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Important Principles in General Science for UPSC IAS Prelims - Testbook.com

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Indian Administrative Services (IAS) Prelims is one of the most challenging examinations in the country. The syllabus encompasses a wide range of subjects including Geography, Polity, History, Economics, and General Science. Among these, General Science plays a crucial role as it comprises Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. In recent years, the UPSC IAS Prelims has seen a rise in questions from the topic of Scientific Laws and Theories. Therefore, it is crucial for aspirants to have a strong understanding of these principles.

In the world of science, a Scientific Law is a statement that describes an observable occurrence in nature that appears to always be true. It is not an explanation of why the phenomenon occurs or what causes it. That's where Scientific Theories come in, they provide the explanations. There are numerous scientific theories and laws, particularly in Physics and Chemistry, that we have learned from our school days. These are vital for the UPSC IAS Prelims exam, as UPSC tends to ask more questions on this topic.

Key General Science Principles for UPSC Preparation

Principles/Law/Theories and Their Definitions

Archimedes’ principle A principle that explains when a body is partially or completely submerged in a fluid, it experiences an upward force that is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body.
Avogadro’s Law This law states that equal volumes of all gases, at the same temperature and pressure, contain the same number of molecules.
Brownian motion This is the random motion of particles suspended in a fluid, resulting from their collision with fast atoms or molecules in the gas or liquid.
Bernoulli’s principle This principle states that an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure or a decrease in the fluid's potential energy.
Boyles’s Law This law describes how the pressure of a gas tends to increase as the volume of the container decreases.
Charles’s Law This law states that if a given quantity of gas is kept at a constant pressure, its volume is directly proportional to the absolute temperature.
Coulomb’s Law This law states that the force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Law of conservation of energy This fundamental law of physics states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant; it is said to be conserved over time.
Newton’s Laws of Motion These laws describe the relationship between a body and the forces acting upon it, and its motion in response to those forces.
Ohm’s Law This law states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points.
Tyndall effect This effect is seen when light is scattered by particles in its path, often making a beam of light visible.
Big Bang Theory This theory explains how the universe expanded from a very high-density and high-temperature state.
Hubble’s Law of Cosmic Expansion This law describes a direct relationship between the distances of distant galaxies and their speeds of recession.
Joule–Lenz law This law states that the amount of heat produced by a current flowing in a conductor is proportional to the square of the current.

The importance of Science and Technology for the UPSC civil services exam cannot be overstated. Every year, approximately 10-15 questions from this section appear in the UPSC prelims. This signifies the importance of this section. While candidates with a background in science or engineering might find this section straightforward, those from non-science backgrounds may find it a bit challenging. Therefore, it is essential for candidates to understand the principles mentioned above to score well in the UPSC IAS exam.

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