General Science Questions for SSC MTS

Physics — Key Concepts

Physics questions in SSC MTS are basic and focus on everyday phenomena. You will rarely be asked to solve numerical problems. Instead, expect questions like 'what is the SI unit of force' or 'which mirror is used in vehicles.' Focus on laws, units, and real-life applications.

• Newton's First Law: An object stays at rest or in motion unless acted upon by a force. Called Law of Inertia.
• Newton's Second Law: Force = Mass x Acceleration (F = ma).
• Newton's Third Law: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
• Speed of light in vacuum: 3 x 10 power 8 metres per second.
• Sound needs a medium to travel; light does not. Sound cannot travel in vacuum.
• Concave mirror: used in torches, headlights. Convex mirror: used in rear-view mirrors of vehicles.

Chemistry — Acids, Bases, Elements and Compounds

Chemistry questions in SSC MTS usually cover common acids and bases found in daily life, chemical formulas of common substances, and basic periodic table facts. You do not need deep knowledge — just memorize key associations. Think of it as a GK quiz, not a chemistry exam.

• Acid turns blue litmus red. Base turns red litmus blue. Neutral: no change (water).
• pH less than 7 = acidic. pH 7 = neutral. pH more than 7 = basic/alkaline.
• Common acids: Vinegar = Acetic acid. Lemon = Citric acid. Stomach = Hydrochloric acid (HCl). Ant sting = Formic acid.
• Common bases: Baking soda = Sodium bicarbonate. Soap = Sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Lime = Calcium hydroxide.
• Chemical formula of water = H2O. Salt = NaCl. Carbon dioxide = CO2. Ammonia = NH3.
• Gold symbol = Au. Silver = Ag. Iron = Fe. Copper = Cu. Lead = Pb. Sodium = Na. Potassium = K.

Biology — Human Body and Diseases

Biology is the most heavily tested science area in SSC MTS. Questions focus on the human body — organs and their functions, vitamins and deficiency diseases, blood, and common diseases with their causes. Memorize these as simple fact pairs: vitamin — disease — source.

• Vitamin A: Night blindness. Source: Carrot, milk.
• Vitamin B12: Anaemia. Source: Meat, eggs.
• Vitamin C: Scurvy (bleeding gums). Source: Citrus fruits, amla.
• Vitamin D: Rickets (weak bones). Source: Sunlight, fish oil.
• Vitamin K: Blood clotting problems. Source: Green leafy vegetables.
• Largest organ: Skin. Largest internal organ: Liver. Hardest substance in body: Tooth enamel.
• RBC carries oxygen (has haemoglobin). WBC fights infection. Platelets help in clotting.
• Malaria: Plasmodium parasite, spread by female Anopheles mosquito.
• Dengue: Aedes mosquito. Tuberculosis: Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. COVID-19: Coronavirus (virus).

Biology — Cell, Plants and Basic Life Processes

Basic cell biology and plant science is asked occasionally in SSC MTS. Focus on definitions and single-line facts rather than diagrams or processes in depth.

• Cell is the basic unit of life. Smallest cell: Mycoplasma (bacteria). Largest cell: Ostrich egg.
• Photosynthesis: Plants make food using sunlight, CO2, and water. Chlorophyll gives plants green colour.
• Photosynthesis formula: 6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight = C6H12O6 (glucose) + 6O2.
• Respiration: Organisms break down glucose to release energy. Opposite of photosynthesis in gas exchange.
• Mitosis: Cell division for growth. Meiosis: Cell division for reproduction (produces gametes).
• Nucleus controls cell activities. Mitochondria = powerhouse of the cell (makes energy/ATP).

Physics — Light, Sound and Electricity Basics

SSC MTS tests simple real-life applications of light, sound, and electricity. No calculations needed — just know what is used where and why.

• Light travels faster than sound. That is why you see lightning before you hear thunder.
• Total Internal Reflection is the principle behind optical fibre.
• Electric fuse melts and breaks the circuit when current is too high — it protects appliances.
• Ohm's Law: Voltage = Current x Resistance (V = I x R).
• Good conductors: metals like copper and aluminium. Good insulators: rubber, plastic, wood.
• One kilowatt-hour (kWh) = one unit of electricity shown on your electricity bill.

• Confusing Vitamin C with Vitamin D — Vitamin C prevents Scurvy (gums), Vitamin D prevents Rickets (bones). Remember: C for Cuts/gums, D for Dense bones.
• Mixing up concave and convex mirrors — Convex = vehicle rear-view (wide view). Concave = torch/headlight (focused beam).
• Forgetting that sound needs a medium but light does not — aspirants often reverse this in panic.
• Confusing the chemical symbols — Na is Sodium (Natrium in Latin), K is Potassium (Kalium). These trip up many candidates.
• Thinking malaria is caused by a virus — it is caused by Plasmodium, a parasite (protozoan), spread by female Anopheles mosquito not Aedes.

• ABCDEK Vitamins: A=eyesight (A for Ankh/eyes), B=blood, C=Cuts/Scurvy, D=Dense bones/Rickets, E=reproduction, K=Klotting (clotting).
• For chemical symbols of metals remember: FeCu NaK AgAu PbSn — Fe=Iron, Cu=Copper, Na=Sodium, K=Potassium, Ag=Silver, Au=Gold, Pb=Lead, Sn=Tin.
• pH memory trick: Acids are A-low (below 7). Bases are B-high (above 7). 7 is the middle ground — like a balanced see-saw.
• Mitochondria = Powerhouse — just remember your WhatsApp science meme. It really is the energy factory of the cell.

• SSC MTS typically asks 4-6 questions from Biology, 3-4 from Chemistry, and 3-4 from Physics in the GK section. Biology dominates — spend most revision time there.
• Questions are straightforward one-liners: 'Which vitamin deficiency causes night blindness?' or 'What is the chemical formula of table salt?' No tricky application needed.
• Diseases and their causes (bacterial, viral, parasitic) are asked almost every year — know at least 10 common disease-cause pairs.
• Avoid wasting time on deep theory. If you see a long science question in the exam, it is still testing a simple fact — identify the keyword and match it to your memorized fact.
• Recent SSC MTS papers (2021-2023) had questions on: Photosynthesis, Vitamin deficiencies, Newton laws, pH of common substances, parts of human eye and ear — revise these on priority.