TNPSC AE Civil flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Target mean strength

In IS 10262 concrete mix design, target mean strength f'ck = fck + 1.65 s, where s is the assumed standard deviation for the specified grade.

Limit state of collapse

Design method in IS 456 in which the factored load (1.5 × characteristic load) must not exceed the factored resistance, ensuring safety against collapse.

Terzaghi bearing capacity

Ultimate bearing capacity of a strip footing qu = cNc + qNq + 0.5γBNγ, with Nc, Nq and Nγ as bearing capacity factors dependent on the friction angle φ.

Prismatic compass bearing

A whole-circle bearing measured clockwise from magnetic north in the range 0° to 360°, read directly on the prismatic compass graduated ring.

Stopping sight distance

The minimum distance a driver needs to stop safely, equal to the lag distance (0.278Vt) plus the braking distance (V²/254f), with V in km/h.

Bernoulli's equation

For steady, incompressible, frictionless flow along a streamline, p/γ + v²/2g + z = constant, expressing conservation of energy per unit weight.

BOD5

Biochemical oxygen demand measured over five days at 20 °C; it represents the oxygen consumed by microorganisms degrading organic matter in a water sample.

Rapid sand filter rate

The standard filtration rate for a rapid sand filter is about 3,000–6,000 L/m²/h, much higher than the 100–200 L/m²/h of a slow sand filter.

Shear reinforcement minimum

As per IS 456, minimum shear reinforcement in a beam requires Asv/(b·sv) ≥ 0.4/(0.87fy), where Asv is the area of stirrups and sv the spacing.

Constitution adoption date

The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950.

Fundamental Duties

Article 51A of the Constitution lists Fundamental Duties for citizens; they were inserted by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, on the Swaran Singh Committee's recommendation.

Tamil Nadu state symbols

Tamil Nadu's state animal is the Nilgiri tahr, state bird the emerald dove, state tree the palmyra palm, and state flower the glory lily (Gloriosa superba).

Article 32

Article 32 of the Indian Constitution gives the Supreme Court power to issue writs (habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari, quo warranto) for enforcement of Fundamental Rights.

Dandi March

Mahatma Gandhi began the Dandi March on 12 March 1930 to protest the salt tax, launching the Civil Disobedience Movement against British rule.

GST introduction

The Goods and Services Tax was introduced in India on 1 July 2017, replacing multiple indirect taxes with a single destination-based tax on supply.

Palghat Gap

A major break in the Western Ghats between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, about 24 km wide, providing a low-altitude route through the mountain range.

Tamil vowels and consonants

Tamil has 12 vowels (uyir), 18 consonants (mei), and 216 compound letters (uyirmei), giving 247 letters in the full alphabet including the aytam.

Tamil eight cases

Tamil grammar recognises eight cases (vetrumai): nominative, accusative, instrumental, dative, ablative, genitive, locative, and vocative, each with characteristic suffixes.

Thirukkural structure

The Thirukkural by Thiruvalluvar contains 133 chapters (adikarams) and 1,330 couplets, divided into three books: Aram (virtue), Porul (wealth), and Kamam (love).

Tamil sandhi linking

When two Tamil words combine, linking consonants y, v, or n are often inserted, as in 'maram + vazhi' becoming 'maravazhi' (tree path).

Tamil negative verb

The negative conjugation in Tamil is formed with the suffix -aathu, e.g., 'seyyaathu' means 'does not do', expressing negation without tense marking.

Tamil ordinal suffix

Tamil ordinal numbers are formed by adding -aavathu to the cardinal, e.g., 'onraavathu' (first), 'irandaavathu' (second), from onru and irandu.

Successive discount formula

Two successive discounts of a% and b% are equivalent to a single discount of a + b − ab/100 percent on the marked price.

Train crossing platform

The time for a train of length L to cross a platform of length P at speed v is (L + P)/v, with all lengths in the same unit.

Compound interest formula

Compound interest CI = P[(1 + R/100)^T − 1]; for half-yearly compounding, use R/2 and 2T in place of R and T.

Combination formula

The number of ways to choose r objects from n without regard to order is nCr = n!/[r!(n − r)!], used in selection problems.

Alphabet position values

In reasoning, letters are ranked A = 1 to Z = 26; coding puzzles often shift each letter by a fixed offset, e.g., +3 maps A to D.

Subject-verb agreement

Singular subjects take singular verbs; words like each, every, either, and neither are singular, and collective nouns take a singular verb when acting as a unit.

Ubiquitous

An adjective meaning present or found everywhere; e.g., mobile phones have become ubiquitous in modern life.

Ephemeral

An adjective meaning lasting for a very short time; e.g., the beauty of a rainbow is ephemeral, vanishing within minutes.

Meticulous

An adjective describing someone who shows great attention to detail and is very careful and precise in their work.

Simple interest formula

Simple interest SI = P × R × T/100, where P is principal, R the annual rate percent, and T the time in years.