2014 Archives

121. A class starts at 11:00 am and lasts till 2:27 pm. Four periods of equ

A class starts at 11:00 am and lasts till 2:27 pm. Four periods of equal duration are held during this interval. After every period, a rest of 5 minutes is given to the students. The exact duration of each period is :

[amp_mcq option1=”42 minutes” option2=”48 minutes” option3=”51 minutes” option4=”53 minutes” correct=”option2″]

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UPSC CAPF – 2014

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The total duration of the class is from 11:00 am to 2:27 pm. This is a duration of 3 hours and 27 minutes, which is equal to (3 * 60) + 27 = 180 + 27 = 207 minutes.
There are four periods of equal duration, with a 5-minute rest after every period. For four periods, there will be three rest intervals between them.
Total rest time = 3 intervals * 5 minutes/interval = 15 minutes.
The total time occupied by the four periods is the total class duration minus the total rest time.
Total period time = 207 minutes – 15 minutes = 192 minutes.
Since there are four periods of equal duration, the duration of each period is the total period time divided by the number of periods.
Duration of each period = 192 minutes / 4 periods = 48 minutes/period.

Calculate the total duration of the event. Subtract the total rest time from the total duration to find the combined duration of the periods. Divide the combined period duration by the number of periods to find the duration of each period. Remember that for ‘n’ periods, there are ‘n-1’ rests in between.

This question is a simple time calculation problem often found in quantitative aptitude sections of competitive exams. It tests the ability to handle time formats and apply basic arithmetic.

122. The Sargasso Sea is a vast patch of Atlantic Ocean characterized by an

The Sargasso Sea is a vast patch of Atlantic Ocean characterized by an abundance of floating brown seaweed called ‘Sargassum’. This is formed due to the deposit of marine plants and refuse carried by the :
1. North Atlantic current
2. Canary current
3. North Atlantic Equatorial current
Select the correct answer using the code given below :

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 and 3 only” option3=”1 and 3 only” option4=”1, 2 and 3″ correct=”option4″]

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UPSC CAPF – 2014

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The Sargasso Sea is a region in the North Atlantic Ocean that is bounded by the currents forming the North Atlantic Gyre.

The currents that form the North Atlantic Gyre and trap the Sargassum seaweed are the Gulf Stream (to the west), the North Atlantic Current (to the north), the Canary Current (to the east), and the North Atlantic Equatorial Current (to the south). All three currents listed in the options (North Atlantic current, Canary current, North Atlantic Equatorial current) are part of the boundary currents that define and circulate around the Sargasso Sea, contributing to the accumulation of floating material within it.

The Sargasso Sea is unique as it is the only sea in the world that is defined by ocean currents rather than by land boundaries. Its calm, clear waters are home to a unique ecosystem, including the Sargassum seaweed which provides habitat for numerous marine species. The lack of strong currents within the gyre allows the seaweed and other floating debris to accumulate.

123. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code

Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists :

List I (Cell type)	List II (Function)
A. Red Blood Cell	1. Help blood to clot
B. White Blood Cell	2. Fight infection
C. The Platelets	3. Carrier of dissolved substances
D. The Plasma	4. Transport oxygen

Code :

[amp_mcq option1=”3 2 1 4″ option2=”3 1 2 4″ option3=”4 2 1 3″ option4=”4 1 2 3″ correct=”option3″]

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UPSC CAPF – 2014

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Matching the components of blood (List I) with their primary functions (List II):
A. Red Blood Cells (Erythrocytes) primarily function in transporting oxygen throughout the body. (Match A with 4)
B. White Blood Cells (Leukocytes) are part of the immune system and fight infections. (Match B with 2)
C. Platelets (Thrombocytes) are cell fragments involved in hemostasis, helping blood to clot and stop bleeding. (Match C with 1)
D. Plasma is the liquid matrix of blood that carries dissolved substances like nutrients, waste products, hormones, proteins, etc. (Match D with 3)

The correct matches are A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3.

– Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which binds to oxygen for transport.
– White blood cells include various types like lymphocytes, neutrophils, macrophages, etc., each with specific roles in the immune response.
– Platelets aggregate at the site of injury and release factors that initiate the clotting cascade.
– Plasma makes up about 55% of blood volume and consists mostly of water, with dissolved proteins, glucose, ions, hormones, and carbon dioxide.

124. There are 28 steps in a temple. In the time A, initially at the 28th s

There are 28 steps in a temple. In the time A, initially at the 28th step, comes down two steps, B, initially at 1st step, goes one step up. If they start simultaneously and keep their speed uniform, then at which step from the bottom will they meet ?

[amp_mcq option1=”8^th” option2=”9^th” option3=”10^th” option4=”not possible to meet” correct=”option3″]

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UPSC CAPF – 2014

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Let the steps be numbered from 1 (bottom) to 28 (top). Person A starts at step 28 and moves down 2 steps per unit of time. Person B starts at step 1 and moves up 1 step per unit of time.

Let $t$ be the time elapsed in units of their respective step movements.
A’s position after time $t$ (from the bottom) is $P_A(t) = 28 – 2t$.
B’s position after time $t$ (from the bottom) is $P_B(t) = 1 + 1t$.
They meet when their positions are equal: $P_A(t) = P_B(t)$.
$28 – 2t = 1 + t$
$28 – 1 = t + 2t$
$27 = 3t$
$t = 9$.
So, they meet after 9 units of time. Their position at this time is:
$P_B(9) = 1 + 9 = 10$.
$P_A(9) = 28 – 2(9) = 28 – 18 = 10$.
They meet at the 10th step from the bottom.

This is a problem involving relative speed. The relative speed at which they are closing the distance between them is 2 steps/time (A) + 1 step/time (B) = 3 steps/time. The initial distance between them is $28 – 1 = 27$ steps. The time taken to meet is distance/relative speed = 27 steps / 3 steps/time = 9 units of time. Then calculate the position from the start of either person.

125. The Mariana trench is the deepest part of the Oceans. Which one among

The Mariana trench is the deepest part of the Oceans. Which one among the following statements regarding this is not correct ?
– It is located in the Western Pacific Ocean, to the West of Mariana island
– The trench was first sounded during the Challenger expedition in 1875
– The trench is about 2550 km long and an average width of only 69 km
– At the bottom of the trench the water column above exerts a pressure over 1000 times the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level

[amp_mcq option1=”It is located in the Western Pacific Ocean, to the West of Mariana island” option2=”The trench was first sounded during the Challenger expedition in 1875″ option3=”The trench is about 2550 km long and an average width of only 69 km” option4=”At the bottom of the trench the water column above exerts a pressure over 1000 times the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level” correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2014

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The incorrect statement is that the Mariana Trench is located to the West of the Mariana Islands.

The Mariana Trench is located in the western Pacific Ocean, but it lies *east and south* of the Mariana Islands. The trench runs roughly north-south/northeast-southwest, with the islands located to its west.

– The Challenger expedition did indeed make the first recorded sounding of the trench in 1875.
– The dimensions of the trench are approximately 2550 km (1,580 miles) long and 69 km (43 miles) wide, making statement C correct.
– The maximum depth of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is over 10,994 meters (~11 km). Hydrostatic pressure increases by approximately 1 atm for every 10 meters of depth. At 11 km, the pressure is about 1100 atm, which is indeed over 1000 times standard atmospheric pressure at sea level, making statement D correct.

126. Large Hadron Collider was in news recently for doing some scientific r

Large Hadron Collider was in news recently for doing some scientific research to prove the presence of an elementary particle. The scientist who predicted this particle in 1964 has been awarded Nobel Prize in 2013. What is this discovery ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Particles known as quarks having mass” option2=”Origin of Universe timings” option3=”Bigg’s Bosons or God Particles explaining why fundamental particles have mass” option4=”None of the above” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2014

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The question describes the search and discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, which was heavily in the news, leading to the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to François Englert and Peter Higgs who had theorized its existence in 1964.

The Higgs boson is an elementary particle associated with the Higgs field. This field is thought to be present throughout the universe, and interactions with it give other fundamental particles (like quarks and leptons) their mass. It is often popularly referred to as the “God particle”.

– Quarks are fundamental particles that are components of protons and neutrons; they do have mass, but the Higgs mechanism explains *why* they have mass, not just that they do.
– The origin of the universe timings is related to cosmology and the Big Bang theory, not the Higgs boson discovery.
– The LHC is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator, used to collide beams of protons or heavy ions at high energies to study fundamental particles and forces.

127. Which one among the following countries of Asia is land-locked ?

Which one among the following countries of Asia is land-locked ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Vietnam” option2=”Cambodia” option3=”Laos” option4=”Thailand” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2014

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A landlocked country is a sovereign state entirely enclosed by land, having no access to the open sea.

Among the given options, Laos is the only country that does not have a coastline. It is bordered by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar.

– Vietnam has a long coastline on the South China Sea.
– Cambodia has a coastline on the Gulf of Thailand.
– Thailand has coastlines on the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.
– Other landlocked countries in Asia include Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan (partially bordered by the Caspian Sea, sometimes considered landlocked), Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

128. The weight of any object is felt due to gravity of Earth. When any obj

The weight of any object is felt due to gravity of Earth. When any object goes inside the Earth or above the Earth, weight decreases. It will weigh minimum when an object is placed at :

[amp_mcq option1=”The Equator and Moon” option2=”North Pole and Saturn” option3=”South Pole and 1 Km beneath the Earth” option4=”Centre of Earth and in an orbiting satellite” correct=”option4″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2014

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The weight of an object is given by W = mg, where m is its mass and g is the acceleration due to gravity. The acceleration due to gravity varies with location.

At the center of the Earth, the acceleration due to gravity (g) is zero because the gravitational forces from all parts of the Earth cancel out. In an orbiting satellite, an object is in a state of continuous freefall around the Earth, resulting in apparent weightlessness, which means the object feels minimum (essentially zero apparent) weight.

– Gravity is maximum on the Earth’s surface. It decreases as you move away from or towards the center (until the center).
– On the surface, gravity is slightly higher at the poles than at the equator due to Earth’s shape (oblate spheroid) and centrifugal force from rotation.
– The Moon has about 1/6th the gravity of Earth’s surface, but gravity is not zero.
– Saturn has a different and much stronger gravitational field compared to Earth.
– 1 km beneath the Earth’s surface, gravity has slightly decreased but is still significant.

129. The surplus of rice was lowest for the year :

The surplus of rice was lowest for the year :

[amp_mcq option1=”2010″ option2=”2011″ option3=”2013″ option4=”2009″ correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2014

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We need to find the year with the lowest surplus of rice among the given years. The surplus values for years 2008-2013 are:
– 2008: 8
– 2009: 2
– 2010: 2
– 2011: 1
– 2012: 2
– 2013: 3
– Comparing these values, the lowest surplus is 1 million tonne. This occurred in the year 2011. This matches option B and the official answer key.

Calculate the surplus (Production – Consumption) for each year and identify the year corresponding to the minimum calculated surplus value.

Finding the minimum or maximum value within a dataset or a derived series is a basic data analysis task.

130. In how many years, the supply (in million ton) of rice was more than t

In how many years, the supply (in million ton) of rice was more than the average supply for 2008 to 2013 ?

[amp_mcq option1=”3″ option2=”4″ option3=”5″ option4=”2″ correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2014

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We need to find the number of years from 2008 to 2013 where the supply (Production) of rice was more than the average supply for this period (2008-2013).
– Period is 2008 to 2013 (6 years).
– Production (Supply) values: 2008=108, 2009=100, 2010=104, 2011=107, 2012=103, 2013=105.
– Total production = 108 + 100 + 104 + 107 + 103 + 105 = 627 million tonnes.
– Average supply = Total production / Number of years = 627 / 6 = 104.5 million tonnes.
– Now, count the years where production > 104.5:
– 2008: 108 (> 104.5) – Yes
– 2009: 100 (< 104.5) - No - 2010: 104 (< 104.5) - No - 2011: 107 (> 104.5) – Yes
– 2012: 103 (< 104.5) - No - 2013: 105 (> 104.5) – Yes
– There are 3 such years (2008, 2011, 2013). This matches option A and the official answer key.

Calculate the average supply (production) over the specified period (2008-2013). Then, iterate through the years in the period and count how many years had a supply value greater than this average.

This question involves calculating an average over one period and then using it as a threshold to count items in the same period. Pay attention to whether the comparison is “more than”, “at least”, etc.