PPSC Everyday Science Past Paper 2016 Solved MCQs with Answers
Solved Everyday Science MCQs from the PPSC 2016 past paper, each with the correct answer and a clear explanation. Ideal practice for PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS and PMS. All questions are extracted from the actual 2016 paper and verified before publication.
Water stored in a dam possesses what type of energy?
Water held behind a dam has potential energy by virtue of its height, which is converted to kinetic energy as it falls through the turbines.
A gamma ray is best described as:
A gamma ray is a photon, a packet of electromagnetic energy emitted by an unstable nucleus.
All forms of energy that we use are ultimately transformed into:
Every energy transfer ends as heat, which is why no machine can be perfectly efficient.
Chemical energy is stored in:
A dry cell stores chemical energy, released as electrical energy when the circuit is closed.
Which element is required for solar energy conversion?
Silicon is the semiconductor used in solar cells.
Hydropower energy is harnessed from:
Hydropower comes from water held in dams or flowing in rivers.
Wind energy describes the process by which:
Wind energy is the generation of electricity from moving air, using turbines.
Biomass energy comes from:
Biomass is organic matter from plants or animals, which regrows and so counts as renewable.
How many planets are there in our solar system?
There are 8 planets, since Pluto was reclassified in 2006.
In which year did the International Astronomical Union (IAU) downgrade Pluto to a 'dwarf planet'?
The International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006.
Which 4 planets are inner rocky / terrestrial planets?
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are the inner rocky, or terrestrial, planets.
Which planets are classified as gas giants?
Jupiter and Saturn are the gas giants, made mostly of hydrogen and helium.
Which planets are classified as ice giants?
Uranus and Neptune are the ice giants, holding heavier volatiles such as water, ammonia and methane.
How many planets can be seen from Earth without a telescope?
Five planets can be seen with the naked eye: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
Which is the smallest planet in our solar system?
Mercury is the smallest planet, since Pluto was reclassified.
Which planet is closest to the Sun?
Mercury is closest to the sun.
How long does one year on Mercury take in Earth days?
Mercury completes its orbit in 88 earth days.
How long does one day on Mercury take (rotation with respect to stars)?
Mercury turns once on its axis in about 59 earth days.
How many moons does Mercury have?
Mercury has no moons.
Which spacecraft was the first to orbit the innermost planet (Mercury)?
MESSENGER, which arrived in 2011, was the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury. Mariner 10 only flew past.
Which is the hottest planet in the solar system?
Venus is the hottest planet, at about 465 degrees Celsius, because its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere traps the heat. Mercury is closer to the sun but has almost no atmosphere.
Which planet is known as Earth's twin?
Venus is called Earth's twin, being close to it in size and mass.
Which planet is known as the morning star?
Venus is the morning star, and also the evening star, since it is visible near sunrise or sunset.
Which is the brightest planet visible from Earth?
Venus is the brightest planet in our sky, its clouds reflecting most of the sunlight that falls on them.
How long does one day on Venus last in Earth days?
One day on Venus lasts 243 earth days, longer than its own year.
Venus's atmosphere is mostly composed of:
Venus has an atmosphere of carbon dioxide with clouds of sulphuric acid.
Venus is one of just two planets that rotate from east to west. The other is:
Venus and Uranus turn from east to west, the reverse of the other planets.
Earth is the ___ planet from the Sun.
Earth is the third planet from the sun.
How long does Earth take to complete one orbit around the Sun?
Earth orbits the sun in about 365.25 days, which is why we add a leap day every fourth year.
In which direction does the Earth rotate around its axis?
The earth rotates from west to east, which is why the sun appears to rise in the east.
Earth is composed of how many main layers?
The earth has three main layers: the crust, the mantle and the core.
What is the composition of Earth's atmosphere?
The atmosphere is about 78 per cent nitrogen, 21 per cent oxygen and 1 per cent other gases.
How many natural satellites (moons) does Earth have?
Earth has one natural satellite, the Moon.
Earth is also called the:
Earth is called the blue planet, since water covers about 71 per cent of its surface.
What causes the seasons on Earth?
The seasons are caused by the tilt of the earth's axis as it orbits the sun, not by its changing distance from it.
What is 'aphelion'?
Aphelion is the point at which the earth is farthest from the sun, reached in early July.
Which is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust?
Oxygen is the most abundant element in the earth's crust, at about 46 per cent by mass.
Mars is the ___ planet from the Sun.
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun.
Why is Mars called the Red Planet?
Mars looks red because the iron in its soil has oxidised, that is rusted.
How many moons does Mars have?
Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos.
Which is the second smallest planet in the solar system?
Mars is the second smallest planet, after Mercury.
How long does one year on Mars take in Earth days?
A year on Mars lasts 687 earth days.
Who was the first person to observe Mars with a telescope?
Galileo first observed Mars through a telescope in 1609.
Which is the largest planet in the solar system?
Jupiter is the largest planet, more massive than all the others put together.
Approximately how many Earths could fit across Jupiter's equator?
About 11 Earths would fit across Jupiter's equator.
Jupiter is classified as a:
Jupiter is a gas giant.
How long does one day on Jupiter (Jovian day) last?
Jupiter turns on its axis in under 10 hours, the fastest rotation of any planet.
How long does Jupiter take to complete one orbit of the Sun?
Jupiter orbits the sun in about 12 earth years.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot is:
The Great Red Spot is a storm about twice the width of Earth, observed for more than a century and a half.
About the PPSC Everyday Science Past Paper 2016
Every MCQ above is taken from the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Everyday Science papers held in 2016, with the correct answer and a written explanation for each. Past-paper practice is the most dependable way to prepare for PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS and PMS, because these papers repeat their themes, and often the questions themselves, from one year to the next.
Questions were checked against reliable sources before publication. Where a circulating source sheet carried a factual or wording error, we corrected it rather than reproducing the mistake. For chapter-wise preparation, work through our Everyday Science MCQs hub, which also lists every other year’s paper. Further reading: Pakistan Movement and the PPSC official website.
How to Use This Paper
Attempt the full quiz before looking at any answer, then read the explanation for every question you got wrong, including those you guessed correctly. A past paper is only useful if you close the gaps it exposes. Pro members can download the complete paper as a PDF with all answers and explanations for offline revision.