CAPF (AC) 2024 (Paper-1) (Questions 1-50)

• The Earth rotates 360° in approximately 24 hours, which means it rotates about 15° every hour. Therefore, time zones differ by one hour for every 15° of longitude. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• When you cross the International Date Line from west to east, you drop a day (i.e., the calendar date goes back), and when you travel from east to west, you advance a day (i.e., the calendar date moves forward). Hence statement 2 is incorrect.
• Daylight saving time (DST) typically involves moving the clock forward by one hour in the spring and setting it back by one hour in the fall. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• The Moon orbits the Earth in the same direction that the Earth orbits the Sun (counter clockwise when viewed from above the North Pole). Hence statement 4 is correct.

The Sundarbans, a vast mangrove forest, hosts an incredibly rich biodiversity, including the Bengal tiger and numerous bird species. In contrast,, Nokrek Biosphere Reserve in Meghalaya, India is a biodiversity hotspot with a wide range of species and is in the list of UNESCO Biosphere reserve.

The winds in the upper atmosphere, free from frictional effect of the surface and are controlled by the pressure gradient and the Coriolis force.

An air parcel initially at rest will move from high pressure to low pressure because of the Pressure Gradient Force (PGF).

However, as that air parcel begins to move, it is deflected by the Coriolis force to the right in the northern hemisphere (to the left in the southern hemisphere).

As the wind gains speed, the deflection increases until the Coriolis force equals the pressure gradient force (2-3 km above the ground, friction is low and winds travel at greater speeds).

At this point, the wind will be blowing parallel to the isobars (perpendicular to Pressure Gradient Force). When this happens, the wind is referred to as geostrophic wind.

Since these winds are geostrophic, i.e., they flow at great speeds due to low friction and are subjected to greater Coriolis force.

So they deflect greatly giving rise to three distinct cells called Hadley cell, Ferrel Cell and Polar cell.

• The Nebular Hypothesis suggests that the Solar System formed from a large cloud of gas and dust (the nebula) that began to collapse under its own gravity. This initial state is best described as a diffuse, roughly spherical, slowly rotating nebula. Hence option a is correct.
• Option (b) is partially correct in that a disk forms, but it does not specify that the matter is concentrated at the center, which is critical in the formation of the Sun.
• Option (c) implies continuous expansion, which is not the case as the nebula collapses to form the proto-Sun; thus, it lacks precision in the description.
• Option (d) inaccurately states that 42 planets were formed, while the current consensus is that there are eight recognized planets in the Solar System, not including dwarf planets and other bodies.

• New Zealand is one of the first countries to enter a new day due to its location in the UTC+13 or UTC+12 time zone (depending on daylight savings).
• Hawaii is in the Hawaiian Standard Time zone, which is UTC-10.
• Alaska is in the Alaska Standard Time zone, UTC-9,

So, when it is 31st December, 2023 in New Zealand, it is still 30th December, 2023 in both Hawaii and Alaska due to the significant time difference.

Thus, the correct answer is:

(b) Both have 30 December, 2023.

This is because New Zealand is significantly ahead of both Hawaii and Alaska in terms of time.

• Hailstorms form during severe thunderstorms, not specifically in the monsoon season, making this statement incorrect.
• Dense cumulonimbus clouds are responsible for hailstorm formation, confirming the accuracy of this statement.
• Hailstones develop when rain from warmer layers solidifies into ice pellets in subfreezing layers, validating this process.
• Hailstones acquire multiple ice layers through repeated freezing and melting cycles, affirming this characteristic.