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Q. Why does a piece of iron get rusted if left exposed in the open ?
Ans. Iron piece rusts if left exposed in the open because it reacts with the oxygen in the air,
forming iron oxide—a compound of Iron and oxygen.
Q. White light passing through a glass prism gives rise to a coloured pattern on the wall.
Why ?
Ans. White light is made up of seven colours. Rays of different colours refract or bend along
different paths and fall on different points on the wall forming a coloured pattern known as
spectrum.
Q. The weight of a man on the surface of the moon will be only about one-sixth of his
weight on the earth. Why ?
Ans. The gravity of the moon is one-sixth that of the earth, hence the weight of a person on the
surface of the moon will be onesixth of his weight on the earth.
Q. Small space is left between each set of two rails of a railway line.
Ans. Iron expands when it gets hot. A small space is left between the ends of the rails in order to
allow the expansion of rails due to heat.
Q. How does a thermos flask keep a hot liquid hot and cold liquid cold ?
Ans. It is a double-walled vessel in which the inner surface of the outer vessel and the outer
surface of the inner vessel are silvered so as to prevent radiation of heat. The space between the
walls of the two vessels is made of vacuum to prevent the escape of heat by conduction or
convection.
Q. A person in a moving vehicle is thrown forward when the vehicle stops suddenly.
Why ?
Ans. When a moving vehicle stops suddenly, a passenger will tend to fall forward because the
lower part of his body in contact with the seat comes to stop suddenly but the upper part of his
body is still in motion sharing the movement of the train. So on account of inertia, the passenger
falls forward.
Q. Why does a ship made of steel float though a steel ball sinks ?
Ans. The ship displaces more water then its own weight whereas the weight of the water
displaced by a steel ball is much less than the weight of the steel ball.
Q. Thick glass tumblers often crack when very hot liquids are poured into them. Why ?
Ans. The inner layer tends to expand more rapidly than the outer layer thus producing
phenomenon of unequal expansion resulting in cracks due to the resulting pressure.
Q. Why does the sky and the water of the ocean look blue ?
Ans. The blue part of the sunlight is scattered by the particles of the atmosphere around, while
other parts of light pass through it : that is why the sky looks blue because of the refraction of the
blue light only.
Q. Which will reach the ground first : a bullet which is shot horizontally from a gun or
similar bullet thrown upward from the ground ?
Ans. Obviously horizontally shot bullet is to come down first. Its direction is perpendicular to that
of gravitational force. So both vector will not affect each other but in the case of a bullet shot
upward has velocity vector in the opposite direction of gravitation force. So it will take more time.
Q. Why does hard water not readily form lather with soap ?
Ans. Hard water contains the sulphates and chlorides of magnesium and calcium, which form
insoluble compounds with soap. Hence soap does not lather with hard water.
Q. Why is a country like Ladakh, it may be very hot in sunshine, but bitterly cold in
shade ?
Ans. The atmosphere on great heights like Ladakh is rarefied, which offers little obstacle to the
rays of the sun which are therefore, scorching. But the rarefied air absorbs little heat from the
rays of the sun, therefore, the atmosphere remains cold. Hence it is very cold in the shade.
Q. Why does a straight stick look bent when a part of it is immersed in water ?
Ans. The rays of the light passing from a rare medium to a dense medium change their course
due to refraction, where the rays coming from stick in water come in air at surface they get
displaced away from perpendicular as our eyes see straight way so the stick seems bent.
Q. Why does water boil at a lower temperature on the hills than on the plains ?
Ans. The higher the pressure, the higher boiling point : the lower the pressure the lower the
boiling point. The atmospheric pressure on the hills is lower than that on the earth.
Q. Why does a rider feel a tendency to fall when the horse starts running of stops
suddenly ?
Ans. This is caused by inertia. When the horse starts running, the rider, being at rest, falls back.
When a running horse stops suddenly, the rider being in motion has a tendency to fall ahead.
Q. Why does a person carrying a bucket full of water in his right hand bend towards the
left ?
Ans. He bends towards his left so that the centre of gravity falls within the base. This enables him
to keep up balance, otherwise he may fall.
Q. Why does moisture gather outside of a glass of cold water on a warm day ?
Ans. The temperature of the outer surface of glass of cold water is lower than that of its
surroundings. The vapour in the surrounding atmosphere gets condensed on the outer surface of
the water and appears in the form of tiny particles of water.
Q. Why are we advised to empty the ink from our fountain pen before going up on
aeroplanes ?
Ans. A we go up higher and higher the air becomes rare and atmospheric pressure lower, so that
the volume of the air inside the fountain pen will also increase and the ink will be pushed out thus
spoiling the clothes and hence the advice.
Q. It is advisable to work electric appliances when they are earthed suitably. Why ?
Ans. In case of short-circuiting, the current passess to the earth without harming the user, if an
electrical appliance is properly earthed.
Diesel Engine
It is a low cost internal combustion engine with high efficiency. It consists of a cylinder with air-
tight piston and provided with two valves. As the piston compresses the mixture of air and diesel,
the temperature increases to 600°C leading to its ignition. The gases formed by ignition expand
and push the piston out with a great force. It is connected with the gear which in turn is connected
with the wheels which are set in motion. Finally the piston forces the inner gases out through
another valve. This cycle is repeated again and again.
Dynamo
It is a device which transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy. The mechanical energy
needed is obtained generally from a water turbine. It consists of a rectangular coil of wire called
armature which rotates in a strong magnetic field created by electro magnet. As the coil rotates a
current is induced in the coil.
Lightning Conductor
When heavily charged cloud comes over the building, it induces an opposite charge on the upper
end of the pointed rod of the lightning conductor and similar kind of charge is repelled into the
earth. If the cloud is positively charged, the pointed end becomes negatively charged. From the
pointed ends charge begins to leak setting up an electric wind which neutralises some of the
charge of the cloud, thus decreasing the potential difference. Thus lightning will not strike the
building.
Periscope
It is a device used by crew in submarines to see the surface of the water. The head of the
instrument is visible over the surface of water. Light from an object is twice or thrice reflected
through a rectangular pipe in which mirrors are fixed and reaches the eye-piece in which the
image is seen.
Radar
It is an abbreviated form of Radio, Angle, Direction and Range. It is an instrument used to detect
the direction and distance of distant invisible objects. A narrow beam of high frequency radio-
waves is sent in all directions from the instrument. The invisible object in the space reflects these
waves back. Radar receives these waves and by the time taken by them determines the distance
and direction of the invisible object.
Refrigerator
It is a machine used for keeping temperature sufficiently low so as to prevent foodstuffs from
getting bad by preventing the growth of bacteria or moulds in them. In the modern refrigerations
amonia is liquefied under high pressure at the bottom. The liquid rises in the upper portion, where
foodstuffs are kept. There it evaporates and since evaporation produces cooling effect the
temperature of the place goes down. This process goes on and foodstuffs are prevented from
becoming bad.
Rocket
The underlying principle of the flight of a rocket is Newton’s Third law of Motion viz., to every
action there is an equal and opposite reaction. It is a self-propelled vehicle which depends upon
the force provided by a fuel carried along with it. As the fuel burns, products of combustion are
forced out at terrific speed at the rear of the vehicle and reaction imparts motion to it in the
forward direction. It has its own oxygen supply for burning the fuel and therefore, there is no
dependence on air for combustion or propulsion.
Steam Engine
The motive power in a steam engine is provided by superheated steam. This steam under high
pressure enters the cylinders at one end. It pushes the piston out and pushes in when escaping
out from the other end of the cylinders. This process drives the piston back and forth. This piston
is connected with the driving rods to the wheels of the engine and they are made to work.
Television
With the help of this Instrument we transmit images from one place to another. The object to be
televised is illuminated strongly and then the light waves are by a curious mechanism converted
into electrical impulses. The electrical impulses are converted back into light rays giving visual
image.
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Labels: General Science
Scientific Terms Explained
Scientific Terms Explained
Absolute Zero—On the temperature scale is the lowest temperature theoretically possible. The
theoretical point is equivalent to— 459•6ºF or—273•16º at which all molecular motion stops.
Allometry—It denotes the relationship between the growth rates of an individual plant part/or an
organ/or organism.
Antibiotics—These are the drugs which are produced by bacteria and which act against other
strains of bacteria e.g. Penicillin, Streptomycin, Teramycin, Chloromycetin etc.
Atomic Energy—It is produced due to the splitting up of atoms of certain radio-active elements.
The energy produced in this manner can be used for constructive or destructive purposes.
Atomic number—The number of electrons, or what is equivalent, the positive charge on the
nucleus, of an atom.
Black box—It is an apparatus which records the flight data of an aeroplane and is also a voice
recorder.
Blood group—Dr. Costello and later Dr. Moss classified blood into various groups viz. AB, A and
O according to the viscosity of blood. Patients are administered blood of their own group.
Blood Transfusion—This is process of transfusing blood of one person into the blood stream of
another person.
Calorie—The amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water through 1ºC.
Centripetal Force—The force which tends to pull whirling objects towards the centre of rotation.
Centrifugal Force—The force with which a body revolving round the centre tends to fly off.
Catalyst—A substance which aids or speeds up a chemical process, without itself undergoing
any change.
Chlorophyll—The green pigment contained in the leaves of plants. It enables the plants to
manufacture food with the help of sun light. It was first discovered by P.J. Pelletier (1778-1892)
and J.B. Caventon (1715-1887) in 1818.
Colour Blindness—It is an inborn condition in some people of not being able to distinguish
between certain colours.
Deficiency diseases—These are the diseases which are caused due to the deficiency in the
body of certain vitamins.
Dialysis—It is a machine used for blood purification when the kidneys malfunction. The process
is also known as dialysis.
Ecology—It is the study of the balance of nature, how different living beings and inanimate
objects function together as a harmonious whole.
Endemic—A disease which becomes prevalent in a particular area on account of its sorrounding
conditions.
Enzymes—These are organic catalysts which actually accelerate the chemical reactions
occurring in the living organism. For example lipase accelerates the hydrolysis of fats; diastase
helps the conversion of starch to glucose; zymase quickens fermentation of sugar to alcohol.
Epidemic—A disease which attacks many people in a particular area at one time.
Escape Velocity—It is the minimum speed which a space craft must have to escape the earth’s
“Gravitational Pull”. It is 11•2 km/sec. from the earth.
Exbiology—The new science which deals with life or possibilities of life existing beyond the earth
i.e. on other planets.
Fossils—The remains or forms of a plant or animal which are found deposited at a particular
place over a long period of time in the form of rocks.
Flyash—A waste product from thermal power stations using coal. The strategic metal.,
germanium can be extracted from flyash.
Gene—An elementary unit of heredity. It occurs along the length of the chromosomes which
surround the nuclei.
Genetic Code—The code of life by which inherited characteristics are handed down from one
generation to another. The code bearing material is…D.N.A. (deoxyribonucleic acid) a biological
matter which makes transmission of characteristics possible.
Green House (Glass House)—Heating influence by solar radiation reaching ground surface,
allowed by CO2, ozone, dust, water, vapours, atmosphere etc.
Hydrophobia—It is usually caused by the bite of a mad dog. It is an incurable disease. Once it
develops, the patient dies of it. It can be prevented by injections discovered by Pasteur. Injections
are known as ARV (Anti-rabic venom).
Hydroponics—It is the process of growing plants by feeding them on nutrients without using soil.
Iron Lung—A mechanical device consisting of a chamber in which alternate pulsations of high
and low pressure of the thorax of a patient produce normal lung movements. It is used in cases in
which respiration muscles are paralysed, e.g. in poliomylitis.
Isotopes—Atoms of the same element with the same atomic number but with different atomic
mass number are known as Isotopes of that element. They contain different number of neutrons.
Kinetic energy—It is the energy possessed by the body by virtue of its motion.
Light Year—An astronomical measure of distance; the distance travelled by light in vacuum in
one year. The velocity of light is, 3 x 108 m/s (1 light year = 9•46 x 1015 m)
Meson—A new particle which holds the protons and neutrons of the atomic nucleus discovered
by a Japanese scientistYukawa.
Metabolism—It is a chemical process concerned with the burning and regeneration of tissues
occurring in living organisms.
Myopia—Short-sightedness. A myopic man cannot see distant objects clearly while he can see
near objects quite clearly.
Nitrogen Fixation—Nitrogen has the property of reacting under special conditions to form a
number of useful products. Owing to this property the free atmospheric nitrogen is converted into
so many nitrogenous compounds.
Neutron Bomb—Developed by the United States, the bomb causes negligible damage to
buildings and other installations, but kills people instantly through radiation.
Osmosis—In the process of a solution being separated from its pure solvent by a semi-porous
membrane, the molecules of the solvent begin to travel across the membrane and reach the
solution to dilute it. The process goes on till concentration is equal on both sides of the
membrane. This phenomenon is known as Osmosis.
Outer space—The part of the universe which lies beyond the earth’s atmosphere where the
density of matter is very low.
Photosynthesis—It is the process by which green plants manufacture food in the form of
carbohydrates in the presence of sunlight.
Polymerization—Chemical union of two or more molecules of the same compound to form larger
molecules. The process results in the formation of a new compound of the same empirical
formula but greater molecular weight.
Potential energy—It is the energy possessed by the body by virtue of its position or shape.
Protoplasm—It is the living matter present in the cells of animal and vegetable life.
Psychedelic drugs—These are the drugs which produce a mental state of great calm.
Radiation—The process of transmission of heat in straight lines without heating the intervening
medium.
Radio activity—It is a characteristic of substances like uranium, thorium, radium and actinium to
emit radiation which can penetrate opaque substances, affect a photographic plate in the dark
and ionize gases etc.
Refraction—When a ray of light enters from a rare medium to a denser medium, it is bent or
refracted towards the normal. Mirage is formed by refraction.
Relativity theory—Theory associated with Albert Einstein based on the principle that all motions
are relative and that time and space are mutually inseparable.
Rocket—A type of vehicle driven by the engine which does not depend upon air as medium. It is
therefore capable of working in outer space.
‘RRR’ Bomb—The U.S. Government has begun secret exploratory research on a new nuclear
‘fast bomb’ known as RRR bomb (Reduced Residual Radiation bomb) for the military, that would
produce increased heat and blast but reduced radio-active fall out.
Specific gravity—Relative weight of any kind of matter expressed by the ratio of given volume to
the same volume of water (for liquid or solid matter) and of air (for gas).
Spectrum—When a narrow beam of light passes through a prism, it disperses into seven
colours. The coloured image is known as spectrum.
Torricellian Vacuum—The vacant space above the level of mercury in the barometer is known
as Torricellian Vacuum. It is so called because of its being discovered by Torricelli.
Ultra Violet Rays—The sunlight is composed of several colour such as red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, indigo and violet. In the spectrum below this colour there exist other rays known as
ultra violet rays. These rays possess a short wave length but high frequency.
Ultra sonic—It means frequency in excess of about 20‚000 cycles per second.
Vitamins—These are minute organic compounds present in food products and are important for
maintenance of health. Deficiency of these in food causes deficiency diseases. The most
important vitamins are five in number; A, B, C, D and E.
Some Scientific
Instruments
Altimeter—An instrument used for measuring altitudes in aircraft.
Carburettor—An apparatus used in an internal combustion engine for charging air with petrol
vapour.
Crescograph—It was invented by J.C. Bose. It is used for measuring growth in plants.
Dip Circle—An instrument for determining the angle between the direction of the resultant
intensity of earth’s field and the horizontal component at a plane. This particular angle is known
as the dip of that place.
Eudiometer—A glass tube for measuring volume changes in chemical reactions between gases.
Evaporimeter—Cumulative Pan Evaporimeter used to measure water evaporation through
sunlights.
Mariner’s compass—An apparatus used by sailors to tell them the direction. The needle always
points north south.
Microphone—An instrument for converting sound waves into electrical vibrations and thus to
magnify the sound.
Photometer—It is an instrument for measuring the intensity of light; a device for comparing the
luminous intensity of sources of light.
Polarimeter—An instrument used for measuring optical activity.
Potentiometer—It is used for comapring electromotive force (e.m.f.) of cells measurement of the
thermal e.m.f. large potential differences and currents.
Radar—It is an abbreviated form of Radio, Angle, Direction and Range. It is used for detecting
the direction and range of an approaching plane by means of radio microwaves.
Sextant—An instrument invented by John Hadley used for measuring the altitude of the sun and
other heavenly bodies.
Stethoscope—An instrument used by physicians to hear and analyse movements of heart and
lungs.
Stroboscope—An instrument for viewing objects moving rapidly with a periodic motion and to
see them as if they were at rest.
Sunshine Recorder—It is used to record sunshine duration (hrs/day) for growth of crops/plants.
Teleprinter—An instrument which prints automatically messages sent from one place to another
on telegraph lines.
Wind Vane—An instrument for measuring wind direction, indicated with N,S E,W directions.
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