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BPSC 2020 — Science & Technology Questions with Answers
All 45 Science & Technology previous-year questions from BPSC 2020, each with the correct answer and a full explanation. Practise them as a free, timed mock test with instant scoring.
Practice Science & Technology as a timed test →- Q1.Biology
Milk is a poor source of?
- a)Calcium
- b)Protein
- c)Vitamin C
- d)Carbohydrate
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q2.Chemistry
What is on the filter paper for checking the breath of a drunk driver by the police?
- a)Potassium dichromate-sulfuric acid
- b)Potassium permanganate-sulfuric acid
- c)Silver nitrate coated silica gel
- d)Turmeric
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q3.Biology
Glucose is converted into ethyl alcohol by which enzyme?
- a)Maltase
- b)Invertase
- c)Zymase
- d)Diastase
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q4.Chemistry
Lime water turns milky due to?
- a)CO
- b)CO₂
- c)O₂
- d)O₃
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q5.Chemistry
Incomplete combustion of petrol and diesel produces
- a)Nitric oxide
- b)Nitrogen dioxide
- c)Carbon dioxide
- d)Carbon monoxide
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q6.Chemistry
The pH of a solution changes from 3 to 6. The concentration of H⁺ ions will
- a)increase 3 times
- b)decrease 3 times
- c)decrease 10 times
- d)decrease 1000 times
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q7.Chemistry
A mixture of sand and naphthalene can be separated by?
- a)Sublimation
- b)Distillation
- c)Chromatography
- d)Fractional distillation
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q8.Chemistry
The number of sigma and pi bonds in benzene is
- a)3, 3
- b)3, 6
- c)12, 3
- d)12, 6
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q9.Chemistry
The elements present in urea are
- a)C, H, O
- b)C, N, O
- c)C, H, N
- d)C, H, N, O
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q10.Physics
Which of the following is the poorest conductor of heat?
- a)Copper
- b)Lead
- c)Mercury
- d)Zinc
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q11.Biology
The vitamin effective in blood clotting is
- a)Vitamin A
- b)Vitamin B
- c)Vitamin D
- d)Vitamin K
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q12.Biology
The female sex hormone is
- a)Estrogen
- b)Androgen
- c)Insulin
- d)Oxytocin
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q13.Biology — Human Physiology
Dysfunction of the thyroid gland is caused by the deficiency of which of the following?
- a)Vitamin A
- b)Calcium
- c)Iodine
- d)Iron
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q14.Biology — Human Physiology
The sensitive area of the human tongue for bitterness is
- a)Tip
- b)Middle part
- c)Back part
- d)Edge
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q15.Biology — Botany
Ginger is a stem, not a root, because
- a)It stores food material
- b)It has nodes and internodes
- c)It grows horizontally in the soil
- d)It lacks chlorophyll
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q16.Chemistry
Which of the following is the sweetest sugar?
- a)Fructose
- b)Glucose
- c)Maltose
- d)Sucrose
- Q17.Biology — Botany
Which of the following is not a true fruit?
- a)Apple
- b)Grape
- c)Date
- d)Plum
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q18.Biology
Legumes are highly nutritious because they contain abundant amounts of
- a)Fat
- b)Protein
- c)Oil
- d)Starch
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q19.Biology — Botany
Clove, a spice, is obtained from which part of the plant?
- a)Fruit
- b)Stem
- c)Root
- d)Flower bud
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q20.Physics
The radiation used in the treatment of muscle pain is
- a)Infrared
- b)Microwave
- c)UV
- d)X-ray
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q21.Physics — Electricity
The total resistance of a circuit with two parallel resistors is 1.403 kilo-ohm. If the value of one resistor is 2.0 kilo-ohm, then the value of the other resistor will be
- a)1.403 kilo-ohm
- b)2.0 kilo-ohm
- c)3.403 kilo-ohm
- d)4.70 kilo-ohm
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q22.Physics
On heating, the resistance of a semiconductor
- a)increases
- b)decreases
- c)remains the same
- d)first increases then decreases
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q23.Chemistry
Faraday's constant
- a)depends on the amount of electrolyte
- b)depends on the electric current passed through the electrolyte
- c)depends on the volume of the solvent in which the electrolyte is dissolved
- d)is a universal constant
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q24.Physics
'Light-year' is a unit of?
- a)Time
- b)Speed
- c)Distance
- d)Intensity of light
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q25.Physics
When light travels from one medium to another, which of the following does not change?
- a)Velocity/Speed
- b)Wavelength
- c)Frequency
- d)Refractive index
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q26.Physics
The velocity of electromagnetic waves is
- a)3×10⁸ m s⁻¹
- b)3×10⁷ m s⁻¹
- c)3×10⁶ m s⁻¹
- d)3×10⁵ m s⁻¹
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q27.Space
The first man who stepped on the moon was
- a)Leonov
- b)Neil Armstrong
- c)Michael Collins
- d)James Van Allen
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q28.Physics — Modern Physics
The number of neutrons in the nucleus of Plutonium nuclide (₉₄Pu²⁴²) is
- a)94
- b)148
- c)242
- d)336
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q29.Physics
The highest viscosity is found in
- a)Water
- b)Air
- c)Blood
- d)Honey
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q30.Nuclear Energy
Which Arab country has started its first nuclear power plant?
- a)Iraq
- b)Saudi Arabia
- c)United Arab Emirates
- d)Egypt
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q31.Defence
At which Air Force Station was the Rafale fighter aircraft formally inducted into the Indian Air Force?
- a)Hindon
- b)Sarsawa
- c)Ambala
- d)Amritsar
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q32.Defence
The name of India's first indigenous anti-radiation missile is
- a)Tandav
- b)Trinetra
- c)Saksham
- d)Rudram
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q33.Defence
Who is the head of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)?
- a)Surjit Singh Deswal
- b)Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
- c)Arvind Saxena
- d)Charanjit Singh Attra
- e)None of the above/More than one of the above
- Q34.Biotechnology
In the context of recent advances in human reproductive technology, 'Pronuclear Transfer' is used for
- a)Fertilization of egg in vitro by the donor sperm
- b)Genetic modification of sperm-producing cells
- c)Development of stem cells into functional embryos
- d)Prevention of mitochondrial diseases in offspring
Explanation: Pronuclear transfer is a mitochondrial replacement technique used to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial diseases from mother to child.
- Q35.Artificial Intelligence
With the present state of development, Artificial Intelligence can effectively do which of the following?
- a)1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
- b)1, 3 and 4 only
- c)2, 4 and 5 only
- d)1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 (none excluded)
Explanation: AI can optimize industrial energy use, diagnose disease and do text-to-speech, but creating genuinely meaningful creative works and wireless transmission of electrical energy are not capabilities of AI, so the answer is 1, 3 and 4 only.
- Q36.Communication Technology
With reference to Visible Light Communication (VLC) technology, which of the following statements are correct?
- a)1, 2 and 3 only
- b)1, 2 and 4 only
- c)1, 3 and 4 only
- d)2, 3 and 4 only
Explanation: VLC uses visible light (375-780 nm), transmits data faster than Bluetooth and is free of electromagnetic interference, but it is a short-range technology, so statement 2 is wrong and the answer is 1, 3 and 4 only.
- Q37.Information Technology
With reference to 'Blockchain Technology', consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- a)1 only
- b)1 and 2 only
- c)2 only
- d)1 and 3
Explanation: A blockchain is a decentralized public ledger and permissionless applications can be built on it, but it can store any kind of data, not only cryptocurrency, so statement 2 is wrong and the answer is 1 and 3.
- Q38.Nanotechnology
With reference to carbon nanotubes, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- a)1 and 2 only
- b)2, 3 and 4 only
- c)1, 3 and 4 only
- d)1, 2, 3 and 4
Explanation: Carbon nanotubes can carry drugs and antigens, be used in biochemical sensors and are biodegradable under certain conditions, but they cannot be made into artificial blood capillaries, so statement 2 is wrong and the answer is 1, 3 and 4 only.
- Q39.Drone Technology
Consider the following activities. At the present level of technology, which of the above activities can be successfully carried out by using drones?
- a)1 and 2 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)1 and 3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Drones are already used for crop spraying, inspecting volcanic craters and collecting whale-blow samples, so all three activities are feasible.
- Q40.Space Technology
'The experiment will employ a trio of spacecraft flying in formation in the shape of an equilateral triangle that has sides one million kilometres long, with lasers shining between the craft.' The experiment in question refers to
- a)Voyager-2
- b)New Horizons
- c)LISA Pathfinder
- d)Evolved LISA
Explanation: The description of three spacecraft in a million-kilometre triangle using lasers matches the Evolved LISA (eLISA) mission to detect gravitational waves.
- Q41.Biotechnology
Consider the following statements about genetic technology. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- a)1 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)2 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Germline editing of gamete-producing cells and embryonic genome editing are technically possible, and human iPS cells have been injected into pig embryos to create chimeras, so all three statements are correct.
- Q42.Health
What is the importance of using Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines in India?
- a)1 only
- b)1 and 2 only
- c)3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines protect against pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis and reduce reliance on antibiotics, but like all vaccines they can cause side effects and allergic reactions, so statement 3 is wrong and the answer is 1 and 2 only.
- Q43.Cyber Security
In India, the term 'Public Key Infrastructure' is used in the context of
- a)Digital security infrastructure
- b)Food security infrastructure
- c)Health care and education infrastructure
- d)Telecommunication and transportation infrastructure
Explanation: Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) supports encryption and digital signatures and is part of digital security infrastructure.
- Q44.Biology
Which of the following statements are correct regarding the general difference between plant and animal cells?
- a)1 and 2 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)1 and 3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Plant cells have cellulose walls and a single large vacuole, so statements 1 and 3 are correct; both plant and animal cells have plasma membranes, so statement 2 is wrong, giving 1 and 3 only.
- Q45.Nuclear Energy
In India, why are some nuclear reactors kept under 'IAEA Safeguards' while others are not?
- a)Some use uranium and others use thorium
- b)Some use imported uranium and others use domestic supplies
- c)Some are operated by foreign enterprises and others are operated by domestic enterprises
- d)Some are State-owned and others are privately-owned
Explanation: Under the India-IAEA arrangement, reactors using imported uranium are placed under IAEA safeguards, while those run on domestic fuel are not.
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