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medium importance~1 Q in Tier 127 formulas⚑ 12 shortcuts6 subtopics

SI units and instruments, laws of motion, gravitation, fluids, heat, sound, light, electricity, EM waves, nuclear physics and famous inventions. CGL asks 1-2 questions β€” mostly units, instruments and 'which principle explains this everyday effect'.

Track record in the exam

avg 1.5 Q / shift2024: 1–2 Q2025: 1–2 Q

Questions per shift in recent SSC CGL papers.

Test difficulty mix (121 questions)

53 easy61 medium7 hard

Question patterns exams keep repeating

Taken from previous-year papers. If a pattern is marked "very common", expect to see it in your exam.

SI unit of a quantity

very common

"The SI unit of magnetic flux / pressure / power is..."

Learn the unit names: newton = force, joule = energy, watt = power, pascal = pressure, hertz = frequency.

Weber = magnetic flux, tesla = magnetic field. Light year is distance; kWh is energy.

Example

What is the SI unit of magnetic flux?

Magnetic flux = field Γ— area

Its unit is the weber (Wb)

Tesla is the unit of magnetic field, not flux

Weber

Learn this in β€œSI units, conversions and measuring instruments” β†’

Instrument and what it measures

very common

"Which instrument measures humidity / wind / earthquakes?"

Use the root word: hygro = moisture, baro = pressure, anemo = wind, seismo = earthquake, lacto = milk.

Example

Which instrument measures the humidity of air?

"Hygro" means moisture

So the instrument measures moisture in air

It is the hygrometer

Hygrometer

Learn this in β€œSI units, conversions and measuring instruments” β†’

Everyday effect and its law

very common

A daily-life effect (rocket, hydraulic brakes, floating ship) is given, with laws as options.

Match the story to the law.

Rocket or gun recoil = Newton's third law; enclosed liquid = Pascal; floating = Archimedes; fast air, low pressure = Bernoulli.

Example

Hydraulic brakes work on which principle?

Brake fluid is enclosed in pipes

Pressure added at one end spreads equally in the liquid

A small push on the pedal gives a big force at the brakes

This is Pascal's law

Learn this in β€œMotion, gravitation, work-energy, fluids and levers” β†’

Inventor or discoverer

very common

"Who discovered the neutron?" or "who invented the telephone?"

Electron = Thomson, proton = Goldstein, neutron = Chadwick, nucleus = Rutherford, X-rays = RΓΆntgen.

Telephone = Bell, radio = Marconi, bulb = Edison, TV = Baird.

Example

Who discovered the neutron?

The neutron is a particle with no charge

It sits in the nucleus

It was found in 1932 by Chadwick

James Chadwick

Learn this in β€œNuclear physics, inventions and scientists” β†’

Eye defects and lenses

very common

"Myopia is corrected by..." or "which mirror is used as a rear-view mirror?"

Myopia = concave lens. Hypermetropia = convex lens.

Rear-view mirror is convex. Shaving mirror and torch use a concave mirror.

Example

Myopia (short-sightedness) is corrected by which lens?

In myopia the image forms in front of the retina

A diverging lens pushes it back onto the retina

A diverging lens is a concave lens

Concave lens

Learn this in β€œLight β€” mirrors, lenses, eye, dispersion and scattering” β†’

Simple numericals

very common

A one-step sum: lens power, parallel resistors, units of electricity, or speed conversion.

Lens power P = 1/f (f in metres). Parallel resistors: 1/R = 1/R₁ + 1/Rβ‚‚.

kWh = watts Γ— hours Γ· 1000. To change km/h to m/s, multiply by 5/18.

Example

Two resistors of 6 Ξ© and 3 Ξ© are joined in parallel. Find the equivalent resistance.

1/R = 1/6 + 1/3

= 1/6 + 2/6 = 3/6 = 1/2

So R = 2

The equivalent resistance is 2 Ξ©

Learn this in β€œElectricity, magnetism and the EM spectrum” β†’

Sound properties

common

"Sound cannot travel through..." or "pitch depends on..."

Sound needs a medium and cannot travel in a vacuum.

Pitch depends on frequency; loudness depends on amplitude. Audible range is 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

Example

The pitch of a sound depends on its what?

A higher frequency gives a shriller sound

So pitch follows frequency

Amplitude decides loudness, not pitch

Frequency

Learn this in β€œHeat, temperature and sound” β†’

Your next step

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