RRB ALP (Assistant Loco Pilot) General Science (CBT Stage 1 & Stage 2 Part A) Syllabus

Differentiate between heat and temperature.

Heat is the total thermal energy transferred due to a temperature difference (measured in joules). Temperature is the degree of hotness/coldness, a measure of average kinetic energy of molecules (measured in kelvin/Celsius).

What are the three modes of heat transfer?

Conduction (through solids by molecular contact), convection (through fluids by movement of molecules), and radiation (through space/vacuum by electromagnetic waves).

Define the SI base units for length, mass, time, and temperature.

Length: metre (m); Mass: kilogram (kg); Time: second (s); Temperature: kelvin (K).

What is the speed of sound in air at room temperature, and can sound travel in a vacuum?

About 343 m/s (around 340 m/s) at room temperature. No, sound cannot travel through a vacuum because it needs a material medium.

What is the audible range of frequency for humans, and what are ultrasonic sounds?

Humans hear 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (20 kHz). Sounds above 20 kHz are ultrasonic; below 20 Hz are infrasonic.

Name the three states of matter and their key property regarding shape and volume.

Solids: fixed shape and fixed volume. Liquids: fixed volume but take the shape of the container. Gases: neither fixed shape nor fixed volume.

Define sublimation and give an example.

Sublimation is the direct change of a solid into vapour (gas) without passing through the liquid state. Examples: camphor, naphthalene, dry ice (solid CO2), iodine.

What is the difference between evaporation and boiling?

Evaporation occurs at all temperatures only at the liquid's surface and is slow. Boiling occurs at a fixed temperature (boiling point) throughout the liquid and is rapid.

Name the three subatomic particles and their charges.

Proton (positive charge), electron (negative charge), and neutron (no charge / neutral).

Define atomic number and mass number.

Atomic number (Z) = number of protons in the nucleus. Mass number (A) = number of protons + number of neutrons.

What are isotopes? Give an example.

Isotopes are atoms of the same element with the same atomic number but different mass numbers (different numbers of neutrons). Example: carbon-12 and carbon-14.

On what basis are elements arranged in the modern periodic table?

In increasing order of their atomic number (number of protons), following the modern periodic law given by Moseley.

What are the terms for horizontal rows and vertical columns in the periodic table?

Horizontal rows are called periods; vertical columns are called groups. The modern table has 7 periods and 18 groups.

What is a chemical reaction in which heat is released versus absorbed?

Exothermic reaction releases heat (e.g., combustion); endothermic reaction absorbs heat (e.g., photosynthesis).

Define oxidation and reduction in terms of oxygen and hydrogen.

Oxidation is the gain of oxygen or loss of hydrogen (or loss of electrons). Reduction is the loss of oxygen or gain of hydrogen (or gain of electrons).

What is the pH value of a neutral, acidic, and basic solution?

Neutral = pH 7; Acidic = pH less than 7; Basic (alkaline) = pH greater than 7. The scale runs from 0 to 14.

Name the products formed when an acid reacts with a base (neutralization).

A salt and water are formed. Example: HCl + NaOH gives NaCl + H2O.

List three general physical properties of metals.

Metals are good conductors of heat and electricity, malleable (can be hammered into sheets), ductile (can be drawn into wires), lustrous, and sonorous.

Why is carbon called tetravalent, and what is catenation?

Carbon has 4 valence electrons, so it forms 4 covalent bonds (tetravalent). Catenation is carbon's ability to form long chains and rings by bonding with other carbon atoms.

Name the two allotropes of carbon and a key property of each.

Diamond (hardest natural substance, non-conductor) and graphite (soft, slippery, a good conductor of electricity). Both are pure forms of carbon.

What is the basic structural and functional unit of life, and who discovered it?

The cell is the basic unit of life. The cell was discovered by Robert Hooke (in cork) in 1665.

State two key differences between plant cells and animal cells.

Plant cells have a cell wall and chloroplasts and a large central vacuole; animal cells lack a cell wall and chloroplasts and have small or no vacuoles.

What is the function of mitochondria, often called the 'powerhouse of the cell'?

Mitochondria carry out cellular respiration and produce energy in the form of ATP for the cell.

Which gas do humans breathe in and breathe out, and where does gas exchange occur in the lungs?

Humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Gas exchange occurs in the alveoli (tiny air sacs) of the lungs.

Name the four chambers of the human heart.

Two upper chambers called atria (right and left atrium) and two lower chambers called ventricles (right and left ventricle).

What is the functional unit of the kidney, and what is its main role?

The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney. It filters blood to remove waste and form urine, regulating water and salt balance.

Name the deficiency diseases caused by lack of vitamin C and vitamin D.

Lack of vitamin C causes scurvy; lack of vitamin D causes rickets (in children) and bone softening.

Write the balanced word equation for photosynthesis.

Carbon dioxide + water (in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll) gives glucose + oxygen. Chemical: 6CO2 + 6H2O gives C6H12O6 + 6O2.

Differentiate between a food chain and a food web.

A food chain is a single linear sequence of who eats whom (producer to consumers). A food web is a network of many interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.

Distinguish renewable and non-renewable natural resources with one example each.

Renewable resources can be replenished naturally (e.g., solar energy, water, forests). Non-renewable resources are finite and cannot be quickly replaced (e.g., coal, petroleum, natural gas).

Why is a pressure cooker able to cook food faster?

Increased pressure inside raises the boiling point of water above 100 degrees C, so food cooks faster at the higher temperature.