CONTEST4

ROUND 1

1. What is the magnitude of the average torque on an object whose angular momentum changes
from 20 kg m2/s to 25 kg m2/s in 2 s?
ANSWER: 2.5 N m
N = ΔL/Δt = (25 J s – 20 J s) / (2 s) = 2.5 N m.
2. What is the angular momentum after 5 s of an object initially at rest when it is subjected to a
uniform torque of 10 N m?
ANSWER: 50 kg m2/s
3. An object with an angular momentum of 20 kg m2/s is brought to rest by a steady torque of
magnitude 5 N m. How long does it take to come to rest?
ANSWER: 4 s
4. Temporary hardness can be removed by addition of sodium trioxocarbonate (IV) to
the water. Give me a balanced equation for the reaction.
ANSWER: Ca(HCO3)2 + Na2CO3 → CaCO3 + 2NaHCO3.
5. When lead sulphide, which is black is converted to lead tetraoxosulphate (VI) by
addition of H2O2, water is also formed. Give me a balanced equation for the reaction.
ANSWER: PbS + 4H2O2 → PbSO4 + 4H2O.
6. Iodide ions can be oxidized by H2O2 in acidic medium to give iodine and water. Give
me a balanced equation for the reaction.
ANSWER: 2I-+H2O2+2H+→I2+2H2O.
Preamble: Solve the quadratic equation

7. x2 – 4x – 12 = 0
ANSWER: x = 6, -2 [(x - 6)(x + 2) = 0, x = 6, -2]
8. x2 – 7x + 10 = 0
ANSWER: x = 2, 5 [(x - 5)(x - 2) = 0, x = 5, 2]
9. x2 – x – 20 = 0
ANSWER: x = 5, -4 [(x - 5)(x + 4) = 0, x = 5, -4]
10. Which organelle is responsible for tissue respiration?
ANSWER: Mitochondrion

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11. Which pigment in the malphigian layer is responsible for skin colouration?
ANSWER: Melanin
12. Where can one locate the loop of Henle in mammals?
ANSWER: The Kidney
13. Rank the following in increasing order of electric charge magnitude: alpha particle, beta
particle, gamma ray photon.
ANSWER: Gamma ray photon, beta particle, alpha particle
14. Rank the following in increasing order of force of gravity near earth’s surface: neutron, alpha
particle, beta particle.
ANSWER: Beta particle, neutron, alpha particle
15. Rank the following in increasing order of penetration depth in lead: beta particle, alpha
particle, gamma ray photon
ANSWER: Alpha particle, beta particle, gamma ray photon
16. Define Electron Affinity.
ANSWER: The enthalpy change accompanying the conversion of a mole of
gaseous atoms to gaseous ions.
17. Define First Ionization Energy.
ANSWER: The minimum energy required to convert a mole of gaseous atoms to
gaseous monopositive ions.
18. Define Enthalpy of Atomization.
ANSWER: The enthalpy change accompanying the conversion of a mole of an
element into gaseous atoms.
19. Find the vector u that translates the point (2, 5) to (5, 2)

ANSWER: u = 3i – 3j [ ]

20. Find the vector u that translates the point (3, -5) to (-5, 5)

ANSWER: u = -8i + 10j [ ]

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21. Find the vector u that translates the point (7, 4) to (-2, -5)

ANSWER: u = -9i – 9j [ ]

22. Give the number of cervical vertebrae in humans.

ANSWER: 7
23. Give the number of thoracic vertebrae in humans.
ANSWER: 12
24. Give the number of lumbar vertebrae in humans
ANSWER: 5
25. What is the net resistance of a 5 Ω resistor in series with a 15 Ω resistor?
ANSWER: 20 Ω
26. What is the current through a 20 Ω resistor when the potential difference across it is 50 V?
ANSWER: 2.5 A
27. What is the potential difference across a 20 Ω resistor when the current through it is 2 A?
ANSWER: 40 V
28. Why is temporary hardness of water so called?
ANSWER: Hardness can be removed simply by boiling the water.
29. What causes permanent hardness of water?
ANSWER: The presence of tetraoxosulphate ions or other salts of Fe2+,Fe3+,
Mg2+ and Ca2+ or other multivalent ions.
30. What happens chemically when water of temporary hardness is boiled?
ANSWER: The calcium hydrogen trioxocarbonate (IV) dissolved in the water
precipitates out as CaCO3 and CO2 given off.
Preamble: Find the domain of the given function

31.

ANSWER: { } [2x - 4 ]

32.

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 ANSWER: { }

33.

ANSWER: {x: x > 0}

34. Name the structure in mammals that controls body temperature and water balance
ANSWER: Hypothalamus
35. Which part of the brain controls the sensation of smell?
ANSWER: Olfactory lobe
36. What name is given to the group of sensory cells on the upper surfaces of the tongue?
ANSWER: Taste buds

PROBLEM OF THE DAY

In order to confirm that energy is released during respiration of seeds, a

Senior High School student was provided with the following materials.

Two vacuum flasks, water bath, 100 cowpea seeds, thermometers,

conical flasks, cotton wool, formalin and water. State the main steps
that the student will use to perform this experiment.

SOLUTION:
 Divide the cowpea seeds into two lots of 50 each

 Place one lot in a flask and boil in the water bath so as to kill the seeds

 Put the boiled seeds in one of the vacuum flasks and the second lot in the
other vacuum flask.

 Sprinkle few drops of the formalin on the seeds in both flasks so as to

prevent microbial growth.

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 Insert a thermometer in each flask and plug the mouth with wet cotton
wool

 The thermometer readings are recorded over a period of 24hours.

 The respiring seeds will cause the temperature in the flask containing the
un-boiled seeds to rise, while there will be no increase in temperature in
the flask containing the boiled seeds.

ROUND 3 – True or False

1. Protozoa are single-celled organisms.

ANSWER: True
2. Protozoa are common in freshwater and moist soil.
ANSWER: True
3. Protozoa feed on small particles of food such as bacteria.
ANSWER: True
4. As stress applied to a material is increased, the elastic limit is reached before the
proportional limit.
ANSWER: False
5. The proportional limit is the maximum stress that can be applied without
permanent deformation
ANSWER: False
6. Below the proportional limit, stress is proportional to strain.
ANSWER: True
7. Addition of NH3 solution to an aqueous solution of Pb2+ ions produces a white
precipitate.
ANSWER: True
8. Addition of NaOH solution to an aqueous solution of Cu2+ produces a blue gelatinous
precipitate.
ANSWER: False Precipitate not gelatinous.
9. Addition of NaOH solution to an aqueous solution of Ca2+ ions gives no observable
change.

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 ANSWER: False .
10. Addition is an associative binary operation on the set of natural numbers.
ANSWER: True
11. Subtraction is a commutative binary operation on the set of integers.
ANSWER: False
12. Subtraction is distributive over multiplication on the set of real numbers.
ANSWER: False
13. A climax community has a stable composition of plant and animal species.
ANSWER: True
14. A climax community has different species occurring at different times.
ANSWER: False
15. A climax community has rapid changes in the composition of species.
ANSWER: False
16. The moment of inertia of a body depends only on the mass of the body.
ANSWER: False
17. The moment of inertia of a solid sphere is proportional to the mass of the sphere.
ANSWER: True
18. The moment of inertia of a solid sphere is proportional to the radius of the sphere.
ANSWER: False
19. The reaction
CuO + 2HCl → CuCl2 + H2O is a redox reaction z
ANSWER: False Acid-base reaction.
20. The oxidation state of copper in [Cu(H2O)4]2+ and [CuCl4]2- are the same.

ANSWER: True
21. The reaction
Cu(OH)2 + 2OH- → [Cu(OH)4]2- can be considered as an acid-base
reaction.
ANSWER: True
22. The locus of points which are 4cm from the point (1, 2) in a plane is a pair of two
parallel lines
ANSWER: False [circle]

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23. The locus of points which are equidistant from a given line in a plane is a pair of
parallel lines in the plane.
ANSWER: True
24. The locus of points which are equidistant from two intersecting straight lines is the
bisector of the angle between them.
ANSWER: True

ROUND 4 – Riddles
Riddle #1
1. I am a three digit number between 100 and 200.
2. I am a square of an odd 2 digit prime number.
3. The sum of my digits is 16.
4. My last 2 digits differ by 3 and my first digit is the first natural number.
Who am I?
ANSWER: 169
Riddle #2
1. The atomic number of my atoms is an odd number but the atomic mass is an even
number.
2. I am an element that exists in nature as molecules
3. I do support life of animals in a different way.
4. I do not encourage destruction the way my next door neighbours does
5. If I hold the majority shares of about 80% of the atmosphere, then

Who am I?
ANSWER: N2 or Nitrogen gas.

Riddle #3
1. I am an optical device.
2. I have a curved reflecting surface.
3. I form virtual images of real objects placed between me and my focal point.
4. I am called concave.
Who am I?

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 ANSWER: Concave mirror
.

Riddle #4
1. I am a type of bone in tetrapod vertebrates
2. My head articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint
3. My distal part articulates with the tibia and patella forming the knee joint
4. I provide surfaces for the attachment of leg muscles and support the thigh
5. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and cats, I am found only in the rear legs
Who am I?

ANSWER: Femur