like colours are seen. This can be explained on the basis of the phenomenon of

Areflection and diffraction
Breflection and transmission
Cdiffraction and transmission
Drefraction, diffraction and transmission
30Mediumprelims2 marks
Energy & Environment

Consider the following features of newer models of motor cars: I. Radial tyres II. Streamlined body III. Multipoint fuel injection IV. Catalytic converter with exhaust Which of these features make the newer models of motor cars more fuel-efficient?

AI and II
BII and III
CIII and IV
DI, III and IV
31Easyprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

A bag contains 20 balls. 8 balls are green, 7 are white and 5 are red. What is the minimum number of balls that must be picked up from the bag blind-folded (without replacing any of it) to be assured of picking at least one ball of each colour?

A4
B7
C11
D16
32Mediumprelims2 marks
Logical Reasoning & Puzzles

The following figure represents time vs. learning curves of two students, Q and R, for learning a Mathematics lesson. Which one of the following inferences can be drawn from the graph?

AR started slowly in the beginning but got ahead of Q to complete learning the lesson
BQ started slowly and finished learning the lesson earlier than R
CR was always faster than Q in learning Mathematics
DQ was always faster than R in learning Mathematics
33Easyprelims2 marks
Biology

At which stage in its life-cycle does the silkworm yield the fibre of commerce?

AEgg
BLarva
CPupa
DImago
34Easyprelims2 marks
Biotechnology & Genetics

Phytotron is a facility to

Agrow plants under disease-free conditions
Bconserve endangered species of plants
Cgrow plants under controlled conditions
Dinduce mutations
35Easyprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

An accurate clock shows 8 o’clock in the morning. Through how many degrees will the hour hand rotate when the clock shows 2 o’clock in the afternoon?

A150°
B144°
C168°
D180°
36Easyprelims2 marks
Biotechnology & Genetics

Canola refers to special type of oil seed mustard varieties bred for human consumption. The main characteristic of these varieties is that the

Aseeds have very high oil content
Boil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids
Coil has long shelf life
Doil has very low Erucic acid content
37Easyprelims2 marks
Biotechnology & Genetics

Hybridoma technology is a new biotechnological approach for commercial production of

Amonoclonal antibodies
Binterferon
Cantibodies
Dalcohol
38Easyprelims2 marks
Materials & Engineering

Which one of the following materials is very hard and very ductile?

ACarborundum
BTungsten
CCast iron
DNichrome
39Mediumprelims2 marks
Logical Reasoning & Puzzles

A goat is tied to two poles P and Q with ropes that are 15-metre long. P and Q are 20 metres apart as shown in the given diagram. Which one of the following shaded portions indicates the total area over which the goat can graze?

AFigure (a)
BFigure (b)
CFigure (c)
DFigure (d)
40Mediumprelims2 marks
Logical Reasoning & Puzzles

A person starts from a point A and travels 3 km eastwards to B and then turns left and travels thrice that distance to reach C. He again turns left and travels five times the distance he covered between A and B and reaches his destination D. The shortest distance between the starting point and destination is

A18 km
B16 km
C15 km
D12 km
41Easyprelims2 marks
Health & Diseases

The stones formed in human kidney consist mostly of

Acalcium oxalate
Bsodium acetate
Cmagnesium sulphate
Dcalcium
42Mediumprelims2 marks
Logical Reasoning & Puzzles

A, B, C, D, E and F, not necessarily in that order, are sitting in six chairs regularly placed around a round table. It is observed that A is between D and F. C is opposite D. D and E are not on neighbouring chairs. Which one of the following must be true?

AA is opposite B
BD is opposite E
CC and B are neighbours
DB and E are neighbours
43Mediumprelims2 marks
Chemistry

Match List I (Industrial processes) with List II (Industry with which associated) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists: List I I. Cracking II. Smelting III. Hydrogenation IV. Vulcanization List II A) Rubber B) Petroleum C) Copper D) Edible fats Codes:

AI-C, II-B, III-A, IV-D
BI-B, II-C, III-D, IV-A
CI-B, II-C, III-A, IV-D
DI-C, II-B, III-D, IV-A
44Easyprelims2 marks
Physics

Which one of the following does a TV remote control unit use to operate a TV set?

ALight waves
BSound waves
CMicro waves
DRadio waves
45Easyprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

If X = –2, then X³ – X² – X – 1 is equal to

A1
B–3
C–11
D–15
46Mediumprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

In an examination, every candidate took Physics or Mathematics or both. 65.8% took Physics and 59.2% took Mathematics. The total number of candidates was 2000. How many candidates took both Physics and Mathematics?

A750
B500
C250
D125
47Mediumprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

In the given figure, angle QOP = 30° and angle ORP = 20°, angle QOR is equal to

A100°
B120°
C130°
D140°
48Mediumprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

A rectangular piece of iron sheet measuring 50 cm by 100 cm is rolled into a cylinder of height 50 cm. If the cost of painting the cylinder is Rs. 50 per square metre, then what will be the cost of painting the outer surface of the cylinder?

ARs. 25.00
BRs. 37.50
CRs. 75.00
DRs. 87.50
49Mediumprelims2 marks
Logical Reasoning & Puzzles

In a certain code, MARCH is written as OCTEJ. How is RETURN written in that code?

ATFUVSM
BQGSTQM
CTGWTP
DTGRVSO
50Mediumprelims2 marks
Physics

Assertion (A): Large cold storage plants use ammonia as refrigerant while domestic refrigerators use chlorofluorocarbons. Reason (R): Ammonia can be liquified at ambient temperatures at low pressures.

ABoth A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
BBoth A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
CA is true, but R is false
DA is false, but R is true
51Easyprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

A rectangular water tank measures 15 m × 6 m at top and is 10 m deep. It is full of water. If water is drawn out lowering the level by 1 metre, how much of water has been drawn out?

A45,000 litres
B90,000 litres
C4,500 litres
D900 litres
52Easyprelims2 marks
Biotechnology & Genetics

Which one of the following organisms can serve as a biofertilizer for rice crop?

ABlue-green algae
BRhizobium sp
CMycorrhizal fungi
DAzotobacter sp
53Easyprelims2 marks
Physics

A noise level of 100 decibels would correspond to

Ajust audible sound
Bordinary conversation
Csound from a noisy street
Dnoise from a machine shop
54Mediumprelims2 marks
Biology

Match List I (Endocrine glands) with List II (Hormones secreted) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists: List I I. Gonads II. Pituitary III. Pancreas IV. Adrenal List II A) Insulin B) Progesterone C) Growth hormones D) Cortisone Codes:

AI-C, II-B, III-D, IV-A
BI-B, II-C, III-D, IV-A
CI-B, II-C, III-A, IV-D
DI-C, II-B, III-A, IV-D
55Mediumprelims2 marks
Quantitative Aptitude

The monthly income of Komal and Asha are in the ratio of 4 : 3. Their monthly expenses are in the ratio of 3 : 2. However, both save Rs. 600 per month. What is their total monthly income?

ARs. 8,400
BRs. 5,600
CRs. 4,200
DRs. 2,800
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