TNPSC - General knowledge Questions and Answers English Series - 54

Physics and Chemistry

• Archimedes—Invention of the famous Archimedean law, discovery of the principles of lever and specific gravity.
• Avogadro—An Italian scientists known for Avogadro’s hypothesis.
• Bacquarrel—Radio-activity of uranium.
• Baird J.L.—Television.
• Benjamin Franklin—Lightning conductor.
• Bhabha H.J.—Research in cosmic rays and quantum theory.
• Binet—Intelligence tests.
• Bose, J.C.—Crescograph.
• Bose, S.N.—Discovery of nuclear particles ‘Boson’.
• Bohr—Electron Theory, Atomic structure.
• Bunsen—Spectroscope.
• Bushwell—Submarine.
• Carothers—Nylon Plastics.
• Cavendish—Discovery of hydrogen, rare gases, chemical composition of water.
• Charles Darwin—Theory of Evolution; Origin of Species.
• Curie, Madame—Radium.
• Dalton—Law of partial pressures; Atomic theory; laws of chemical combination; the law of multiple proportions.
• Democritus—(Greek Philosopher)—Atomic theory.
• Dewar—Thermos flask.
• Einstein—Theory of relativity.
• Euclid—Science of geometry.
• Fahrenheit—Fahrenheit mercury thermometric scale in which freezing point is—32° and boiling point is 212°.
• Farady—Electromagnetic induction and laws of electrolysis.
• Fermi—Artificial splitting of atoms.
• Freud—Psycho-analysis.
• Gay Lussac—Law of gases.
• Herschel. William—Discovered the planet Uranus.
• Hertz—Electrical waves.
• Hoffman—Aniline dye.
• Kelvin, Lord—Dynamic theory of heat.
• Khorana, Dr. Hargovind—Interpretation of genetic code.
• Lawrence—Invention of cyclotron.
• Lee de Forest—Talkies, radio, telephone.
• Lockyer—Helium gas.
• Louis Braille—Discovered and perfected his system of reading and writing for the blind.
• Marconi—Wireless telegraphy, radio.
• Maxwell—Electromagnetic theory of light.
• Mendel—Laws of heredity.
• Mendeleev—Periodic table.
• Millikan, R.A.—Cosmic rays.
• Newton—Laws of Motion, laws of gravitation.
• Nobel—Dynamite.
• Otto Hahn—Discovery of uranium fission.
• Planck—Quantum theory.
• Priestley—Discovery of oxygen.
• Raman C.V.—‘Raman Effect’.
• Ramnathan—Molecular scattering of light in fluids.
• Ramanujam—A great Indian mathematician.
• Ramsay—Discovery of inert gases like Argon, Helium, Neon etc.
• Robert Mallet—Seismograph.
• Roger Bacon—Discovery of gun powder.
• Rontgen—Discovery of X-rays.
• Rutherford—Succeeded in splitting the atom for the first time.
• Stephenson—British engineer-to put locomotive on the line.
• Thomson J.J.—Discovered electron.
• Urey—Discovery of Heavy Hydrogen.
• Volta—Current electricity and electric battery.
• Wadia D.N.—Meteorology.
• Ykawa. Hideki—Meson.

Pioneers in Mechanical Inventions and Discoveries

• Austin—Motor car.
• Baird J.L.—Television.
• Bell, Graham—Telephone.
• Broquet—Helicopter.
• Gutenburg—Printing Press.
• Colt—Revolver.
• Daimler—Gas engine, Automobile.
• Davy—Miner’s Safety Lamp.
• Diesel—Internal combustion.
• Edison—First electric bulb and gramophone.
• Faraday—Dynamo.
• Frank Whittle—Jet propulsion.
• Franklin Benjamin—Lightning conductor.
• Lippershe—Telescope.
• James Puckle—Machine Gun.
• Hoe—Rotary Printing Press.
• James Watt—Steam engine (1769).
• Macmillan—Bicycle (1842).
• Mergenthaler—Linotype.
• Montgolfer—Balloon (1883).
• R.A. Watson Watt—Radar.
• Sholes—Typewriter.
• Stephenson—Railway engine.
• Swinton—Military tank.
• Torricelli—Barometer.
• W. & O. Wright—Aeroplane.
• Waterman—Fountain pen.
• Whittle, Frank—Jet propulsion.
• Zeis—Lenses, Camera.

Medical Inventions & Discoveries

• Banting—Insulin (a cure for diabetes).
• Bernard Christian—Replacing the human heart.
• Brahmchari, U.M.—Cure of Kala-a-zar fever.
• Domagk—Sulpha drugs as bactericides.
• Fleming Alexander—Penicillin (in 1929).
• Harvey—Circulation of blood.
• Hahnemann—Founder of Homeopathy.
• Hopkins. F.G.—Vitamin D.
• Jenner—Smallpox Vaccination.
• Koch Robert—Tubercle Bacillus.
• Lainnec—Stethoscope.
• Lister, Lord—Antiseptic surgery.
• Pasteur Louis—Treatment of rabies; cure of hydrophobia.
• Ronald Ross—Malaria parasite.
• Salk Jonas E.—Anti-polio. Vaccine.
• Simpson and Harrison—Chloroform.
• Wakesman—Streptomycin.

Geographical Discoveries

• Amundsen—Discovered South Pole in Dec. 14, 1911.
• Armstrong, Neil A.—(U.S.A.) First person to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969.
• Cabot Sebastian—Discovered New Found land in 1497.
• Columbus Christopher—Discovered America in 1492 and South America in 1498.
• Copernicus—Discovered solar system in 1540. He propounded the astronomical system which bears his name.
• Edmund Hillary—Conquered Mt. Everest on May 29, 1953, along with Sherpa Tenzing.
• Ferdinand de Lesseps—Conceived the plan of the Suez Canal on which work was completed in 1969.
• Henry Hundson—Discovered Hudson Bay in 1610.
• Kepler—Discovered the Laws of Planetary Motion in 1609.
• Magellan—Sailed round the World in 1519.
• Marco Polo—A Venetian Traveller who explored China (in 1272) India. South—eastern countries.
• Peary, Robert—Discovered North Pole in 1909.
• Tabei Mrs. Junko—She is the first-ever woman to climb Mt. Everest on May 16, 1975.
• Tasman—Dutch navigator, discovered the Tasmania Island and New Zealand in 1649.
• Vasco-De-Gama—The Portuguese sailor rounded the Cape of Good Hope and discovered sea route to India and reached Calicut (now Khozikhode) in 1498.