40 Famous Scientists and Their Inventions (SSC Practice Questions)
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Table of Contents
A practice set covering 40 famous scientists, Indian and global, with their inventions and discoveries, including practice questions and FAQs for SSC GK revision.
Scientists and their inventions/discoveries form a key static GK topic in SSC exams. This practice set covers 40 famous scientists, both global and Indian, with their major contributions, followed by practice questions and FAQs.
40 Famous Scientists and Their Inventions: Quick Reference Table
| # | Scientist | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaac Newton | Laws of Motion, Law of Gravitation |
| 2 | Albert Einstein | Theory of Relativity |
| 3 | Thomas Edison | Practical incandescent light bulb |
| 4 | Alexander Graham Bell | Telephone |
| 5 | Nikola Tesla | Alternating current (AC) electrical system |
| 6 | Michael Faraday | Electromagnetic induction |
| 7 | James Watt | Improved steam engine |
| 8 | Alexander Fleming | Discovery of Penicillin |
| 9 | Marie Curie | Research on radioactivity; discovered Radium and Polonium |
| 10 | Charles Darwin | Theory of Evolution by natural selection |
| 11 | Galileo Galilei | Improved the telescope; supported heliocentrism |
| 12 | Wright Brothers | Invention of the airplane |
| 13 | Guglielmo Marconi | Invention of radio |
| 14 | Johannes Gutenberg | Invention of the printing press |
| 15 | Alfred Nobel | Invention of dynamite |
| 16 | Louis Pasteur | Pasteurization; germ theory of disease |
| 17 | Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen | Discovery of X-rays |
| 18 | James Clerk Maxwell | Electromagnetic theory of light |
| 19 | Gregor Mendel | Laws of heredity (father of genetics) |
| 20 | Benjamin Franklin | Invention of the lightning rod |
| 21 | Samuel Morse | Morse code and the telegraph |
| 22 | Tim Berners-Lee | Invention of the World Wide Web |
| 23 | John Logie Baird | Invention of television |
| 24 | Karl Benz | First practical automobile |
| 25 | Christiaan Huygens | Invention of the pendulum clock |
| 26 | Robert Hooke | Coined the term "cell" in biology |
| 27 | Antonie van Leeuwenhoek | Improved microscope; father of microbiology |
| 28 | Blaise Pascal | Pascaline calculator; Pascal's law |
| 29 | Archimedes | Archimedes' Principle of buoyancy |
| 30 | Stephen Hawking | Theoretical work on black holes (Hawking radiation) |
| 31 | C.V. Raman | Discovery of the Raman Effect (Nobel Prize, Physics) |
| 32 | Homi J. Bhabha | Father of the Indian nuclear programme |
| 33 | A.P.J. Abdul Kalam | Missile technology (Agni, Prithvi); "Missile Man of India" |
| 34 | Srinivasa Ramanujan | Contributions to number theory and mathematical analysis |
| 35 | Jagadish Chandra Bose | Research on radio waves and plant response studies |
| 36 | Vikram Sarabhai | Father of the Indian Space Programme |
| 37 | Satyendra Nath Bose | Bose-Einstein statistics (basis for the "boson") |
| 38 | Har Gobind Khorana | Research on the genetic code (Nobel Prize) |
| 39 | George Stephenson | Development of the steam locomotive |
| 40 | Alessandro Volta | Invention of the electric battery (Voltaic pile) |
Practice Questions on Scientists and Inventions
- Q1. Who discovered Penicillin?
Answer: Alexander Fleming - Q2. Who is known as the "Missile Man of India"?
Answer: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam - Q3. Who discovered the Raman Effect?
Answer: C.V. Raman - Q4. Who is called the father of the Indian Space Programme?
Answer: Vikram Sarabhai - Q5. Who invented the telephone?
Answer: Alexander Graham Bell - Q6. Who proposed the Theory of Evolution?
Answer: Charles Darwin - Q7. Who is known as the father of the Indian nuclear programme?
Answer: Homi J. Bhabha - Q8. Who invented the World Wide Web?
Answer: Tim Berners-Lee - Q9. Who discovered radioactivity-related elements Radium and Polonium?
Answer: Marie Curie - Q10. Who formulated the laws of heredity, making him the father of genetics?
Answer: Gregor Mendel - Q11. Which Indian mathematician is known for contributions to number theory?
Answer: Srinivasa Ramanujan - Q12. Who developed the AC (alternating current) electrical system?
Answer: Nikola Tesla
Tips to Remember Scientists and Inventions for SSC
- Separate Indian scientists (Raman, Bhabha, Kalam, Sarabhai, Bose, Khorana) from global scientists for focused revision, since SSC often asks specifically about Indian contributions.
- Link each scientist to one defining achievement rather than trying to memorise their entire body of work.
- Revise alongside our other GK practice sets for a complete static GK preparation.
- Practice more with our previous year questions and study material.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who discovered Penicillin?
Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin in 1928, a major breakthrough in antibiotics.
2. Who is known as the "Missile Man of India"?
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who led India's missile development programme, is known as the "Missile Man of India."
3. Who discovered the Raman Effect?
C.V. Raman discovered the Raman Effect, for which he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
4. Who is called the father of the Indian Space Programme?
Dr. Vikram Sarabhai is regarded as the father of the Indian Space Programme.
5. Who invented the telephone?
Alexander Graham Bell is credited with inventing the telephone.
6. Who proposed the Theory of Evolution?
Charles Darwin proposed the Theory of Evolution by natural selection.
7. Who is known as the father of the Indian nuclear programme?
Dr. Homi J. Bhabha is known as the father of the Indian nuclear programme.
8. Who invented the World Wide Web?
Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989.
9. Who discovered Radium and Polonium?
Marie Curie, along with her husband Pierre Curie, discovered Radium and Polonium.
10. Who formulated the laws of heredity?
Gregor Mendel formulated the laws of heredity and is regarded as the father of genetics.
11. Which Indian mathematician is famous for work on number theory?
Srinivasa Ramanujan made major contributions to number theory and mathematical analysis.
12. Who developed the alternating current (AC) system?
Nikola Tesla developed the alternating current (AC) electrical system.
13. Who is credited with the discovery of X-rays?
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered X-rays in 1895.
14. How should I prepare scientist-related questions for SSC exams?
Link each scientist to a single defining discovery or invention, and separate Indian from global scientists for focused revision.
15. Where can I find more science GK practice sets?
Visit our Practice Papers section for more science and GK-based SSC practice sets.
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.
