CONTEST 2

ROUND 1

PREAMBLE: Simplify
1.
ANSWER: 8

[ ]

2.
ANSWER: 6

3.
ANSWER: 10

4. Which of the following forms of energy is possessed by the molecules of an ideal gas:
thermal, potential, kinetic?
ANSWER: Kinetic only
5. An ideal gas is compressed isothermally so that its volume is halved. Which of the following
properties of the gas molecule is doubled: thermal energy, internal energy, kinetic energy?
ANSWER: None of them
6. Which of the following properties of an ideal gas determines its internal energy: pressure,
temperature, volume?
ANSWER: Temperature only
7. In the Ostwald process for the commercial preparation of trioxonitrate (V) acid, ammonia is
burnt in oxygen over platinum catalyst to give nitrogen II oxide and water. Give a balanced
equation for that reaction.
ANSWER: 4NH3 + 5O2 → 4NO + 6H2O

8. In the commercial preparation of trioxonitrate (V) acid, nitrogen (IV) oxide is dissolved in
water to give the acid and nitrogen (II) oxide. Give me a balanced equation for the reaction.
ANSWER: 3NO2 + H2O → 2HNO3 + NO

9. When trioxonitrate (V) acid is exposed to sunlight it decomposes slightly to give nitrogen
(IV) oxide, water and oxygen. Give me balanced equation for the decomposition.

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 ANSWER: 4HNO3 + (sunlight) → 4NO2 + O2 + 2H2O

PREAMBLE: Mention the class of food substances for which the following tests are used.
10. Biuret test
ANSWER: Protein
11. Sudan III test
ANSWER: Fats and Oil / Lipids
12. Million’s test
ANSWER: (Soluble) Proteins

PREAMBLE: Use parentheses to ensure that the sum is correct

13.
ANSWER: (13 – 1 x 3) x (3 + 82)
[(13 – 1 x 3) x (3 + 82) = 10 x 67 = 670]
14.
ANSWER: (13 – 1) x (3 x 3) + 82
[(13 – 1) x (3 x 3) + 82 = 12 x 9 + 64 = 108 + 64 = 172]
15. 13 – 1 x 3 x 3 + 82 = 1210
ANSWER: (13 – 1 x 3) x (3 + 8)2
[(13 – 1 x 3) x (3 + 8)2 = 10 x 121 = 1210]

PREAMBLE: A charge lies east of a charge. The Coulomb law constant

is approximately .

16. What is the electrostatic potential midway between the charges?

ANSWER:

17. Find the magnitude of the electrostatic field strength midway between the charges.

ANSWER:

18. Find the energy of a charge placed midway between the charges.

ANSWER:

19. Define an endothermic process.

ANSWER: A chemical reaction or physical change in which heat is absorbed from
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 the surrounding?
20. Define a closed system in thermodynamics.
ANSWER: It is a system that allows heat exchange but no mass exchange.
21. What do we call a system that does not allow either heat or mass exchange with its
surrounding?
ANSWER: An isolated system.
22. PREAMBLE: Ribosomes reside in 4 main places in almost all eukaryotic cells. Name one
each.
ANSWERS:
a. (Free in the ) Cytoplasm
b. Attached to the surface of the endoplasmic reticulum
c. Contained in the mitochondrion
d. Found in the chloroplast

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ROUND 2 - SPEED ROUND
1. Why is the acceleration of a particle that moves in a circle not zero when the particle moves with
constant speed?
ANSWER: Direction changes around a circular path, so velocity must change even
when speed is constant and hence acceleration is not zero

2. A resonant ideal circuit oscillates at . What is the resonant frequency when both and

are doubled?

ANSWER:

3. When an unmagnetized object is placed near a pole of a strong magnet, it is observed to be repelled
away from the pole of the magnet. What type of magnetic material is the object made of?
ANSWER: Diamagnetic
4. Which anion is mostly responsible for temporary hardness of water?
ANSWER: HCO3- trioxocarbonate (IV) ion
5. Give one substance which when added to water can remove both permanent and temporary
hardness.
ANSWER: Na2CO3 or sodium trioxocarbonate (IV)
Temporary: Na2CO3 + Ca (HCO3)2 → CaCO3 + 2NaHCO3
Permanent: Ca2+ (or Mg2+) +Na2CO3 → CaCO3 (or MgCO3) + 2Na+
6. Which group of chemicals dissolved in water cannot be removed by ion-chromatography?
ANSWER: Covalent/ non-ionic/ neutral (inorganic and organic) compounds
7. In bryophytes, what name is given to the structure that bears the female sex organs
(Archegonia)?
ANSWER: Archegoniophore
8. Name the pit or cavity in the archegoniophore in which the archegonia are located.
ANSWER: Archegonial chamber
9. In ferns, what name is given to the cluster of sporangia (spore producing structure) borne on
the underside of the leaves or fronds.
ANSWER: Sorus
PREAMBLE: Express the following as an equation.

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10. The difference of a and b is 7 with a greater than b.

ANSWER: a – b = 7, or a = b + 7

11. The bearing of a point B from a point A is 075°. Find the bearing of A from B.

ANSWER: 255° [75 + 180 = 255]

12. Find the even number among the following binary numbers.

A) 111, B) 101, C) 110, D) 1001

ANSWER: C) 110

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 PROBLEM OF THE DAY
The traits in certain race of mammals are described below. Use your knowledge in
genetics to complete the worksheet.

TRAIT DOMINANT RECESSIVE GENE

BODY SIZE Muscular (M) Skinny (m)
BODY COLOUR Dark (D) Yellow (d)
EYE SHAPE Round (R) Oval (r)
NOSE TYPE Long (L) Stubby (l)

1. PHENOTYPES
I. LL ........................................................
II. Dd .........................................................
III. Mm .........................................................
IV. RR .........................................................
V. Rr .........................................................
VI. ll .........................................................
VII. MM .........................................................
VIII. DD .........................................................

2. Write the genotypes for each of the following

A. Yellow body .......................
B. Skinny body ......................
C. Oval eyes ...........................
D. Long Nose .........................
E. Stubby nose .......................
F. Round eyes ..........................
G. Muscular body .....................
H. Dark body ............................
I. Heterozygous round eyes .......
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 J. Homozygous long nose ............

Answer
3. PHENOTYPES
IX. LL – LONG NOSE
X. Dd - DARK BODY
XI. Mm - MUSCULAR BODY
XII. RR . – ROUND EYE
XIII. Rr - ROUND EYE
XIV. ll – STUBBY NOSE
XV. MM – MUSCULAR BODY
XVI. DD - DARK BODY
4. Write the genotypes for each of the following
K. Yellow body - dd
L. Skinny body - mm
M. Oval eyes - rr
N. Long Nose - LL and Ll
O. Stubby nose - ll
P. Round eyes - RR and Rr
Q. Muscular body – MM and Mm
R. Dark body – DD and Dd
S. Heterozygous round eyes - Rr
T. Homozygous long nose. – LL

SOLUTION
3. PHENOTYPES

IX. LL – LONG NOSE

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 X. Dd - DARK BODY

XI. Mm - MUSCULAR BODY

XII. RR . – ROUND EYE

XIII. Rr - ROUND EYE

XIV. ll – STUBBY NOSE

XV. MM – MUSCULAR BODY

XVI. DD - DARK BODY

4. Write the genotypes for each of the following

K. Yellow body - dd

L. Skinny body - mm

M. Oval eyes - rr

N. Long Nose - LL and Ll

O. Stubby nose - ll

P. Round eyes .- RR and Rr

Q. Muscular body – MM and Mm

R. Dark body – DD and Dd

S. Heterozygous round eyes - Rr

ROUND 4

TRUE OR FALSE

1. The flow of energy through life is not an endless cycle.

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 ANSWER: True
2. As energy moves up the food chain there is less and less of it to go around.
ANSWER: True
3. Only a small portion of the plant energy that is consumed by a herbivore is used by that
herbivore for its metabolic activities.
ANSWER: False
4. If x < 1, then x < 0

ANSWER: False

5. If x < 1, then –x < -1

ANSWER: False

6. If x < 1, then x < 2

ANSWER: True
7. When an object thrown vertically upward attains its highest point, the force of
gravity on it is zero.
ANSWER: False
8. Acceleration is zero at the highest point in the trajectory of an object launched at an
angle to the horizontal.
ANSWER: False
9. At the highest point in the trajectory of an object launched vertically upward, the
object is momentarily at rest.
ANSWER: True
10. When H2S gas is bubbled through a copper (II) solution, a black precipitate is formed.
ANSWER: True

11. Zinc sulphide is white.

ANSWER: True

12. When H2S gas is bubbled through a calcium (II) solution a white precipitate is obtained.
ANSWER: False No precipitate is formed.

13. Plastids are found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

ANSWER: False
14. Plastids are the sites of cellular respiration in plants.
ANSWER: False
15. All Plastids are surrounded by single membranes.

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 ANSWER: False
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16. (x – 1) is a factor of (x + 1).

ANSWER: False
3
17. (x + 1) is a factor of (x + 1).

ANSWER: True
4
18.(x – 2) is a factor of (x – 16).

ANSWER: True
19. An object submerged in a fluid displaces its own weight of fluid.
ANSWER: False
20. If a solid object becomes submerged when placed in a fluid, the density of the object
is lower than that of the fluid.
ANSWER: False
21. A floating object displaces its own weight of fluid.
ANSWER: True
22. An element with atomic number 20 will have valences of 1 and 2.
ANSWER: False, Valency of 2 only

23. Nitrogen is capable of forming different compounds in which the oxidation state is
positive or negative
ANSWER: True, +2, +3, +4, +5, -3

24. Conversion of methane into ethane involves oxidation of the carbon

ANSWER: True, Methane, CH4, C = -4

Ethane, C2H6, C = -3

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 ROUND 5
RIDDLES

RIDDLE 1

1. Owing to my size and distinctive structure, I was one of the first organelles to be
discovered and observed in detail.
2. I am found in most eukaryotic cells.
3. I was discovered with the help of special staining techniques.
4. However, my structure was only revealed by the electron microscope.
5. I consist of a stack of flattened membrane-bound sacs called cisternae.
6. I was discovered by an Italian physician, Camillo Golgi, during an investigation of the
nervous system.
WHO AM I?
ANSWER: Golgi Apparatus/ Golgi Body/Golgi complex/Dictyosome

RIDDLE 2

1. I operate on the basis of an effect that is sometimes undesirable.

2. I am however very useful.
3. You may find me in electronic appliances and electrical installations.
4. I use mutual inductance to desirable effect.
5. I transform voltages in alternating circuits.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Transformer

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RIDDLE 3

1. I am an inorganic substance.
2. I may be produced when a certain metal is burnt in excess air.
3. I dissolve in water to give a solution which turns red litmus blue.
4. The metal from which I am formed is never found in nature in the uncombined
state.
5. That metal is the eighth most abundant element in the earth’s crust with atomic
number 12.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Magnesium oxide (MgO)

RIDDLE 4

1. I am a property of geometrical figures.

2. Two figures with me fit exactly on each other.

3. As an example, two circles with the same radius satisfy me.

4. Two line segments with same length satisfy me.

5. I represent equality in size and shape.

6. For triangles, recall ASA, SSS, SAS.

Who am I?

ANSWER: Congruence

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