GENERAL KNOWLEDGE NOTES

SHORT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q. Why does blotting paper absorb ink?

Ans. The blotting paper is porous and has a number of capillaries or very fine
pores. When a portion of the blotting paper is brought in contact with the ink it
enters the capillaries due to surface tension.

Q2-Why is the flash of lightning seen before the sound of thunder?

Ans. The flash of lightning is seen before the sound of thunder because the velocity
of light is far more than the velocity of sound...

03- Why do woolen clothes keep the body warmer during winter than the
cotton clothes?

Ans. This is because woolen clothes contain air in the pores which is a bad
conductor of heat,

Q4-Why does an iron needle sink in water while an iron ship floats on it?

An iron needle sinks because its weight is greater than the weight of the water
displaced, but in the case of an iron ship it is just the reverse.

Q.5. Why do you receive a backward jerk from a rifle when a bullet is fired?

Ans. When a bullet is fired from a rifle, the bullet goes away because of action,
while the rifle recoils due to reaction (3rd law of motion)

0.6.-Why do wet clothes dry slowly on a rainy day?

Ans. On a rainy day, air contains more water vapor than on a dry day, so the
process of evaporation is slower on a rainy day than on a dry day.

Q. 7-How does a bulb emit light?

Ans. The current passes through a wire of high resistance. e.g tungsten, which
becomes white hot and emits light.

Q. 8. Why is carbon dioxide gas used in extinguishing fire?

Ans. Carbon dioxide being heavier than oxygen cuts off its supply to a burning
object thereby acting as a fire extinguisher.

Q. 9. Why do the stars twinkle?

Ans. Stars appear to twinkle because of disturbance in the air around the earth.
The unsteady air bends the light from the stars and makes them appear to blink on
and off.
All Information Whatsapp Groups
03168111645
1|Page
 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE NOTES

Q10 Why does red poppy look red?

Ans. A red poppy looks red because it reflects only the red color and absorbs the
rest of the six colors.

Q. 11. How can a man skate on ice?

Ans. In skating, the whole weight of the body is supported on the edge of the skate
and the resulting pressure causes a little ice to melt below the skate edge, thus
enabling it to avoid a slip.

Q. 12. Why do we see rainbow after rain?

Ans. Rainbow is seen after rain because the water drops suspended in the air act
as a prism and disperse light into seven colors.

Q 13. Why are two eyes more valuable than one?

Ans. Two eyes are more valuable than one because we can view the object from two
points at once, which gives us an idea not only of solidity but also of its flatness.

Q14. Why does a man fall forward when he jumps out of a running train?

Ans. The man is in motion along with a train and as soon as he jumps out, his feet
come to rest, while his body is still in motion. So he falls forward.

Q. 15/Why do we hear better in water than on land?

Ans. Since the density of water is more than that of the air, sound travels faster in
water than in air. Hence we hear better in water than on land.

Q. 16. What causes smoke to curl up into the air?

Ans. Hot gases from a chimney, being lighter, vise up in circles due to atmospheric
resistance which up eddy currents and thereby causes smoke to curl up into the
air.
03168111645
Q. 17. In winter frogs bury themselves in damp places and become sluggish.
Why?

Ans. Because their sources of food are reduced in winter and they hibernate
(winter-sleep). Hibernation slows down their metabolism and they stay in that
dormant condition without much need for food

Q. 18. Why do we not see the stars in the day light?

Ans. The blazing light of the sun during daytime prevents the soft light of the stars
from being seen distinctly

Q19. Why does ice float on water and sink in alcohol?

2|Page
 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE NOTES

Ans. It is because the specific gravity of ice is less than that of water but the same
is more than that of alcohol

Q. 20. Why does a hydrogen balloon rise?

Ans. The hydrogen balloon rises in the air because its weight is less than the
weight of the air it displaces

Q. 21. Why is mercury used in thermometer?

Ans. Mercury is the only metal which is liquid even at ordinary room temperature.
Also, it uniformly expands when heated and does not wet the walls of thermometer.
Its use in the thermometer has therefore, been found ideal.

Q. 22. Why does a moving body come to rest by itself?

Ans. A moving body comes to rest owing to reaction that it has to suffer at the
hands of friction. (due to friction)

Q. 23. There is a gap between the two pieces of railway line. Why?

Ans. When heated up, the metallic railway lines expand. With a view to preventing
it from bending space is left between the two pieces to neutralize the expansion.

Q. 24. Which travels fastest - a high sound, a low sound, a soft sound, or a
loud sound?

Ans. All of these travel at the same speed.

Q. 25. Why is a dew drop round?

Ans. It is because of the surface tension of water.

Q. 26. Why two blankets are warmer than one with greater thickness?

Ans. It is because they enclose a layer of air between them, and air being a bad
conductor of heat, does not allow the heat to go out.

Q. 27. Why are passengers in a boat discouraged from standing?

Ans. The center of gravity will rise if the people stand. It will make the boat
unstable. Hence passengers are discouraged from standing in a boat.

Q. 28. Why do firemen wear helmets polished from outside?

Ans. It is because the polished metals are good reflectors and bad absorbers of heat

Q. 29. Why does dead body float in water after some time?

Ans. On account of generation of gas by putrefaction, the body swells and becomes
lighter than water.

Q. 30. Why is it easier to roll a barrel than to pull it along the road?

3|Page
 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE NOTES

Ans. The rolling force of friction is less than the dynamic force of friction. Hence it
is easier to roll a barrel than to pull it along the road.

Q. 31. Explain the use of concave mirrors in search-lights?

Ans. The concave mirrors are very good reflectors as they can concentrate light by
focusing it.

Q. 32. How can bats fly in the dark avoiding obstacles?

Ans. Bats can fly in dark because the ultrasonic waves produced by them during
flying are reflected back from the obstacles to them. Hence, bats can find their path
without difficulty.

Q. 33. What part of an iceberg is under the surface of water?

Ans. The 9/10 mass of an iceberg is under water.

Q 34. When salt is sprinkled, ice does not melt quickly. Why?

Ans. Some sprinkled salt dissolves and this process consumes heat, and the
melting of Ice is slowed down.

Q.35 Why does an electric bulb make a bang when it is broken ?

Ans. There is a vacuum in the electric bulb, so when it is broken, air rushes to fill
the vacuum and this produces the sound called "bang”.

Q.36 Why does a tennis ball bounce higher on hills than on plains ?

Ans. As the gravitational pull is comparatively less at hills every ball will bounce
higher.

Q.37. Why does a dentist use a concave mirror for examining the teeth?

Ans. The concave mirrors are very good reflectors and can focus light on a spot.

Q. 38. Why does milk turn sour"?

Ans. The micro-organisms present in milk convert lactose to lactic acid which is
sour in taste.

Q:39 Steam causes more severe burns than boiling water, why?

Ans. This is due to the fact that/steam has a larger amount of latent heat.

Q 40. Why does water pipe often burst in cold countries?

Ans. The water freezes in pipes in cold countries in winter. On freezing into ice the
water increases in volume, which results in bursting of water pipes.

Q.41. How does the train stop when the chain is pulled?

03168111645
4|Page
 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE NOTES

Ans. Pulling chain in every compartment of the train is actually connected to a

vacuum brake which is automatically applied to the wheels of the train which stops
the train.

Q42. Why does the moon have no atmosphere?

Ans. The moon has no atmosphere as its gravitational force is too weak to hold
down gases

Q.43. Why does a big fire in the open appear to be fanned by strong winds ?

Ans. A big fire in the open has a tendency to spread more easily as strong wind
supplies more oxygen to the fire,

Q.44. Why is cooking quicker in pressure cooker?

Ans. In a pressure cooker boiling point of water is raised by increasing pressure

with steam and high temperature helps quicker cooking

Q. 45. Why do some pendulum clocks which keep correct time in winter go
slow in summer?

Ans. The length of pendulum increases in summer on account of the expansion

and consequently the clock runs slower.

Q46. A lighted candle gets extinguished when covered with a tumbler. Why?

Ans. A lighted candle gets extinguished when covered with a tumbler because the
supply of oxygen gets cut off and the flame goes out.

Q. 47. Why does not it hurt when we cut our nails?

Ans. The nails are not connected either with the blood vessels or the cartilage on
cutting the nervous system is not affected. Hence, we do not feel hurt when we cut
our nails.

Q.48. Why there is an extra day in a leap year?

Ans. The exact number of days in a year is 365.25 days. Thus in every four years
we have an extra day.

Q 49 why is the lower portion of the kettle blackened?

Ans. Black color absorbs more heat which, in turn, makes cooking quicker.

Q.50. A stone weighs less in water than in air. Why?

. Ans. The stone loses its weight equal to the weight of the volume of water that it
displaces. The difference is the weight actually felt in water.

Q51. Human breath is visible in winter but not in summer. Why?

5|Page
 03168111645
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE NOTES

Ans. The exhaled breath contains water vapors which condense in the cold
atmosphere outside and assume smoky appearance.

Q. 52. Why we bring our hands close to mouth while shouting to somebody at
distance ?

Ans. By bringing the hands close to out mouth, the sound energy is not allowed to
spread in all directions, rather being made unidirectional (i.e., directed in a
particular direction). Hence the sound produced is louder.

Q53. Why do metal teapots sometimes have wooden handles?

Ans. The wooden handles are poor conductors of heat and do not conduct the heat
of the metal teapots when hot liquid is put into them.

Q.54. Why do you lean forward while climbing a hill?

Ans. This enables us to keep the line passing through the centre of gravity
vertically downward, within our feet, and thus the equilibrium is stable.

Q. 55. Why are lightning conductors fixed at the top of high buildings?

Ans. When an electric discharge takes place from the cloud, the lightning
conducting path to the earth without damaging the building.

Q. 56. Why does water get cooled in earthen pitchers?

Ans. Pitchers have pores and water percolating through them evaporates. During
evaporation heat is taken away from the water in the pitcher, and so it gets cooled

Q. 57. Why are mountains cooler than plains?

Ans. The mountain air is less dense, therefore, it absorbs much less heat from the
rays of the sun, hence the mountains are cooler than plains.

Q. 58. Why a parachute must have a hole ?

Ans. To avoid oscillation of the parachute while descending owing to the changing
currents of wind, a hole in the centre of parachute is made, which allows the air to
run out of the parachute regularly.

Q. 59. Why is it dangerous to sleep under a tree at night?

Ans. It is because plants exhale carbon dioxide at night.

Q: 60. Why do you Slip sometimes while walking over a smooth floor?

Ans. It is due to lack of friction on the smooth surface.

Q. 61 Why does a cyclist bend inward while turning round a corner?

6|Page
 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE NOTES

Ans. A cyclist bends inward to keep up equilibrium by applying the necessary

centripetal force by horizontal component of reaction and thus his weight is
neutralised by vertical component.

Q. 62. Why are cloudy nights generally warm?

Ans. It is because the heat is not transmitted through clouds to space.

Q. 63. Why people prefer white clothes in summer?

Ans. It is because white clothes are bad absorbers and good reflectors of heat.

Q64. Why is sodium preserved under kerosene oil?

Ans. Sodium is preserved under kerosene oil because it catches fire

Q. 65. Why does a piece of wood float on water?

Ans. This is due to the fact that the weight of water displaced by the piece of wood
in water is more than the weight of the piece of wood.

Q-66. How does the soda water straw work?

Ans. When we suck the air out, low pressure is created inside the straw and the
high pressure outside the straw forces the soda up.

Q67. Why is phosphorus kept under water?

Ans: Phosphorus is kept under water to save it from catching fire when exposed to
dry atmosphere.

Q. 68. Why does a rotten egg float in water?

Ans. Because of putrefaction, rotten egg becomes lighter than a fresh egg, hence
being lighter it floats on water.

Q.69. Why does a substance thrown up come back to the ground?

Ans. A substance thrown up comes back to the ground because of gravitational

force.

Q. 70. Why do the front wheels of a motor car usually lean outward slightly?

Ans. The front wheels of a motor car slightly lean outwards to allow for difference in
angles while turning round the corner so as to give the car greater stability.

Q. 71. Why does a straight stick look bent when partly immersed in water?

Ans. When the rays of light enter another medium they change their course due to
refraction, so the stick looks bent when partly immersed in water.

Q. 72. What is the difference between weather and climate?

7|Page
 03168111645
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE NOTES

Ans. Weather is the name given to the state of atmosphere day by day and week by
week, while climate the usual kind of weather for a particular place.

Q-73. What are anesthetics?

Ans. These are drugs used by surgeons to prevent pain during an operation. A
prominent anesthetic

74. Which light is used in dark room while making photographic print?

Ans. While a photographic print red color light is used in a dark room.

Q. 75. What does a sudden fall in the barometric height indicate?

Ans. A sudden fall in the barometric height indicates the approach of storm

is chloroform.

Q-76. How does a flute produce different sound notes?

Ans. A flute produces different sound notes because of the closing and opening of
the holes in the flute by which air particles are vibrated with different frequencies.

Q.77. Why does water get cooled on evaporation?

Ans. The water absorbs some heat from itself as latent heat during its evaporation
and in turn gets cooled.

Q.78. When wood or coal is lighted, smoke comes out first, Why?

Ans. Wood or coal contains carbonaceous matter which gives smoke on burning.

Q. 79. Which is more elastic, a piece of glass or rubber?

Ans. Glass is more elastic than rubber because the former sustains more stress
than the latter.

Q. 80. Why is the density of sea water higher than that of normal water.

Ans. Sea water has sodium chloride or common salt dissolved in it! Thereby, it has
higher density.

Q-81. Why does water in an open pond remain cool even in hot summer?

Ans. This is because of continuous evaporation of water from the pond.

Q. 82. A boatman pushes the bank with his pole. Why?

Ans. The principle of action and reaction being equal and opposite makes the bank
push the boat away from it.

0.83. Why does a driver speed up his vehicle when he moves up a hill?

8|Page
 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE NOTES

Ans. While moving up a hill, the force of gravity attracts the vehicle and to
overcome this force of gravity, the driver speeds up the vehicle.

0.84. Why an overload truck has a greater chance to overturn?

Ans. In an overloaded truck the centre of gravity is raised making it unstable. Even
a slight force overturn it.

Q 85. Why do we use a fuse in an electric circuit?

Ans. A fuse is used in an electric circuit because when excess current flows
through the circuit the fuse melts and breaks the circuit and prevents damage to
any of the electrical gadgets.

Q 86. Why fog snows on high hills while it rains on plains?

The temperature of the atmosphere at higher altitudes is generally below the

freezing point of water. Therefore, water vapors at hills are converted into snow.

Q-87. Why does a highly pumped up bicycle tyre in the hot weather burst
soon?

Ans. This is due to the heat by which the volume of air inside the cycle tube
increases and therefore, the tyre bursts.

Q.88. What is the color of pure diamond?

Ans. Pure diamond is colorless.

Q. 89. How does a bread dough rise?

Ans. It is due to the formation of carbon dioxide in the dough

Q-90. How tall should a mirror be to see a full size close up of a man?

Ans. The mirror should be at least half the size of the man.

Q. 91. What is wind?

Ans. Wind is defined as the fir in motion accompanied by speed.

Q. 92. Why is a dam so designed that its thickness gradually increases from
top towards bottom?

Ans. Lateral pressure increases with the depth. It is zero at the top and maximum
at the bottom, and it is because of this reason that a dam is thicker at the bottom
than at the top.

Q. 93. Why is a compass used as an indicator of direction?

Ans. The magnetic needle of a compass (under the influence of earth's magnetic
field lies in a nearly north-south direction Hence, we can find out the direction.

9|Page
 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE NOTES

Q 94. How is a barometer used to determine the height of a place?

Ans. Pressure decreases with the altitude, hence this principle is employed in the
barometer which is used for determining altitude.

Q. 95. It is dangerous to sleep in a closed room with coal fire in it. Why?

Carbon monoxide is produced due to the coal fire which is poisonous and injurious
to health.

Q:96. What causes wind?

Ans. Winds are caused by unequal heating of the earth's surface and rotation of
earth.

Q. 97. Why is it necessary to add manure or fertilizer to the field to get a good
crop?

Ans. Artificial manures refurnish the nutrients which have been constantly drained
out of soil.

Q. 98. Why is soft iron used in electromagnets?

Ans. Soft iron remains magnetized as long as the current flows around it.

Q. 99. Why water in the bottom of a floating boat cannot be siphoned out?

Ans. It is because water in the boat is at a level lower than water in river.

Q. 100. Why separate lumps of ice freeze into one when strongly pressed
together.

Ans. This happens because the melting point of ice drops.

all information Whatsapp
groups 03168111645

Admin Agha

10 | P a g e