General Science - General Knowledge Questions and Answers

General Science - General Knowledge Questions and Answers: "1.
Brass gets discoloured in air because of the presence of which of the following gases in air?


A. Oxygen
B. Hydrogen sulphide
C. Carbon dioxide
D. Nitrogen


Answer: Option B

2.	Which of the following is a non metal that remains liquid at room temperature?
	A. Phosphorous B. Bromine C. Chlorine D. Helium

Answer: Option B

Tamil Language and arts...from Wikipedia

An idol in Madurai representing the Tamil language as a goddess; The caption on the pedestal reads Tamil Annai ("Mother Tamil").
Tamils have strong feelings towards the Tamil language, which is often venerated in literature as "Tamil̲an̲n̲ai", "the Tamil mother". It has historically been, and to large extent still is, central to the Tamil identity. Like the other languages of South India, it is a Dravidian language, unrelated to the Indo-European languages of northern India. The language has been far less influenced by Sanskrit than the other Dravidian languages, and preserves many features of Proto-Dravidian, though modern-day spoken Tamil in Tamil Nadu, freely uses loanwords from Sanskrit and English Tamil literature is of considerable antiquity, and is recognised as a classical language by the government of India. Classical Tamil literature, which ranges from lyric poetry to works on poetics and ethical philosophy, is remarkably different from contemporary and later literature in other Indian languages, and represents the oldest body of secular literature in South Asia.

Dancing Siva or Nataraja is a typical example of Chola bronze

The Brihadeshswara Temple at Thanjavur, also known as the Great Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola 

Ancient Tamil works, such as the Cilappatikaram, describe a system of music, and a 7th-century Pallava inscription at Kudimiyamalai contains one of the earliest surviving examples of Indian music in notation.Contemporary dance forms such asBharatanatyam have recent origins but are based older temple dance forms known as Catir Kacceri as practiced by courtesans and a class of women known as Devadasis^[88]

Young Bharatanatyam dancer

One of the Tamil folk dances is karakattam. In its religious form, the dance is performed in front of an image of the goddessMariamma. The kuravanci is a type of dance-drama, performed by four to eight women. The drama is opened by a woman playing the part of a female soothsayer of the kurava tribe(people of hills and mountains), who tells the story of a lady pining for her lover. Thetherukoothu, literally meaning "street play", is a form of village theater or folk opera. It is traditionally performed in village squares, with no sets and very simple props. 

ADICHANALLUR>>Findings of ASI suggest older civilisation than Indus Valley Civilisation.

ADICHANALLUR has a history of excavation. The urn-burial site was brought to light when a German, Dr. Jagor, conducted a haphazard excavation at the place in 1876. An Englishman called Alexander Rea, who was the Superintending Archaeologist, excavated the urn-burial site between 1889 and 1905. A Frenchman called Louis Lapique had also conducted an excavation in 1904.
In his article entitled "Prehistoric antiquities in Tinnevelly", which appeared in the Archaeological Survey of India's annual report in 1902-03, Rea called the Adichanallur site "the most extensive prehistoric site as yet discovered in southern if not in the whole of India... . The site was first brought to notice in 1876 when it was visited by Dr. Jagor of Berlin, accompanied by the Collector of Tinnevelly and the District Engineer."
Excavations by Dr. Jagor had yielded "upwards of 50 kinds of baked earthenware utensils of all sizes and shapes, a considerable number of iron weapons and implements, chiefly knives or short sword blades and hatchets, and a great quantity of bones and skulls". Rea says "these articles were taken away by Dr. Jagor for the Berlin Museum".
In his first excavations, Rea discovered about 1,872 objects, and about 4,000 more later. He said: "The objects yielded by these burial sites are finely made pottery of various kinds in great number; many iron implements and weapons; vessels and personal ornaments in bronze; a few gold ornaments; a few stone beads; bones; and some household stone implements used for grinding curry or sandalwood." Traces of cloth, urns with mica pieces, and husks of rice and millet were found in pots inside the urns. Lamp stands, hanging lamps, bell-mouthed jars, `chatties', necklaces, wire bangles, swords, spears and arrows were found.
Importantly, several gold diadems with a hole on each end for tying them around the forehead were found. Rea also discovered a number of bronze figurines of the buffalo, the goat or the sheep, the cock, the tiger, the antelope and the elephant.
He had this to say about how the dead were interred in the urns at Adichanallur: "In those urns which contained complete skeletons, and which were thus preserved by the lid remaining intact, the position of the bones made it obvious that the body had been set inside in a squatting or sitting position. On its decay, the leg and arm bones fell over and rested against one side of the urn, while the skull, ribs, and vertebrae dropped down to the bottom. This was the position in which every complete skeleton, without exception, was found; and the urns in which they were placed were all devoid of earth."
G. Thirumoorthy, Assistant Archaeologist with the ASI, who led the first phase of the excavation in 2004, said of Rea's excavation: "Above all, his excavation was important for the bronze objects discovered because they are quite unique in the proto-history of South India. Besides, he discovered a figurine of a Mother-Goddess. All this showed that the Tamil culture was rich then."
Rea's discovery of gold diadems is intriguing, for gold does not occur at Adichanallur or any nearby place. The gold could have been brought from outside because of trade contacts, Thirumoorthy said.
Also intriguing is the fact that, although Rea found a number of bronze objects and several gold diadems, no bronze or gold objects have so far been found in excavations conducted by the ASI from 2004. Besides, the trenches dug by Rea have not been located so far, although they are said to be in the centre of the mound.
Rea systematically documented all the objects that he discovered and handed them over to the Government Museum in Chennai, where they were on discoverd.pl
The centrepiece of the discoveries is this potsherd with the motifs of a woman, a stalk of paddy, a crane, a deer and a crocodile.ay.

 THE Iron-Age urn-burial site at Adichanallur, about 24 km from Tirunelveli town in southern Tamil Nadu, has attracted nationwide attention for three important findings: an inscription in a rudimentary Tamil-Brahmi script on the inside of an urn containing a full human skeleton; a potsherd (fragment of broken earthenware) with stunningly beautiful motifs; and the remains of living quarters (rampart wall, potters' kilns, a smith's shop and so on) close to the site.

T. Satyamurthy, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Chennai Circle, with G. Thirumoorthy (centre), Assistant Archaeologist, and P. Aravazhi, a member of the team of Tarcheologists, at the site.he Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) started digging the site Thein February 2004, about 100 years after the last excavation activity there. It is an extraordinarily large urn-burial site spread over 114 acres (45.6 hectares) on a low, rocky hillock on the right bank of the Tamiraparani river, close to a lake and surrounded by paddy fields and banana plantations. The first phase of excavation in 2004, stretched between February 4 and July 5. In the six trenches that were dug then, the ASI ran into a range of spectacular finds. Each trench was a square, 10 metres by 10 metres. T. Satyamurthy, Superintending Archaeologist of the ASI, Chennai Circle, is the overrall director of the excavation.

The urn in the foreground, found at Adichanallur, resembles burial urns found at Malwa in Madhya Pradesh, suggesting trade contacts between the two regions.

A total of 157 burial urns were found, 57 of them intact and 15 with complete human skeletons inside. Many of the urns, especially those that contained human skeletons, were covered with another urn, in what is called a "twin-pot" system. They had been buried after cutting the rock in circular pits, into which the urns were lowered in a three-tier formation. The earliest burials formed the lowermost tier, which left enough space above to accommodate future burials.

Iron knives were among the artefacts unearthed.

Among the artefacts discovered at the burial site were a profusion of red ware, black ware, black-and-red ware, copper bangles, copper ear-rings, iron spear-heads, terracotta lids with tiered knobs, terracotta vessels that could be used both as lids and as bowls, globular vessels and long-necked utensils. There were vases, pots with exquisite decorations, broken daggers and swords made of iron. There were also Neolithic celts, iron implements, urns with clan marks and urns with hooks inside.

A range of red ware, black ware, and black-and-red ware excavated and now on display at the ASI office in Chennai.

The urns with skeletons had inside them empty miniature vessels, rice, paddy and husk. The miniature vessels were of three types: bowls, small vases and pots. Made of polished blackware, they are thought to have had religious significance. These small vessels invariably had their lids on. The lids were decorated with dotted, floral or geometrical designs and were painted. Some lids had tiered knobs that looked like chess pieces.

An urn containing skeletons, covered with another urn in what is called a twin-pot system. Archaeologists point to the care with which te dead were buried.

What is fascinating is the discovery of urns with clan/tribe marks. Some urns had ornamentation such as thumb-nail impressions running all round the neck. The clan marks included three lines separating out from the top, with knobs, and garland-like designs.One urn had the skeletons of a mother and a child. Some skulls had disintegrated, the bones had become fragile. Some urns were broken, and were filled with earth, obviously the handiwork of treSatyamurthy called the Adichanallur burial site "the earliest site in Tamil Nadu" and was sure that its history would go back to 1,000 B.C. "In our excavation, we have come across a culture earlier to the megalithic period. It is a well-stratified culture. The pottery is typologically different from that of megalithic pottery," he said. (According to archaeologists, the Iron Age in South India stretched between 1,000 B.C. and 300 B.C. The Iron Age and the megalithic age were contemporaneous in South India. The Iron Age signifies the beginning of civilisation).
The centrepiece of these discoveries is the potsherd with motifs in appliqué designs. It was found inside an urn which had a human skeleton. At the centre of the motifs is a tall, slender woman with prominent breasts and wearing a knee-length dress. Her hands are clinging to her sides and the palms seem to be spread out. Next to her is a sheaf of standing paddy and a crane is seated on the paddy stalk. There is a beautiful, young deer with straight horns and upturned tail. There is also a crocodile, and a knob mark. The appliqué designs were made using clay. A small thin rope was used to bring about the serrated effect in each motif.

asure-hunters. Three copper bangles and some copper chisels were also found at the site.

Thirumoorthy said: "Adichanallur shows the importance given to the dead in Tamil society. The excavation reveals the mode of burial practice, the disposal of the dead, the religious beliefs prevalent then, and the socio-economic conditions of the people who lived here at that time."

The question that haunts the archaeologists who have excavated the cairn (stone)-burial sites or urn-burial sites of the megalithic period in the South is: Where were the living quarters of the people who were buried at Amirthamangalam near Ponneri, or Perumbair near Chengalpattu?
The second phase of excavation, which began in February 2005, is currently under way on the north and northwestern slopes of the urn-burial site. If the aim of this excavation was to locate the habitational site of the people whose bodies were buried a few hundred metres away, it has succeeded in that objective

The chance finding of an rudimentary Tamil-Brahmi script. It was written on the inside of an urn that held a human skeleton has the potential to upset theories about the date of origin of the Tamil-Brahmi script. Satyamurthy found the script under chance circumstances. After visiting the Adichanallur, he was returning to Chennai on a train. He was examining photographs of the urns with skeletons to see whether the skeletons had a primary or secondary burial. It was then that he noticed some letters written on the inside of the urn. He cut short his journey and returned to Adichanallur to examine the inside of the urn closely. According to M.D. Sampath, retired Director, Epigraphy, ASI, Mysore, the script has seven letters. He said: "It may be suggested that the writing is in Tamil-Brahmi in a rudimentary form. Attempts have been made to blow up the writing so as to decipher the same. It may be tentatively read as follows: Ka ri a ra va [na] ta. "Though the exact meaning is not clear, it is quite likely that the expression seems to suggest the name of the engraver of the record or the maker of the pottery or the person whose skeletal remains are found interred inside the urn. The reading is subject to improvement. It is necessary to compare it with the graffiti and other scribbling found on the potsherds at different stratigraphical levels. The script seems to be archaic, perhaps coeval with the early megalithic period." Dr. Sampath pointed out that "this was "a rare occurrence" that the script was written inside the urn. Normally, such writings were seen outside the urns. The technique of inverted firing used in the baking of black and red ware must have been adopted in baking this urn also. "How this method has been used here is a question that needs an answer from archaeologists," he said. Satyamurthy has proposed, on the basis of "preliminary thermo-luminescence dating," that the pots found inside the urn along with the script might date back to circa 500 B.C. He said this method of dating "takes the site to the period from 1,500 B.C. to 500 B.C. So the script is also likely to be dated to 5th century B.C. even if we take the latest date into consideration." This date is, however, subject to confirmation by carbon-14 dating, which is a more accurate method. It is called Tamil-Brahmi because the language is Tamil but the script is Brahmi. The Brahmi script was predominantly used for the Prakrit language from the period of Emperor Asoka (circa 270 B.C.). Iravatham Mahadevan, an authority on the Tamil-Brahmi script, says in his seminal work "Early Tamil Epigraphy, From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D.", that "The Brahmi script reached Upper South India (Andhra-Karnataka regions) and the Tamil country at about the same time during the 3rd century B.C. in the wake of southern spread of Jainism and Buddhism." Mahadevan writes, "The earliest inscriptions in the Tamil-Brahmi script may be dated from about the end of the 3rd century or early 2nd century B.C. on palaeographic grounds and stratigraphic evidence of inscribed pottery. The earliest inscriptions in the Tamil country written in the Tamil-Brahmi script are almost exclusively in the Tamil language." Satyamurthy, however, has proposed that the script inside the urn may belong to 5th century B.C.

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Arikamedu Pondicherry |One of the oldest civilisations in India..Tamil

Arikamedu Pondicherry This is a historic site which has revealed ancient Roman artifacts that are evidence of the thriving trade that existed between this region and ancient Europe. The site is located about 4 kilometers from Puducherry along the right bank of the Ariyankuppam River. Among the artifacts found here are Roman pottery and grey painted ware. The area seems to have been a busy commercial hub, dealing predominantly in stone beads, glass beads and ceramics. The research and further excavations are going on. Some of the artifacts found here can be seen at the Puducherry museum.

General Information about Arikamedu :

Location: Puducherry (city).


State: Puducherry (Union Territory of INDIA)


Capital: Puducherry (city).


Language: Tamil, French, Telugu, Malayalam

Temperature: Max 41˚C, Min 30˚C (summer), Max 26˚C, Min 14˚C (winter)


Best Season: October to March"

Arikamedhu is the beautiful outcome of the extensive excavations carried out in Pondicherry. This place was once a bustling centre of the Indo Roman trade. The exquisite remnants of wine jars and Roman coins prove this place to be a successful trading hub. Arikamedhu is assumed to be the settlements of Romans nearly 2000 years ago proving the rich ancient history Pondicherry can boast of. The remains of 18th century built French Jesuit Mission House are also visible here. This bustling and once lively trading centre is now visited mostly by historians and archaeological enthusiasts who explores in search of more vivid history of the area. This is the reason why a lot of tourists flock to this place and enjoy the mesmerizing beauty. The place is simply bewitching and attracts all those interested in history and inquisitive to know about the era bygone. This is a must visit for everyone.

Tamilian Civilisation..One of the oldest in India

General Knowledge/ Current Affairs Questions May 2010 Latest Updates

General Knowledge Who was the famous Indian musician in charge of the opening music at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996?
Answer: Ustad Zakir Hussain

Who was the first Indian to participate in the Olympic Games?
Answer: Norman G Pritchard

Which famous Indian actor was honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994?
Answer: Dilip Kumar.

 Who was the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Services?
Answer: Satyendranath Tagore.

63. Who was the first Indian to be honored with the Param Vir Chakra?
Answer: Major Som Nath Sharma

Thomas Midgley...Leaded petrol

Leaded Petrol





Thomas Midgley discovered the CFC Freon as a safe refrigerant to replace the highly toxic refrigerants such as ammonia in common use. This resulted in extensive damage to the Ozone Layer. His other famous idea was to add tetraethyl lead to gasoline to prevent “knocking” thus causing worldwide health issues and deaths from lead poisoning. He is considered to be the man that – “had more impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earth’s history.”











Thomas Midgley discovered the CFC Freon as a safe refrigerant to replace the highly toxic refrigerants such as ammonia in common use. This resulted in extensive damage to the Ozone Layer. His other famous idea was to add tetraethyl lead to gasoline to prevent “knocking” thus causing worldwide health issues and deaths from lead poisoning. He is considered to be the man that – “had more impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earth’s history.”

Inventions - General Knowledge Questions and Answers

Inventions - General Knowledge Questions and Answers: "1.
Who invented the BALLPOINT PEN?

A. Biro Brothers
B. Waterman Brothers
C. Bicc Brothers
D. Write Brothers"

General Knowledge

What country owns the Canary Islands?

Spain

What river flows through the Grand Canyon in the USA?

Colorado

What is the lightest of all the elements and has the atomic number 1?

Hydrogen

Before the French Revolution in 1789, who is reported to have said "Let them eat cake"?

Marie Antoinette.

What is the capital city of Morocco?

Rabat

In the world of weaponry, what do the initials ICBM stand for?

Inter-continental Ballistic Missile

In the medical world what do the initials ENT stand for?

Ear Nose and Throat

Which mountain range runs along the west coast of South America for over 4,000 miles?

Andes.
What is the SI unit for time?

Second (Minutes/Hours/Days etc are all incorrect, they are derived from seconds)

Which male athlete won 4 gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics for the 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metre relay and the long jump?

Carl Lewis

Who wrote the novel Black Beauty, first published in 1877?

Anna Sewell.

Which metallic element has the chemical symbol Pb and atomic number 82?

Lead

The Gobi desert covers territory in which two countries?

China and Mongolia.

Which American city is known as 'the city of brotherly love'?

Philadelphia

What is the name of the galaxy our Solar System is in?

The Milky Way

What is the capital city of Iran?

Tehran

Basic Forces in Nature

Basic Forces in Nature

Following Four Basic Forces operate in all natural processes:

1. Gravitation Forces
2. Weak Force
3. Electromagnetic Force
4. Strong Forces

1. Gravitation Forces

• It is the force of attraction between two masses.
• It is always attractive in nature; hence sometimes it is taken with negative sign.
  • It is a long range force, i.e., it can extend up to infinity.
  • It follows inverse square law i.e., F ∞ 1 / r2.
  • It is assumed to be created by a particle called gravitation.
  • It is central force and hence, it is conservative in nature.
  • It is the weakest force.
    
    

  2. Weak Force in Physics
  

  
  

  a) It is the force associated with beta - decay in radioactivity.

  b) During beta - decay, following reaction takes place.

  
  

  0n1 ⇒ β- + 1P1 + γ Neutron   Beta Particle or Electron   Proton   Antineutrino

  
  

  Since, neutrino is a chargeless - massless particle, therefore during beta - decay, the electron and antineutrino interact with each other through very weak forces.

  c) Moreover, the leptons interact with Leptons, Baryons or Mesons through these weak forces.

  
  

  3. Electromagnetic Force Physics
  

  a) Force between two static charges is called electrostatic force.

  b) A moving charge produces both magnetic and electric fields.

  The charged particle moving in magnetic field experiences a force called electromagnetic force comprising of electrostatic as well as magnetic forces.

  
  

  c) Electromagnetic force bears following properties:

  1. It may be attractive or repulsive in nature.
  2. It is created due to exchange of photons.
  3. It is long range force.
  4. It is 10¹¹ time stronger than weak forces and 10³⁶ times stronger than the gravitational force.
  5. It is central and conservative force.
  6. 
     

  4. Strong Forces (Nuclear Force)
  

  1. It is the force of nuclear origin.
  2. It is basically attractive in nature.
  3. It is short range force and is operative only inside the nucleus (i.e., for distance = 10^-14 m)
  4. They are produced by the exchange of mesons between the nucleons (neutron & proton).
  5. It is not a central force.
  6. It is the strongest force acting in nature. The relative strengths of the gravitational force, the weak force, the electromagnetic force and the strong nuclear force are :
     
     

     Fg : Fw : Fe : Fn :: 1 : 1025 : 1036 : 1038

SOBRIQUESTS

PRIMARY NAMES	SOBRIQUETS
Aberdeen, Scotland	The Granite City
Africa	The Dark Continent
Amristsar, India	The City of the Golden Temple
Atlantic Ocean	The Herring Pond
Australia	The Land of the Golden Fleece, The Land of the Kangaroo
Bab-el-mandab	The Gate of Tears
Banrain	Island of Pearls
Bangalore, India	The Garden City of India
Belgium	The Cockpit of Europe
Belgtade, Yugoslavia	White City
Bombay, India	The Gateway of India
Broadway, New York	The Great White Way
Burma (Mayanmar)	The Land of the Golden Pagoda
Calcutta, India	The City of Palaces
Canada	The Land of Lilies, The Land of Maple
Chicago, USA	Windy City
Cochin, India	The Venice of the East, The Queen of the Arabian Sea
Cuba	The Pearl of the Antilles
Egypt	The Gift of the Nile
Finland	The Land of Thousand Lakes
Gibraltar	The key of the Mediterranean
Guinea Coast	White Man's Grave
River Hwang Ho, china	The Sorrow of China
Ireland	The Emerald Island
Jaipur	The Rose Pink City