CONTEST 4

ROUND 1

PREAMBLE: State whether the given function is even, odd or neither even nor odd.
1. y = cosx
ANSWER: Even
2. y = sin2x
ANSWER: Odd
3. y = x4 + 2x3
ANSWER: neither even nor odd
4. An object moves at constant speed in a horizontal circle of radius 5 m. Find its acceleration if its speed is
10 m / s.
ANSWER: 20 m / s2
2 2 2
a=v / R=( 10 m / s ) ÷ (5 m ) =20 m / s
5. An object moves at constant speed in a horizontal circle of radius 5 m. Find its speed if its acceleration is
2
4.9 m / s .
ANSWER: 7 m / s

v=√ aR=√ ( 10 m / s ) ( 4.9 m )=7 m / s

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6. An object moves in a circle at a constant speed of 10 m / s. Find the radius of the circle if its acceleration is
2
5m/ s .
2
ANSWER: 20 m R=v / a=20 m
PREAMBLE: Distinguish between parenchyma and sclerenchyma cells with respect to the following:
7. Type of cell wall
ANSWER: Parenchyma has a primary cell wall whereas sclerenchyma cell has a secondary
wall.
8. Ability to divide
ANSWER: A parenchyma cell has the ability to divide whereas a sclerenchyma cell cannot
divide.
9. Dead or alive at maturity
ANSWER: Parenchyma cells are living at maturity whereas the sclerenchyma cells are dead at
maturity.

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10. Explain the term, “Biomass”.
ANSWER: It refers to a mass of naturally grown plant and animal materials that can provide
useful energy.
11. There are two known forms of biomass fuels, what are they?
ANSWER: Biogas and ethanol / alcohol.
12. How is biogas produced?
ANSWER: From anaerobic decomposition of organic waste (e.g. human and animal manure)
PREAMBLE: Determine whether the pair of lines are parallel, perpendicular or neither parallel nor
perpendicular
13. 2x + 3y = 5, 3x – 5y = 10
ANSWER: neither parallel nor perpendicular
14. 2x + 3y = 7 and 3x – 2y = -5
ANSWER: perpendicular
15. 2x – y = 3 and 2y = 4x + 10
ANSWER: parallel
ANSWER: Plasma
PREAMBLE: A 3 μ F capacitor is in series with a 2 μ F capacitor.
16. What is the net capacitance of the pair?
ANSWER: 1.2 μ F
C=C 1 C 2 / ( C 1+C 2 )=1.2 μ F
17. What is the total charge stored when a potential difference of 50 V is applied across the pair?
ANSWER: 60 μ C
Q=CV =1.2 μ F ×50 V =60 μ C
18. What is the potential difference across the 3 μ F capacitor when a potential difference of 50 V is applied
across the pair?
ANSWER: 20 V
V 1=Q / C1=60 μ C ÷ 3 μ F =20V
19. Name the tough strand of connective tissue that holds bones together firmly at a joint.
ANSWER: Ligament
20. Name the tough strand of connective tissue that connects skeletal muscles to bones.
ANSWER: Tendon
21. What name is given to the watery matrix of the blood?

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 ANSWER: Plasma
22. Geiger and Marsden, performed the α–scattering experiment. Give any of the observations made and
the corresponding deduction made by Rutherford.
ANSWERS:
a. Observation: Most of the α–particles went through the gold foil without any
deflection.
Deduction: Most of the volume of the atom is empty space.
b. Observation: A few α–particles were deflected slightly from their path
Deduction: The α–particles came near a positively charged unit with a heavy
Mass, thus being repelled slightly away.
c. Observation: Very few α–particles were deflected backwards
Deduction: The α-particles collided with a positively charged heavy unit which has
a small volume and located at the center of the atom.
PREAMBLE: Solve for x
23. 8x = 32
ANSWER: x = 5/3 [23x = 25, 3x = 5, x = 5/3]
24. x-3 = (8/27)
ANSWER: x = 3/2 [x3 = 27/8 = (3/2)3, x = 3/2]
25. 2x = 1/16
ANSWER: x = -4 [2x = 16-1 = 2-4, x = -4]
26. How many protons does the tritium nucleus contain?
ANSWER: 1
27. How many neutrons does the tritium nucleus contain?
ANSWER: 2
28. What is the mass number of deuterium?
ANSWER: 2
PREAMBLE: Give the functions of the following parts of the microscope.
29. Diaphragm.
ANSWER: Regulates the amount of light on the specimen
30. Coarse adjustment.
ANSWER: It moves the stage up and down for focusing
31. Nosepiece.
ANSWER: Supports the objective lenses for proper focusing

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32. MX is a slightly soluble salt. If its solubility product is 1.60 *10-11 at 30oC, calculate the solubility of
the salt in moldm-3 at 30oC.
ANSWER: Ksp = [M+][X-], M+ and X- are the concentrations of the
saturated solution at 30oC.
Concentration of M+ or X- = √Ksp = √ (16.0*10-12)
= 4.0*10-6moldm-3.
33. QY2 is a sparingly soluble salt. If it’s Ksp at 30oC is 1.08*10-13, calculate the concentration in moldm-3
of Q2+ of a saturated solution.
ANSWER: QY2 → Q2+ + 2Y-
x 2x
3
Ksp = 4x = 1.08*10-13
x3 = 0.27*10-13 = 27*10-15
x = 3.0*10-5.
34. A metal iodide (MI2) has a solubility product of 3.2*10-8 at 30oC. Calculate the concentration in
moldm-3 of the iodide ion in a saturated solution at 30oC.
ANSWER: Ksp = 4x3
x3 = 3.2*10-8/4 = 8.0*10-9
x = (8.0*10-9)1/3 = 2.0*10-3

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 PROBLEM OF THE DAY

You are provided with about 300 cm3 of a liquid mixture of 50%

methanol in water. The boiling points of methanol and water are 65oC

and 100oC respectively. Name all the necessary pieces of glassware and

apparatus you would need to separate the two liquids.

SOLUTION

1. A round bottom flask – 500 cm3

2. Distillation head

3. A water condenser

4. Receiving adapter

5. A number of conical flasks – 50 cm3

6. A glass or plastic funnel

7. A Thermometer, 0 – 150 oC or 0 – 300 oC

8. Separating Column

9. Source of heat; heating mantle or water bath for the methanol and heating

mantle or Bunsen burner for the distillation of water fraction.

10. Boiling chips

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 ROUND 3

TRUE OR FALSE

1. All whole numbers are positive.

ANSWER: False [0 is a whole number but it is not positive]
2. Zero is not a rational number.
ANSWER: False
3. Some whole numbers are not integers.
ANSWER: False
4. Plants absorb all mineral salts by diffusion from the soil.
ANSWER: False
5. Single celled organisms take in Oxygen and get rid of CO2 by active transport.
ANSWER: False
6. Oxygen moves out of the lungs of mammals into the blood by diffusion.
ANSWER: True
7. The diopter is a unit of optical power.
ANSWER: True
8. Optical power has dimensions of length.
ANSWER: False
9. A 0.5 m focal length lens has optical power of half diopter.
ANSWER: False
10. For most chemical reactions, reaction rates remain fairly constant during the reaction.
ANSWER: False
11. Heterogeneous reactions are slower than homogeneous reactions.
ANSWER: False Some heterogeneous reactions are fast.
12. For a reversible reaction the activation energies of forward and backward reactions are the
same.
ANSWER: False
13. An acute angle has angular measure less than 90 degrees.
ANSWER: True
14. If the sum of the measures of two angles is 180 degrees, the angles are complementary.
ANSWER: False
15. A square is a rectangle with all the sides congruent.

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 ANSWER: True
16. The Doppler Effect only occurs with sound waves.
ANSWER: False
17. The Doppler Effect is negligible with light waves because the speed of light is very great.
ANSWER: False
18. The Doppler Effect occurs only with a stationary source and a moving observer.
ANSWER: False
19. The cotton stainer belongs to the order hymenoptera.
ANSWER: False
20. Grasshoppers belong to the same order as locusts and crickets.
ANSWER: True
21. The order Lepidoptera includes butterflies and moths.
ANSWER: True
22. An element with atomic number 7 has 5 electrons in the valence shell.
ANSWER: True (1s2 2s2 2p3)
23. An element with atomic number 12 has 2 electrons in the p–orbital of the valence shell.
ANSWER: False (1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p0)
24. The reason hydrogen belongs to either of two groups in the Periodic Table is that it has one
electron short of the octet.
ANSWER: False Octet = 8 electrons, H has only has 1 electron in the s–orbital.

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 ROUND 4
RIDDLE

Riddle #1
1. In physics, I am one of the fundamental states of matter.
2. To the biologist I am the pale-yellow liquid component of blood.
3. I normally hold the blood cells in whole blood in suspension.
4. I make up about 55% of the body's total blood volume.
5. As a blood product, I am prepared from blood donations used in blood transfusions.
Who am I?
ANSWER: (Blood) Plasma

Riddle #2
1. I am a device for energy conversion.
2. I operate between two temperatures.
3. The efficiency with which I convert energy depends on the temperatures between which I operate.
4. I convert energy of disordered motion to an ordered form of energy.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Heat engine

Riddle #3
1. I am a four digit number.
2. I am an even number with even digits.
3. My first and last digits are identical.
4. My second and third digits are also identical.
5. My first digit is a prime.
6. My second digit is the square of the first digit.
Who am I?
ANSWER: 2442

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Riddle #4
1. I am sensitive to external pressure, including the atmospheric pressure.
2. I am also sensitive to the presence of a second substance.
3. Although I am usually referred to as a point, I am presented as a range.
4. I am a property of all substances especially liquids.
5. I am the temperature at which the vapour pressure of a liquid is equal to the external or atmospheric
pressure.
6. I am a physical characteristic of a pure substance.
Who am I?

ANSWER Boiling Point