Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
DSL is a point to point public
network access technology that faci-
litates multiple forms of data, voice,
and video to be carried over twisted
pair copper wire on the local loop
between a network service providers
central office and the customer site.
Fibre Optics
Fibre optics refers to a method of
directing light down a very thin
glass fibre. Fibre optics are used
mainly in communication. They also
find their application in theatre in
star clothes with the ends of optical
fibres poked through in order to
produce a mass of pin pricks of light.
GEOGRAPHY
Arctic Circle
The imaginary circular line
parallel to the equator at a latitude of
66 32 N which forms the boundary
around the area of the north pole. The
area of the Earth that lies within this
line is also called arctic circle.
Antarctic Circle
The imaginary circular line
parallel to the equator at a latitude of
66 32 S which forms the boundary
around the area of South pole. The
area of the earth lying within this
line, around south pole, is called
Antarctica Circle.
Anticyclones
It is a high pressure system in
which the winds blow spirally out-
ward in the opposite direction to that
of the earths rotation. The winds
direction is clockwise in the northern
hemisphere and counter-clockwise
in the southern hemisphere. Anti-
cyclones are generally associated
with calm and settled. Since the air is
warm and compressed the sky is
generally clear and the frost occurs in
the morning.
Birth Rate
The Crude Birth rate is
Number of total births
1000
Total Population
Blood Rain
Blood rain refers to a rain which
is red in colour and leaves a red stain.
On the ground the red colour is due
to imprisonment of drops in dust
particles carried along in the upper
air from a desert often over long
distances.
PD/August/2007/265 For every disciplined effort there is a multiple reward.
Cold Desert
A comet is a bright ball of light
Cold desert refers to an ice sheet
of Arctic and Antarctic regions
where, because of low temperature
vegetation is deficient.
Quasars
CHEMISTRY
Baking Powder
Baking soda is sodium hydrogen
carbonate (NaHCO 3 ). Crystals of
sodium hydrogen carbonate are white
in colour and sparingly soluble in
water. When heated NaHCO3 gives
carbon dioxide. Hence, used as a
constituent of baking powder. It is
also used as an antacid, an additive in
food and drinks and in fire exting-
uishers.
Bleaching Powder
Chemically it is calcium
oxychloride (CaOCl2). It is manu-
factured by the action of chlorine on
dry slaked lime [Ca(OH)2].
Ca(OH)2 + Cl2 CaOCl2 + H2O
It is yellowish white powder
which smells of chlorine and gradu-
ally loses its chlorine when exposed
to air. It is used as a bleaching agent,
oxidising agent and in disinfecting
drinking water.
Rust
When iron is exposed to moist
air for a long period of time, its
surface acquires a coating of a brown,
flaky substance called rust. Rust is
hydrated iron (III) oxide [Fe2O3 .
xH2O].
Soap
Soaps are sodium or potassium
salts of higher fatty acids, such as
oleic acid (C17 H 33 COOH), strearic
acid (C17 H 35 COOH), palmitic acid
(C15H31COOH) etc. The sodium salts
are called hard soaps whereas the
potassium salts are called soft soaps.
PHYSICS
Cryogenic Engine
It is an engine used in space
crafts, in which liquefied oxygen and
liquefied hydrogen are used as
fuels. It is used in the last stage of
geosynchronous satellite launch
vehicle for establishing the satellites
in the geosynchronous transfer orbit
of earth.
Comet
with a glowing tail. The head of a
comet is composed of rock particles,
dust, ice, water, methane, ammonia,
etc.
Quasar is an abbreviated form
of quasi stellar radio sources. They
are bright source of light consisting of
heavenly bodies like stars which emit
radio waves much stronger than a
radio galaxy.
Meteors
Meteors are the streaks of light in
the sky visible only for a few
moments. They are also called shoot-
ing stars. Sometimes they are dust
particles and sometimes pieces of
asteroids which while approaching
the earth burn due to the friction of
air/atmosphere and produce light.
AGRICULTURE
Relay CroppingIt refers to
growing of two or more annual
crop(s) concurrently on the same
piece of land in a manner that the
succeeding crop is sown/planted
before the preceding crop is
harvested or reaches maturity or
flowering.
. Harvest Index (HI)Harvest
Index is the proportion of
biological yield (total dry matter
accumulation) represented by
eco-nomic yield (volume/weight
of plant organs of economic/
agricultural value) expressed in
percentage.
Economic Yield
HI = 100
Biological Yield
(excluding root weight)
Food ChainFood chain is the
transfer of food energy from the
source in green plants through a
series of organisms with repeated
eating and being eaten by either
predators or parasites or sapro-
phytes.
Cropping SystemCropping
system denotes the cropping
patterns used on a farm and their
interactions with farm resources,
other farm enterprises and avai-
lable technology.
ClimatologyClimatology is the
branch of science, which deals
with facts/knowledge related to
climate. P.Darpan