CONTEST15

ROUND 1

1. Name the complex linear molecule that is responsible for heredity.

ANSWER: DNA

2. Name the nitrogenous base that is present in DNA but absent in RNA.

ANSWER: Thymine

3. Name the nitrogenous base that is present in RNA but absent in DNA.

ANSWER: Uracil

4. What radiation is produced when fast cathode rays decelerate in matter?

ANSWER: X-rays

5. Name the electromagnetic radiation emitted by radioactive nuclei.

ANSWER: -rays

6. What radiation is emitted when hard x-rays are absorbed in matter?

ANSWER: X-rays
More precisely, characteristic x-rays are emitted.

7. In which of these polygons do the diagonals always intersect at right angles?

A) Rectangle, B) Trapezium, C) Kite, D) Quadrilateral

ANSWER: KITE

8. In which of these polygons do the diagonals bisect the angles at their ends?
A) Parallelogram, B) Trapezium C) Rhombus, D) Rectangle

ANSWER: RHOMBUS

9. In which of these polygons are the opposite sides neither parallel nor congruent?
A) Parallelogram, B) Rhombus, C) Rectangle, D) Kite

ANSWER: KITE

10. Name the type of cells that make up the cortex of plants.

ANSWER: parenchyma

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 11. Name the part of roots where lateral roots arise.

ANSWER: Pericycle

12. The cluster of thin even-sized roots which develops from the base of the stem is
known as

ANSWER: Fibrous roots

13. What logic gate is obtained when a NOT gate is connected to the output of an AND gate?

ANSWER: NAND

14. What logic gate is obtained when a NOT gate is connected to the output of a NOR gate?

ANSWER: OR

15. What logic gate is obtained by joining the inputs of a NAND gate?

ANSWER: NOT

16. Name the principal chemical constituent of clay.

ANSWER: Aluminium trioxosilicate Al2(SiO3)2

17. In the manufacture of cement limestone, sand and alumina are heated together until
the materials fuse to form granules. Give one possible chemical; component of
cement

ANSWER: Calcium trioxosilicate CaSiO3 Calcium dioxoaluminate Ca(AlO2)2

18. Name one of the chemical components of bleaching powder.

ANSWER: Calcium oxochlorate Ca(ClO)2 Calcium chloride CaCl2

Calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2

Find the next term of the sequence

19. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, . . .

ANSWER: 8 [3 + 5 = 8 ]

20. 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, . . .

ANSWER: 17 [differences are 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . hence 12 + 5 = 17]

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 21. 1, 9, 25, 49, 81, . . .

ANSWER: 121 [ 11, 32, 52, 72, 92, hence 112 = 121 ]

22. A compound was wrongly named as 3,3-dimethybutane. What should be the actual
name?

ANSWER: 2,2-dimethylbutane

23. A compound was wrongly named as 3,4-dimethylpentane. What should be its actual
name?

ANSWER: 2,3-dimethylpentane

24. A compound was wrongly named as 2-hydroxy-3-methylbutane. What should be its

actual name?

ANSWER: 3-methylbutan-2-ol or 3-methyl-2-butanol

Fill in the Blanks

25.The body of paramecium is covered by a thin flexible structure known
as…….

ANSWER: Pellicle

26.Paramecium discharges undigested wastes at a fixed point on the body

known as………

ANSWER: Anal Pore

27.Name the structure that is responsible for excretion in paramecium.

ANSWER: Contractile vacuole

28. An ammeter has an internal resistance of and full-scale deflection at . What

shunt resistance is required for full-scale deflection at ?

ANSWER:
and so

29. An ammeter withan internal resistance of and full-scale deflection at is to be

used as a voltmeter. What multiplier is required for full-scale deflection at ?

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ANSWER:
At full scale, the total resistance required for a 5 V input is so the
multiplier resistance is

30. A voltmeter with internal resistance and full-scale deflection of is to be used to

measure voltages up to ? What multiplier is needed?

ANSWER:
Current at full scale must be , so total resistance needed at
is , of which is internal. The multiplier resistance is
.

Find the stationary points of the given curve

31. y = x3 – 3x2 + 6

ANSWER: (0, 6) and (2, 2)

[dy/dx = 3x2 - 6x = 0, 3x(x – 2) = 0, hence x = 0, x = 2
For x = 0, y = 6 and for x = 2 y = 8 – 12 + 6 = 2, points are (0, 6) and (2, 2) ]

32. y = 3x – x3

ANSWER: (1, 2) and (-1, -2)

[ dy/dx = 3 – 3x2 =0, hence x2 = 1, and x = 1, x = -1
For x = 1, y = 3 – 1 = 2, and for x = -1, y = -3 + 1= -2, points are (1, 2)
and (-1, -2)

33. y = x + 1/x

ANSWER: (1, 2) and (-1, -2)

[ dy/dx = 1 – 1/x2 = 0, x2 = 1 and x = 1, x = -1
For x = 1, y = 1 + 1 = 2, and for x = 1, y = -1 + -1 = -2, points are (1, 2)
and (-1, -2)]

34. Which element is the last member of Group 3 (old) or Group 13 (new)

ANSWER: Thallium Tl

35. Which element is third member of Group 4 (old) or Group 14 (new)

ANSWER: Germanium Ge

36. Which element is the last member of Group 2 (old or new).

ANSWER: Radium Ra

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 37. The motor and sensory neurons form which type of nervous system in vertebrates.

ANSWER:. Peripheral Nervous system

38. Which name is given to a specific form of energy that is detected by a receptor?

ANSWER: Stimulus

39. What name is given to conscious awareness of a stimulus?

ANSWER: Sensation

40. A converging lens has a focal length of . Where is the image formed by an axial
object from the lens?

ANSWER: from the lens on the other side of the lens

so .

41. A diverging lens has a focal length of . Where is the image formed by an axial object
from the lens?

ANSWER: from the lens on the same side of the lens as the object
so .

42. A converging lens has a focal length of . Where is the image formed by an axial
object from the lens?

ANSWER: from the lens on the same side of the lens as the object
so .

43. Find the equation of a circle with a diameter whose end points are A(2, 0) and B(6,
0).

ANSWER: (x – 4)2 + y2 = 4
[centre (4, 0) radius = 4 – 2 = 2, hence (x – 4)2 + y2 = 22 ]

44. Find the equation of a circle with centre (4, 5) and which touches the x- axis

ANSWER: (x – 4)2 + (y – 5)2 = 25

[ centre (4, 5) and radius = 5, hence (x – 4)2 + (y – 5)2 = 25 ]

45. Find the equation of the circle of radius 4, lying in the first quadrant and touching
both the x- and y- axes.

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 ANSWER: (x – 4)2 + (y – 4)2 = 16
[ center (4, 4), radius = 4, hence (x – 4)2 + (y – 4)2 = 16 ]

46. The electrode potentials of the half cells Br2/Br- and I2/I- are 1.07 and 0.54 volts
respectively. Give the balanced equation for the chemical reaction of a voltaic cell
that can be created from the two half-cells and calculate the its initial maximum emf.

ANSWER: Equation is Br2 + 2I- → 2Br- + I2

Emf = 1.07 – 0.54 = 0.53 volts

47. The electrode potentials of two half cells, A/A- and B+/B are -0.30 and 0.84 volts
respectively. Give the balanced equation for the chemical reaction of a voltaic cell
that can be created from the two half-cells and indicate the anode of the cell.

ANSWER: Equation is B+ + A- → B + A

Anode = oxidation, hence electrode has to be Pt or any inert

material since A cannot be a metal/ A is a non-metal

48. Calculate the emf of a voltaic cell with whose cell reaction is as follows:

H2 + I2 → 2HI

given that the electrode potential of I2/I- is 1.02 volt

ANSWER: H2 - 2e → 2H+ 0.00 volt

I2 + 2e → 2I- 1.02 volt

Emf = 1.02 volt

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 PROBLEM OF THE DAY

You needed some naphthalene, a solid, for an experiment but were

informed that the only sample available at the chemical store was

contaminated with aniline. You agreed to go for it and purify it.

Explain in detail how you would get rid of the aniline.

SOLUTION
1. Dissolve the impure naphthalene in a suitable organic solvent.

2. Add mineral acid, eg dil. HCl, about 10 -20% the volume of the organic solution

in a separating funnel and shake the mixture.

3. Separate the organic layer from the aqueous layer

4. Repeat the extraction of the aniline with mineral acid about two more times.

5. Wash the organic layer with small volume of deionized water.

6. Repeat the washing two or three times.

7. Dry the organic layer with anhydrous Na2SO4 or MgSO4

8. Filter off the solid.

9. Distill off the organic solvent till a residue of naphthalene is obtained.

10. Recrystallise the crude naphthalene using a suitable solvent

11. Dry the crystals in a desiccator or spread over filter paper in the air.

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ROUND 3 – True or False

1. Single celled organisms digest their food extracellularly

ANSWER: FALSE
2. Mammals digest their food intracellularly
ANSWER: FALSE
3. The most primitive digestive tract is seen in nematodes
ANSWER: TRUE
4. Adventitious roots develop from other roots
ANSWER: FALSE
5. Fibrous roots develop from adventitious roots
ANSWER: TRUE
6. Root hairs are extensions of epidermal cells
ANSWER: TRUE
7. Acceptor impurities in a semiconductor create excess electrons in the conduction band.
ANSWER: : FALSE

8. An extrinsic semiconductor has no charge carriers.

ANSWER: : FALSE
9. A compensated semiconductor has equal concentration of electrons and holes.
ANSWER: TRUE
10. In uniform acceleration velocity varies linearly with time.

ANSWER: TRUE
11. In uniform motion, velocity varies linearly with time.
ANSWER: FALSE
12. In uniform acceleration, displacement varies partially as the square of time.

ANSWER: TRUE

13. The products of fermentation are ethanol and CO2.

ANSWER: FALSE It includes energy

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14. The products of mild hydrolysis of nucleic acids are nucleotides

ANSWER: TRUE

15. The products of hydrolysis of cellulose and starch are the same

ANSWER: FALSE The two give different isomers of glucose

16. The hybridization of the carbon in the cyanide ion is sp2

ANSWER: FALSE carbon is sp

17. The hybridization of the nitrogen in amines is sp2

ANSWER: FALSE N is sp3

18. The hybridization of the carbon in the carbonyl group is sp3

ANSWER: FALSE Carbon is sp2

19. is an irrational number

ANSWER: TRUE
20. is a rational number
ANSWER: FALSE [It is an irrational number]
21. The number 5301 is a prime number
ANSWER: FALSE [ It is divisible by 3 and 9 since sum of digits is 9]
22. A pentagon is regular if its sides are congruent.
ANSWER: TRUE
23. A hexagon is regular if its angles are congruent.
ANSWER: FALSE [angles are congruent and sides are also congruent]
24. Any two squares are similar
ANSWER: FALSE

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ROUND 4 – Riddles
Riddle #1
1. I am a colourless gas with boiling point -61oC
2. I am only slightly soluble in in water and can be removed from water by boiling
3. I burn in air with a blue flame
4. I am a combination of two non-metallic elements
5. I have a characteristically bad smell that can be detected in very small amounts
6. Chemically I am a weak acid and also a reducing agent
WHO AM I?
ANSWER: H2S or hydrogen sulphide
Riddle #2
1. I am a 3-digit number.
2. I am an exact square of an odd prime number.
3. The sum of my digits is 19 and the sum of my first two digits is 10.
4. My first digit is the base of the binary system.
5. My second digit is an even cube.
6. My last digit is an odd square.

WHO AM I?
ANSWER: 289

Riddle #3
1. I am a physical property of substances.
2. My value depends on the type of substance.
3. My value also depends on temperature.
4. For metals, my value usually decreases as temperature increases.
5. I determine how well a substance conducts electricity.
6. If my value for a substance is high, the substance is a good conductor of electricity.
WHO AM I?
ANSWER: Electrical conductivity

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Riddle #4

1. I am a six letter word

2. The first four letters of my name signifies a pastime or sport
3. I am normally of two types
4. Plants and animals need me when it comes to sexual reproduction
5. My brother and I fuse to form a zygote, which is the first cell of an individual

WHO AM I?

ANSWER: Gamete

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