Highlight on Science and Technology Contemporary Topics - Expected Questions 2017 Part-1

We will be covering the important questions and topics for competitive examinations for 2017 related to Science and Technology Contemporary Topics and related policies. As per video tutorials and lectures at YouTube@Examrace

Expected Questions on Science and Technology: UPSC IAS 2017

Low Cost Solar Cells

  • Made using Jamun
  • IIT Roorkee
  • Pigment as inexpensive photosensitizer for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) or Gratzel cells.
  • Gratzel cells: Thin film solar cells made of titanium dioxide (TiO2) coated photoanode
  • Used ethanol to extract dyes
  • Anthocyanin was used as sensitizer

Solar Calculator App

  • Launched by ISRO
  • Calculates benefit of solar panel installation
  • Determines solar energy potential
  • Azimuth & elevation angles, duration of day, obstruction of sunlight
  • Suggests optimum tilt angle to install solar PV

Belle-II Detector System

  • Integrated with SuperKEKB accelerator
  • Record particle processes produced by the accelerator
  • Measures elementary particle interactions
  • 4th layer of the six-layer i.e.. highly sensitive particle detector - developed by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) , Mumbai
  • Roll-in: Moving Belle II detector system from its assembly area to beam collision point

World՚s Largest Artificial Sun

  • Honeycomb with 149 spotlights - Synlight
  • Located in Juelich
  • Uses Xenon Short arc lamp
  • Produce equivalent of 10,000 times the amount of solar radiation by focusing the entire array on a single 8 × 8 in spot

World՚s 3rd Largest Hypersonic Wind Tunnel

  • By ISRO in Thiruvananthapuram
  • Next to USA & Russia
  • 500 valves, 2 km of pipelines, 41 electric motors, 35 pumps, 320 instruments and 10 km of cables
  • Help in design of space transportation system

Neutrino Project Suspended by NGT

  • In Bodi West hills, Theni district Tamil Nadu
  • 4.5 km away from Mathikettan Shola National Park in Idukki district (Kerala)
  • 1 km from Kerala-Tamil Nadu border
  • Under category A project in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
  • Underground laboratory with 1200 m extent - act as shield from cosmic background

New Form of Hydrogen

  • Negatively charged hydrogen ions
  • Injected cold liquid He droplets with H2 to form clusters with a neutral charge
  • Exposed hydrogen-infused droplets to an electron beam
  • Some hydrogen ionized as negatively charged
  • Clustered around negatively charged ions to create negatively charged hydrogen clusters

Bacteria Powered Battery

  • Papertronics - fusion of paper & electronics
  • Biobattery on single paper sheet
  • Power disposable electronics
  • Ribbon of silver nitrate on a piece of chromatography paper with wax coat to create a cathode (positive electrode)
  • Reservoir out of a conductive polymer acts an anode (negative electrode) filled with a few drops of the bacteria-containing wastewater liquid.

World՚s most Heat Resistant Material

  • Hafnium carbide (HfC)
  • Withstand record melting point temperatures up to 3958°C (approx 4000°C)
  • New Laser-heating techniques to find temperature at which Tantalum carbide (TaC) and HfC melted
  • Hafnium carbide (HfC) and Tantalum carbide (TaC) are refractory ceramics.
  • They are extraordinarily resistant to heat.
  • Hypersonic aircraft above Mach 5 create high temp by friction

Lost Continent Under Indian Ocean

  • Of the island of Mauritius
  • Leftover by breakup of Gondwana
  • Based on study of Zircon
  • Zircon is 3 billion year old
  • Zircon occur in granite, in trace amount in uranium, thorium & lead

GRAPES-3 telescope to detect Storms

  • In Ootacamund in Tamil Nadu
  • GRAPES-3 (Gamma Ray Astronomy PeV EnergieS phase-3) experiment
  • Detect solar storms
  • propagation of storms from the L1 point (Lagrange point 1)
  • Satellites placed at L1 point to orbit Sun & earth

Examrace Team at Aug 23, 2021