GATE Physics General Aptitude Syllabus

What is an interjection? Give an example.

A word or phrase expressing sudden emotion, grammatically independent of the sentence (e.g., "Wow!", "Ouch!", "Alas!").

Distinguish a common noun from a proper noun.

A common noun names a general class (city, river); a proper noun names a specific entity and is capitalized (Delhi, Ganges).

What is an idiom?

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal meanings of its individual words (e.g., "kick the bucket" = to die).

What does the idiom "a blessing in disguise" mean?

A good thing that initially seemed bad or unfortunate.

What does the idiom "to beat around the bush" mean?

To avoid talking about something directly; to speak evasively rather than getting to the point.

What does the idiom "to bite the bullet" mean?

To force oneself to endure something difficult or unpleasant, accepting it with courage.

What does the idiom "once in a blue moon" mean?

Very rarely; on an extremely infrequent occasion.

What is the difference between a phrase and a clause?

A phrase is a group of related words without a subject-verb pair; a clause contains both a subject and a predicate (verb).

In vocabulary, what is a synonym and what is an antonym?

A synonym is a word with the same or similar meaning (big/large); an antonym is a word with the opposite meaning (big/small).

What are homophones? Give an example.

Words that sound alike but differ in meaning and usually spelling (e.g., "their," "there," "they're").

What is a prefix and a suffix in word formation?

A prefix is added to the beginning of a root word to change its meaning (un-, re-); a suffix is added to the end (-ness, -ly).

In reading comprehension, what is the difference between the main idea and a supporting detail?

The main idea is the central point the passage conveys; supporting details are facts, examples, or reasons that develop or back up that main idea.

What does it mean to infer in reading comprehension?

To draw a logical conclusion based on evidence in the text combined with reasoning, rather than from information stated explicitly.

What is narrative sequencing?

Arranging events of a story or process in their correct logical or chronological order (beginning, middle, end).

Which signal/transition words help identify sequence in a narrative?

Words like first, then, next, after, before, meanwhile, finally, and subsequently.

What is data interpretation?

The process of analyzing data presented in tables, charts, or graphs to draw meaningful conclusions and answer questions.

What type of data is a bar graph best suited to display?

Comparison of discrete categories, where the length/height of each bar represents the value (frequency or magnitude) of a category.

What does a pie chart represent, and what does the whole circle equal?

A pie chart shows parts of a whole as proportional sectors; the whole circle represents $100\%$ or $360^{\circ}$.

In a pie chart, how do you convert a category's percentage into the angle of its sector?

Multiply the fraction of the total by $360^{\circ}$: $\text{angle} = \frac{\text{value}}{\text{total}} \times 360^{\circ}$.

In a pie chart, if a sector occupies an angle of $90^{\circ}$, what percentage of the total does it represent?

$\frac{90}{360} \times 100 = 25\%$.

What kind of data is best shown by a line graph?

Trends or changes in a continuous variable over time, showing how one quantity varies relative to another.

What is a histogram, and how does it differ from a bar graph?

A histogram displays the frequency distribution of continuous (grouped) data with adjacent bars and no gaps, whereas a bar graph compares discrete categories with gaps between bars.

How is percentage change calculated from one data value to another?

$\text{Percentage change} = \frac{\text{New value} - \text{Old value}}{\text{Old value}} \times 100\%$.

What is a scatter plot used for in data interpretation?

To show the relationship or correlation between two numerical variables, with each point representing a paired observation.

In a 2-dimensional Cartesian plot, what do the x-axis and y-axis conventionally represent?

The x-axis (horizontal) represents the independent variable and the y-axis (vertical) represents the dependent variable.

How many coordinates are needed to specify a point in a 3-dimensional plot, and what are they?

Three coordinates: $(x, y, z)$, representing position along three mutually perpendicular axes.

In data interpretation, how do you compute the average (arithmetic mean) of a set of values?

$\text{Mean} = \frac{\text{Sum of all values}}{\text{Number of values}}$.

In a data table, what is the difference between a row and a column?

A row is a horizontal set of data read left to right; a column is a vertical set of data read top to bottom; their intersection gives a specific cell value.

What is the purpose of a map legend (key) in interpreting maps?

It explains the symbols, colors, and scale used on the map so the reader can correctly interpret the represented data or features.

On a map, what does the scale indicate?

The ratio between a distance on the map and the corresponding actual distance on the ground (e.g., $1:50{,}000$ means $1$ unit on the map equals $50{,}000$ units in reality).