UPSC Prelims 2006 · General Studies
Question 49: Science and Technology
Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched? Inventor : Invention 1. Christopher Cockerell : Hovercraft 2. David Bushnell : Submarine 3. J. C. Perrier : Steamship Select the correct answer using the code given below:
AnswerThe answer is (b).
Christopher Cockerell invented the hovercraft in the 1950s, and David Bushnell built the Turtle, an early military submarine, during the American Revolution. Both pairs are right. The key does not credit the steamship to J. C. Perrier; the steamship is most commonly credited to Robert Fulton (Clermont, 1807) and earlier pioneers such as William Symington, so statement 3 is counted as wrong.
- 1. Christopher Cockerell invented the hovercraft.
- 2. David Bushnell built an early submarine, the Turtle.
- 3. The key does not credit the steamship to Perrier; Fulton is the usual name.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Includes the steamship pair, which the key treats as wrong.
- (b) Correct: Cockerell-hovercraft and Bushnell-submarine are right.
- (c) Leaves out the hovercraft pair, which is correct.
- (d) Leaves out the submarine pair, which is correct.
Worth knowing: Arguable: Jacques-Constantin Perier built an early steamboat on the Seine in 1775, so statement 3 is not clearly wrong.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2006, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.