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UPSC NDA & NA General Science (GAT - Part B) Flashcards
51 question-and-answer cards covering General Science (GAT - Part B) as it is examined in UPSC NDA & NA. 24 of them are printed below, taken from across the deck — no signup, no paywall on the preview.
24 sample cards from the General Science (GAT - Part B) deck
Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.
State Ohm's law and its formula.
At constant temperature, the current through a conductor is directly proportional to the voltage across it: V = IR, where V = voltage, I = current, R = resistance.
What is the SI unit of electric current, charge, and resistance?
Current: ampere (A); charge: coulomb (C); resistance: ohm (Omega).
Give the formula for electric power in terms of voltage and current.
P = VI (also P = I^2 R = V^2/R), where P is power in watts.
Distinguish between a series and a parallel circuit regarding resistance.
In series, resistances add (R = R1 + R2 + ...) and current is the same throughout. In parallel, 1/R = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + ... (total resistance decreases) and voltage is the same across each branch.
What is the difference between a conductor, an insulator, and a semiconductor?
A conductor allows electricity to flow easily (e.g. copper); an insulator resists flow (e.g. rubber); a semiconductor has intermediate conductivity that can be controlled (e.g. silicon).
State the rule for like and unlike magnetic poles, and name the magnetic material par excellence.
Like poles repel and unlike poles attract. Iron is the classic ferromagnetic material (others: cobalt, nickel).
What is electromagnetic induction (Faraday's law)?
A changing magnetic flux through a circuit induces an electromotive force (emf); the magnitude of induced emf is proportional to the rate of change of magnetic flux. It is the working principle of generators.
Name the six simple machines.
Lever, pulley, wheel and axle, inclined plane, wedge, and screw.
Define mechanical advantage of a machine.
Mechanical advantage (MA) is the ratio of load (output force) to effort (input force): MA = Load/Effort. It tells how much a machine multiplies force.
What are the three classes of levers, distinguished by the position of the fulcrum, load, and effort?
Class 1: fulcrum between load and effort (e.g. seesaw). Class 2: load between fulcrum and effort (e.g. wheelbarrow). Class 3: effort between fulcrum and load (e.g. tweezers/forearm).
What everyday device converts electrical energy into mechanical energy, and which converts mechanical into electrical?
An electric motor converts electrical energy to mechanical energy; a generator (dynamo) converts mechanical energy to electrical energy.
Distinguish between an element, a compound, and a mixture.
An element is made of one kind of atom (e.g. oxygen). A compound is two or more elements chemically combined in fixed ratio (e.g. water). A mixture contains substances physically combined in any ratio, separable by physical means.
What is the difference between a physical change and a chemical change?
A physical change alters form or state without forming a new substance and is usually reversible (e.g. melting ice). A chemical change forms a new substance with new properties and is usually irreversible (e.g. burning).
Name and describe the three subatomic particles of an atom with their charges.
Proton (positive charge, in nucleus), neutron (no charge, in nucleus), and electron (negative charge, orbiting the nucleus).
Define atomic number and mass number.
Atomic number (Z) is the number of protons in an atom's nucleus. Mass number (A) is the total number of protons plus neutrons.
What are isotopes?
Isotopes are atoms of the same element having the same atomic number (same protons) but different mass numbers (different numbers of neutrons), e.g. C-12 and C-14.
Distinguish between ionic and covalent bonds.
An ionic bond forms by transfer of electrons between atoms, creating charged ions (e.g. NaCl). A covalent bond forms by sharing of electron pairs between atoms (e.g. H2O).
Define acids and bases in terms of pH and ion production.
Acids release H+ ions in water and have pH below 7; bases (alkalis) release OH- ions and have pH above 7. A neutral solution has pH 7.
What is oxidation and what is reduction (in terms of electrons)?
Oxidation is the loss of electrons (or gain of oxygen/loss of hydrogen); reduction is the gain of electrons (or loss of oxygen/gain of hydrogen). They occur together in redox reactions.
Name the common chemical name and formula for: (a) common salt, (b) baking soda, (c) quicklime.
(a) Common salt = sodium chloride, NaCl. (b) Baking soda = sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3. (c) Quicklime = calcium oxide, CaO.
What is an alloy, and give the composition of brass and bronze.
An alloy is a homogeneous mixture of two or more metals (or metal and non-metal). Brass = copper + zinc; Bronze = copper + tin.
What is the basic structural and functional unit of all living organisms, and who discovered it?
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life; Robert Hooke discovered cells (in cork) in 1665.
Distinguish between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and name the powerhouse of the cell.
Prokaryotic cells lack a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles (e.g. bacteria); eukaryotic cells have a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles (e.g. plant/animal cells). The mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell.
Name the parts of the human digestive system in order and the main organ of respiratory gas exchange.
Digestive path: mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, anus. The lungs (via the alveoli) are the site of gas exchange in the respiratory system.
What this deck covers
The General Science (GAT - Part B) deck follows the UPSC NDA & NA General Science (GAT - Part B) syllabus — 3 chapters and 14 topics — so questions land on material that is genuinely examinable rather than trivia around it. That works out to roughly 17.0 cards per chapter.
Answers are written to be recallable, not just readable — averaging about 151 characters, which is long enough to carry the reasoning and short enough to say out loud.
A deck like this earns its keep on the second and third pass. Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then use the cards to find the specific facts that have not stuck.
General Science (GAT - Part B) flashcards FAQ
How many General Science (GAT - Part B) flashcards are in this UPSC NDA & NA deck?
51 cards. This page previews 24 of them, sampled evenly across the deck so you can judge the difficulty before installing anything.
Are these UPSC NDA & NA flashcards free?
Yes. The preview here is free to read with no signup, and the full 51-card deck is free inside the Examius app.
What do the General Science (GAT - Part B) cards cover?
They follow the UPSC NDA & NA General Science (GAT - Part B) syllabus — 3 chapters and 14 topics — so the questions track what is actually examinable.
How should I use these flashcards?
Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then drill the deck. Examius schedules each card with spaced repetition, so cards you keep missing come back sooner and ones you know drift further apart.