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1.Question:Amanwithaloadjumpsfromahighbuilding.Whatwillbetheloadexperiencedbyhim? Answer:Zero,becausewhilefalling,boththemanandtheloadarefallingatthesameaccelerationi.e. accelerationduetogravity. 2.Question:Apieceofchalkwhenimmersedinwateremitsbubbles.Why? Answer:Chalkconsistsofporesformingcapillaries.Whenitisimmersedinwater,thewaterbeginsto riseinthecapillariesandairpresentthereisexpelledintheformofbubbles. 3.Question:Whydoesaliquidremainhotorcoldforalongtimeinsideathermosflask? Answer:Thepresenceofair,apoorconductorofheat,betweenthedoubleglasswallofathermosflask, keepstheliquidhotorcoldinsideaflaskforalongtime. 4.Question:Whydoesaballbounceuponfalling? Answer:Whenaballfalls,itistemporarilydeformed.Becauseofelasticity,theballtendstoregainits originalshapeforwhichitpressesthegroundandbouncesup(NewtonsThirdLawofMotion). 5Question:Whyisstandinginboatsordoubledeckerbusesnotallowed,particularlyintheupperdeck ofbuses? Answer:Ontiltingthecentreofgravityoftheboatorbusisloweredanditislikelytooverturn. 6.Question:Whyisitrecommendedtoaddsalttowaterwhileboilingdal? Answer:Byadditionofsalt,theboiledpointofwatergetsraisedwhichhelpsincookingthedalsooner. 7.Question:Whyisittheboilingpointofseawatermorethanthatofpurewater? Answer:Seawatercontainssalt,andotherimpuritieswhichcauseanelevationinitsboilingpoint. 8.Question:Whyisiteasiertospraywatertowhichsoapisadded? Answer:Additionofsoapdecreasesthesurfacetensionofwater.Theenergyforsprayingisdirectly proportionaltosurfacetension. 9.Question:Whichismoreelastic,rubberorsteel? Answer:Steelismoreelasticforthesamestressproducedcomparedwithrubber. 10.Question:Whyistheskyblue? Answer:Violetandbluelighthaveshortwaveswhicharescatteredmorethanredlightwaves.While redlightgoesalmoststraightthroughtheatmosphere,blueandvioletlightarescatteredbyparticlesin theatmosphere.Thus,weseeabluesky. 11.Question:WhyDoesinkleakoutofpartiallyfilledpenwhentakentoahigheraltitude? Answer:Aswegoup,thepressureanddensityofairgoesondecreasing.APartiallyfilledpenleaks whentakentoahigheraltitudebecausethepressureofairactingontheinkinsidethetubeofthepen isgreaterthanthepressureoftheairoutside. 12.Question:Onthemoon,willtheweightofamanbelessormorethanhisweightontheearth? Answer:Thegravityofthemoonisone-sixththatoftheearth;hencetheweightofapersononthe surfaceofthemoonwillbeone-sixthofhisactualweightonearth.

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13.Question:Whydosomeliquidburnwhileothersdonot? Answer:Aliquidburnsifitsmoleculescancombinewithoxygenintheairwiththeproductionofheat. Hence,oilburnsbutwaterdoesnot. 14.Question:Whycanweseeourselvesinamirror? Answer:Weseeobjectswhenlightraysfromthemreachoureyes.Asmirrorshaveashinysurface,the lightraysarereflectedbacktousandenteroureyes. 15.Question:Whydoesasolidchunkofironsinkinwaterbutfloatinmercury? Answer:Becausethedensityofironismorethanthatofwaterbuslessthanthatofmercury. 16.Question:Whyiscookingquickerinapressurecooker? Answer:Asthepressureinsidethecookerincreases,theboilingpointofwaterisraised,hence,the cookingprocessisquicker. 17.Question:Whenwoodburnsitcrackles.Explain? Answer:Woodcontainsacomplexmixtureofgasesandtarformingvaporstrappedunderitssurface. Thesegasesandtarvaporsescape,makingacrackingsound. 18.Question:Whydostarstwinkle? Answer:Thelightfromastarreachesusafterrefractionasitpassesthroughvariouslayersofair.When thelightpassesthroughtheearth?satmosphere,itismadetoflickerbythehotandcoldripplesofair anditappearsasifthestarsaretwinkling. 19.Question:Whyisiteasiertorollabarrelthantopullit? Answer:Becausetherollingforceoffrictionislessthanthedynamicforceofslidingfriction. 20.Question:Ifafeather,awoodenballandasteelballfallsimultaneouslyinavacuum,whichoneof thesewouldfallfaster? Answer:Allwillfallatthesamespeedinvacuumbecausetherewillbenoairresistanceandtheearth?s gravitywillexertasimilargravitationalpullonall. 21.Question:Whenamanfiresagun,heispushedbackslightly.Why? Answer:Asthebulletleavesthenozzleofthegun?sbarrelwithmomentuminaforwarddirection,as perNewtonsThirdLawofMotion,theejectionimpartstothegunasequalmomentuminabackward direction. 22.Question:Icewrappedinablanketorsawdustdoesnotmeltquickly.Why? Answer:Bothwoodandwoolarebadconductorsofheat.Theydonotpermitheatraystoreachtheice easily. 23.Question:Whydoweperspireonahotday? Answer:Whenthebodytemperaturerises,thesweatglandsarestimulatedtosecreteperspiration.It isnatureswaytokeepthebodycool.Duringtheprocessofevaporationofsweat,bodyheatistaken away,thusgivingasenseofcoolness.

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24.Question:Whydoesicefloatonwaterbutsinkinalcohol? Answer:Becauseiceislighterthanwateritfloatsonit.However,iceisheavierthanalcoholand thereforeitsinksinalcohol. 25.Question:Whydoweperspirebeforerains? Answer:Beforetherainfalls,theatmospheregetssaturatedwithwatervapors;asaresult,theprocess ofevaporationofsweatisdelayed. 26.Question:Whydoesathermometerkeptinboilingwatershownochangeinreadingafter1000C? Answer:Theboilingpointofwateris1000C.Oncewaterstartsboilingatthistemperature,thermometer recordsnochangeintemperature.Thequantityofheatsuppliedisbeingutilizedaslatentheatof evaporationtoconvertthewateratboilingpointintovapour. 27.Question:Whydowebringourhandsclosetothemouthwhileshoutingacrosstosomeonefar away? Answer:Bykeepinghandsclosetomouththesoundisnotallowedtospread(Phenomenonof diffractionofsound)inalldirection,butisdirectedtoaparticulardirectionandbecomeslouder. 28.Question:Whydoesacorkedbottlefilledwithwaterburstifleftoutonafrostynight? Answer:Becauseoflowtemperaturethewaterinsidethebottlefreezes.Onfreezingitexpands,thereby itsvolumeincreasesandpressureisexertedonthewalls. 29.Question:Whyisasmallgapleftatthejointbetweentworails? Answer:Topermitexpansionofrailsduetoheatgeneratedbyfrictionofamovingtrain. 30.Question:Whycannotacopperwirebeusedtomakeelementsinelectricheater? Answer:Coppermeltsat108.30Candformsablackpowderonreactingwithatmosphericoxygen.For heaterelementsametalshouldhavemoreresistancetoproduceheat. 31.Question:Whyarewaterormercurydropletsalwaysroundwhendroppedonacleanglass? Answer:Thesurfaceofaliquidistheseatofaspecialforceasaresultofwhichmoleculesonthe surfaceareboundtogethertoformsomethinglikeastretchedmembrane.Theytendtocompressthe moleculesbelowtothesmallestpossiblevolume,whichcausesthedroptotakearoundshapeasfora givenmasshespherehasminimumvolume. 32.Question:Whydoesaballoonfilledwithhydrogenriseintheair? Answer:Weightofhydrogenislessthantheweightofairdisplacedbyit.Inballoonshydrogenis normallyfilledbecauseitislighterthanair. 33.Question:Whydoweleanforwardwhileclimbingahill? Answer:Inordertokeepstheverticallinepassingthroughourcentreofgravityalwaysbetweenour feet,whichisessentialtoattainequilibriumorstability. 34.Question:Whydoessmokecurlupintheair? Answer:Smokecontainshotgaseswhichbeinglighterinweight,followsacurvedpathbecauseofthe eddycurrentsthataresetupintheair.

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35.Question:Whydoesanelectricbulbexplodewhenitisbroken? Answer:Thebulbencompassespartialvacuumandasitbreaks,airrushesincausingasmallexplosion. 36.Question:Whydoesamanfallforwardwhenhejumpsoutofarunningtrainorbus? Answer:Heisinmotionwhileinthetrainorbus.Whenhejumpsout,hisfeetcomestorestwhile touchingthegroundbuthisupperportionwhichisstillinmotionpropelshimforward. 37.Question:Whydoesanordinaryglasstumblercrackwhenveryhotteaormilkispouredinit? Answer:Whenahotliquidispouredintoatumbler,theinnerlayerofthetumblergetsheated,it expandsbeforetheouterlayerandanunequalexpansionofbothlayerscausesthetumblertocrack. 38.Question:Whyisacompassusedasanindicatorofdirection? Answer:Themagneticneedlesofacompassundertheinfluenceftheearth?smagneticfieldlieina north-southdirection.Hence,wecanidentifydirection. 39.Question:Whyiswaterfromahandpumpwarminwinterandcoldinsummer? Answer:Inwinter,theoutsidetemperatureislowerthanthatofwaterflowingoutofthepump,and therefore,thewateriswarm.Whereasinsummer,theoutsidetemperatureishigherthanthewaterof thepump,andtherefore,itfeelscold. 41.Question:Whyisarainbowseenafterashower? Answer:Afterashower,thecloudscontainingwaterdropletsactlikeaprismthroughwhichthewhite lightisdispersedproducingaspectrum. 42.Question:Whydoesaswimmingpoolappearlessdeepthanisactuallyis? Answer:Theraysoflightcomingfromthebottomofthepoolpassfromadensermedium(water)toa rarermedium(air)andarerefracted(bendawayfromthenormal).Whentheraysreturntothesurface, theyformanimageofthebottomofthepoolatapoint,whichislittleabovetherealposition. 43.Question:Whyisone?sbreathvisibleinwinterbutnotinsummer? Answer:Inwinter,watervaporcontainedinthebreathcondensesintosmalldroplets,whichbecome visiblebutinsummertheyarequicklyevaporatedandnotseen. 44.Question:Whydoesn?ttheelectricfilamentinanelectricbulbburnup? Answer:Firstly,becauseismadeoftungstenwhichhasaveryhighmeltingpoint(34100C)whereasthe temperatureofthefilamentrequiredtoglowisonly2700oC.Secondly,oxygenisabsentsincethebulb isfilledwithaninertgaswhichdoesnothelpinburning. 45.Question:Whydoesblottingpaperabsorbink? Answer:Blottingpaperhasfinepores,whichactlikecapillaries.Whenaportionofblottingpaperis broughtincontactwithink,inkenterstheporesduetosurfacetension(capillaryactionfliquids)andis absorbed. 46.Question:Whydoesasmallironsinkinwaterbutalargeshipfloat? Answer:Theweightofwaterdisplacedbyanironballislessthanitsownweight,whereaswater displacedbytheimmersedportionofashipisequaltoitsweight(Archimedes?Principle).

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47.Question:Whydoesicefloatonwater? Answer:Theweightoftheiceblockisequaltotheweightoftheliquiddisplacedbytheimmersed portionoftheice. 48.Question:Whydoesmoisturegatheroutsideatumblercontainingcoldwater? Answer:Thewatervapourintheaircondensesoncoolingandappearsasdropletsofwater. 49.Question:Whydoeskerosenefloatonwater? Answer:Becausethedensityofkeroseneislessthanthatofwater.Forthesamereasoncreamrisesin milkandfloatsatthetop. 50.Question:Whyisthewaterinanopenpondcoolevenonahotsummerday? Answer:Asthewaterevaporatesfromtheopensurfaceofapond,heatistakenawayintheprocess, leavingthesurfacecool.

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