General Science / Physics Questions for SSC MTS

Newton's Laws of Motion

Newton's three laws form the foundation of mechanics and appear in almost every SSC MTS paper. The first law says objects don't change motion unless a force acts (inertia). The second law links force to acceleration — the bigger the force, the faster something speeds up. The third law is action-reaction: every push gets an equal push back. Think of a rocket: it pushes gas down, gas pushes rocket up. These laws explain everyday things like why you lurch forward when a bus brakes suddenly, or why a heavy object needs more push to move than a light one.

• First Law (Inertia): An object at rest stays at rest, object in motion stays in motion unless external force acts
• Second Law: Force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma); heavier objects need more force to accelerate
• Third Law: Action and reaction are equal and opposite; occur on different objects
• Inertia is the resistance of an object to change its state of motion
• Weight is the force of gravity on an object; mass is the amount of matter

Work, Energy, and Power

Work is done when a force moves an object in the direction of that force. Energy is the capacity to do work. There are two main types: kinetic (motion) and potential (stored). Power is how fast work is done. In SSC MTS, questions often ask about calculating work, identifying energy types in real situations, or comparing power of different machines. A key idea: energy is conserved — it changes form but doesn't disappear. When you lift a ball, you give it potential energy; when it falls, that converts to kinetic energy.

• Work = Force × Distance (only the component of force in direction of motion counts)
• Kinetic Energy: energy of motion; increases with speed squared
• Potential Energy: stored energy due to position or state
• Power: rate of doing work; measured in Watts (W) = Joules per second
• Energy Conservation: total energy in a closed system remains constant; transforms between forms
• Efficiency: useful work output / total energy input × 100%

Simple Machines

Simple machines are tools that make work easier by reducing the force needed or increasing distance. The six types are: lever, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, screw, and wheel-axle. SSC MTS loves asking about mechanical advantage — how many times a machine multiplies your effort. A lever with a long arm gives high advantage. A pulley system with multiple ropes shares the load. The trade-off: you apply less force but move through greater distance. No machine is 100% efficient; friction always costs energy.

• Mechanical Advantage (MA): ratio of load to effort; tells you how many times a machine multiplies force
• Lever: rigid bar pivoting on fulcrum; three classes based on position of load, effort, and fulcrum
• Pulley: changes direction of force; multiple pulleys reduce effort needed
• Inclined Plane: reduces force needed to lift by spreading work over longer distance
• Efficiency always less than 100% due to friction; ideal MA assumes no friction
• Velocity Ratio: distance moved by effort / distance moved by load

Light: Reflection and Refraction

Light travels in straight lines and bounces off mirrors (reflection) or bends when entering different materials (refraction). Reflection follows a simple rule: angle of incidence equals angle of reflection, both measured from the normal (perpendicular to surface). Refraction happens because light slows down in denser materials. A straw in water looks bent because light bends at the water-air boundary. Mirrors form images: plane mirrors give upright virtual images same size as object; curved mirrors can magnify. SSC MTS asks about mirror types, image properties, and everyday examples.

• Reflection: light bounces off surface; angle of incidence = angle of reflection (measured from normal)
• Refraction: light bends when entering a denser or less dense medium; follows Snell's Law
• Plane Mirror: forms virtual, upright, same-size image at same distance behind mirror
• Concave Mirror: converging; can form real or virtual images depending on object position
• Convex Mirror: diverging; always forms virtual, upright, diminished image
• Refractive Index: measure of how much a material slows light; higher index means more bending

Heat and Temperature

Temperature measures how fast particles move; heat is energy transfer from hot to cold. They're not the same: a cup of hot water has higher temperature but less total heat than a swimming pool of warm water. Heat flows three ways: conduction (direct contact), convection (movement of fluids), and radiation (electromagnetic waves). Specific heat capacity tells you how much energy is needed to raise temperature of a substance. Thermal expansion: most materials expand when heated, which is why bridges have gaps and power lines sag in summer.

• Temperature: measure of average kinetic energy of particles; measured in Celsius or Kelvin
• Heat: energy transfer from higher to lower temperature; measured in Joules or calories
• Conduction: heat transfer through direct contact (metal spoon in hot tea)
• Convection: heat transfer by movement of fluids (boiling water, air currents)
• Radiation: heat transfer by electromagnetic waves (sunlight, no medium needed)
• Specific Heat Capacity: energy needed to raise 1 kg of substance by 1°C

Electricity and Magnetism

Electric current is flow of electrons through a circuit. Voltage (potential difference) pushes electrons; resistance opposes flow. Ohm's Law connects all three: V = IR. A battery provides voltage; wires and components have resistance. Current flows from positive to negative terminal outside the battery. Magnetism is produced by moving charges (current) or permanent magnets. A magnetic field exerts force on moving charges, which is why motors work. SSC MTS asks about circuit basics, series vs parallel, and simple electromagnet concepts.

• Electric Current: flow of charge; measured in Amperes (A); conventional current flows positive to negative
• Voltage (Potential Difference): energy per unit charge; measured in Volts (V)
• Resistance: opposition to current flow; measured in Ohms (Ω); depends on material, length, and cross-section
• Series Circuit: components in single path; same current through all; voltages add
• Parallel Circuit: components in multiple paths; same voltage across all; currents add
• Electromagnet: coil of wire carrying current produces magnetic field; stronger with more coils or higher current

• Confusing mass and weight: Mass is constant everywhere (measured in kg); weight changes with gravity (measured in N). On Moon, mass stays same but weight is 1/6th of Earth weight.
• Thinking work is done whenever force is applied: Work requires motion in the direction of force. Holding a heavy box still does zero work even though you're tired.
• Assuming all mirrors form real images: Only concave mirrors can form real images (when object is beyond focal point). Plane and convex mirrors always form virtual images.
• Mixing up temperature and heat: A small cup of boiling water (high temperature) has less heat energy than a large pool of lukewarm water (lower temperature). Heat depends on mass and temperature.
• Forgetting that efficiency is always less than 100%: Real machines lose energy to friction. Ideal mechanical advantage is theoretical; actual MA is always lower.

• Newton's Laws: INF = Inertia, Newton's 2nd, Force-reaction. Or remember F=ma as 'Force Makes Acceleration'.
• Energy types: KE is when things move (Kinetic = motion), PE is when things are up high (Potential = position). KE = (1/2)mv² has the 1/2 because only half the mass times velocity squared matters.
• Mirrors: Plane gives upright, Concave can magnify (like makeup mirror), Convex is wide-angle (car side mirror).
• Heat transfer: CoCo-Ra = Conduction, Convection, Radiation. Conduction is Contact, Convection is Current/movement, Radiation is Rays.
• Circuits: Series = Single path (like beads on one string), Parallel = Multiple paths (like lanes on a highway).

• SSC MTS Physics is 10th-level, not competitive. Expect straightforward questions on definitions, simple calculations, and real-life applications. No complex derivations or advanced topics.
• Newton's Laws and Work-Energy appear in almost every paper (1-2 questions each). Master these first for quick marks.
• Simple Machines questions often show a diagram and ask for mechanical advantage or efficiency. Know the six types and their advantages.
• Light and Heat questions are usually conceptual: 'Why does a straw look bent in water?' or 'Which mirror is used in car headlights?' Memorize properties of mirrors and heat transfer methods.
• Electricity questions focus on Ohm's Law and circuit basics. A typical question: 'A 10Ω resistor is connected to a 5V battery. Find current.' Use V=IR directly. Series-parallel questions are common but straightforward.
• Time management: Physics is usually 5-8 questions out of 100. Spend 8-10 minutes max. Read carefully — many questions test understanding, not calculation speed.