Q5556/100Q57

Q56·GS Paper 1 · Prelims 2023

Objects in space — Cepheids, Nebulae, Pulsars and their descriptions

S&TSpace Technology & AstronomyHow-many counting● MediumStatic

Question

Consider the following pairs: Objects in space Description

1Cepheids : Giant clouds of dust and gas in space

2Nebulae : Stars which brighten and dim periodically

3Pulsars : Neutron stars that are formed when massive stars run out of fuel and collapse

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Options

Only one

Only two

All three

None

Answer

Explanation

None are correctly matched. Pairs 1 and 2 are swapped: Cepheids are pulsating stars that brighten and dim, while Nebulae are giant clouds of dust and gas. Pair 3 is incorrect because the description provided is the generic definition of a neutron star, whereas a Pulsar is specifically a highly magnetized, rapidly rotating neutron star emitting electromagnetic beams.

Be hyper-vigilant when definitions closely match but lack the specific defining characteristic (e.g., a pulsar must pulse/rotate, not just be a collapsed core).

Answer: (d).

Question details

Year

2023

Paper

GS Paper 1

Question

Q56

Subject

Science & Technology

Sub-topic

Space Technology & Astronomy

Type

How-many counting

Difficulty

Medium

Nature

Static

Source hint

NCERT Physics Cl.12 / Astrophysical Objects & Pulsar Collapse

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