Science and Environmental Studies
Science and Environmental Studies tests basic physics, chemistry, biology and environmental awareness, with application to Nepal’s ecosystems and public issues. Expect questions on measurement, forces, matter, living processes, pollution, biodiversity and conservation. The scientific method - observation, hypothesis, test, conclusion - is also fair ground.
Core rules
- Density = mass/volume; an object denser than water sinks unless trapped air changes effective density.
- Photosynthesis uses CO2 and water with light to make glucose and oxygen; respiration releases energy.
- Mass is constant; weight changes with gravity.
- Renewable resources can be replenished; non-renewable are finite.
- Pollution control follows reduce, reuse, recycle; ecosystems link biotic and abiotic components.
Worked example
A block has mass 300 g and volume 60 cm³. Will it sink in water? Reasoning: density = 300/60 = 5 g/cm³. Water’s density is about 1 g/cm³. Since 5 > 1, the block is denser than water and sinks. The reasoning must compare like units; 300 g is mass, not weight.
Traps
Confusing mass with weight; saying plants only photosynthesise and do not respire; treating all waste as biodegradable; mixing density units; assuming ‘natural’ means pollution-free; ignoring Nepal’s fragile mountain and watershed context.