General Knowledge MCQs
Topic Notes: General Knowledge
MCQs and preparation resources for competitive exams, covering important concepts, past papers, and detailed explanations.
Plato
- Biography: Ancient Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, founder of the Academy in Athens.
- Important Ideas:
- Theory of Forms
- Philosopher-King
- Ideal State
51
Who was the female mathematician whose calculations were critical to the success of the first US manned spaceflights?
Answer:
Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson was a NASA mathematician whose orbital mechanics calculations were essential for the Friendship 7 mission.
52
Which scientist proposed the 'Big Bang' theory?
Answer:
Georges Lemaître
Lemaître, a Belgian priest and physicist, first proposed the theory of the expansion of the universe from a 'primeval atom'.
53
Who was the ancient Greek mathematician known for his theorem about right-angled triangles?
Answer:
Pythagoras
The Pythagorean theorem ($a^2 + b^2 = c^2$) is one of the most famous relations in mathematics.
54
Who invented the first battery?
Answer:
Alessandro Volta
Volta created the 'voltaic pile' in 1800, the first device to provide a steady electric current.
55
Who is considered the founder of modern chemistry and named Oxygen?
Answer:
Antoine Lavoisier
Lavoisier established the law of conservation of mass and reformed chemical nomenclature.
56
Who discovered X-ray crystallography of DNA, which was crucial for Watson and Crick?
Answer:
Rosalind Franklin
Franklin's Photo 51 revealed the helical structure of DNA, a key insight used by Watson and Crick without her direct permission.
57
Who is the astrophysicist known for the TV series 'Cosmos'?
Answer:
Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan was a brilliant science communicator who popularized astronomy through his books and the original 'Cosmos' series.
58
Who discovered the circulation of blood?
Answer:
William Harvey
William Harvey was the first to completely describe the systemic circulation and properties of blood being pumped by the heart.
59
Which scientist established the Germ Theory of disease?
Answer:
Louis Pasteur
Pasteur proved that microorganisms cause disease and developed the process of pasteurization to kill bacteria in food.
60
Who was the Swedish botanist who created the system of binomial nomenclature (taxonomy)?
Answer:
Carl Linnaeus
Linnaeus formalized the modern system of naming organisms (e.g., *Homo sapiens*).