CONTEST 21

ROUND 1

1. PREAMBLE: Give me one function each of parenchyma cells.

ANSWERS:
a. Turgidity of the cells gives support to the plant.
b. They conduct water and gases across the plant.
c. Some contain chloroplast and are photosynthetic.
d. Stores food and water.
e. Takes part in wound healing.
2. A group of 40 people contains 2 dozen men. Find the ratio of men to women.
ANSWER: 3 : 2 [ 24 : 16, 3 : 2]
3. A farm has a hundred chickens and ducks and 3 scores are ducks. Find the ratio of chickens
to ducks.
ANSWER: 2 : 3 [ 40 : 60. 2 : 3]
4. In a group of 96 students, 2 scores and 2 dozens are boys. Find the ratio of boys to girls
ANSWER: 2:1 [ 64 : 32, 2 : 1]
5. Which atomic particles did J. J Thompson use in the Cathode Ray experiment and how did he
produce them?
ANSWER: Electrons: By passing electric current at high voltage through a gas.
6. Which atomic particles did Rutherford and co–workers use in the scattering experiment and
how did he produce them?
ANSWER: 1) α-particles
2) Obtained from a radioactive substance
7. What is the main difference between the location of the positive charge in the atom proposed
by J. J Thompson and that proposed by Rutherford and his team?
ANSWER: J. J Thompson proposed that the atom is wholly a spherical mass of
positive charge whilst Rutherford and Co suggested that the positive charge is
located in a small nucleus (which has all the mass of the atom).
8. What is a Wheatstone bridge usually used for?
ANSWER: Resistance measurements
9. Why must one not slide the jockey along the wire of a Wheatstone bridge?
ANSWER: To avoid destroying its uniformity.

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10. How does one determine that a Wheatstone bridge is balanced?
ANSWER: Zero deflection of the galvanometer.
PREAMBLE: Name the type of joints that are found at the following parts of vertebrates.
11. Knee joint
ANSWER: Hinge joint
12. Shoulder joint
ANSWER: Ball and socket
13. Elbow joint
ANSWER: Hinge joint
PREAMBLE: Find the equation of the line passing through the point A and perpendicular to the
given line.
14. x + y = 2, A(2, -2)
ANSWER: y = x – 4 [m = 1, y + 2 = 1(x – 2), y = x – 4]
15. x + 2y = 3 A(3, 1)
ANSWER: y = 2x – 5 [m = 2, y - 1 =2(x – 3) , y = 2x – 5]
16. x – y = 5 A(1, -1)
ANSWER: y = -x [ m = -1, y + 1 = -1(x – 1), y = -x]
17. Explain why the first ionization energy of hydrogen (atomic number 1) is lower than that of
helium (atomic number 2)?
ANSWER: Helium has 2 electrons in the 1s shell. This is a fully filled shell and
it is stable. Taking an electron from it will be more difficult than from the half–
filled one of 1s shell in hydrogen.
18. Explain why the carbon atom (atomic number 6) has a smaller atomic radius than the atom of
boron (atomic number 5)?
ANSWER: carbon has one more proton in its nucleus than boron. The additional
electron enters the same shell (2p) and therefore the pull of the nucleus will be
greater in carbon.
19. Explain why fluorine has an electron affinity of -333kJmol-1 but Neon, the next element in the
Period has an electron affinity of +99kJmol-1?
ANSWER: Fluorine’s valence shell requires one electron for the shell to assume
the stable octet. It will therefore accept an electron readily. Neon atom has an
octet already and adding an electron would require an energy input.

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PREAMBLE: The electrical resistivity of the material of various pieces of wire is

20. Find the resistance of a uniform wire long with a cross sectional area of .

ANSWER:

21. The resistance of a uniform wire long is . Find its cross sectional area.

ANSWER:

22. The resistance of a uniform wire with cross sectional area is . Find its length.

ANSWER:

PREAMBLE: Name the class to which the following organisms belong.

23. Lizard
ANSWER: Reptilia
24. Toad
ANSWER: Amphibia
25. Mosquito
ANSWER: Insecta
PREAMABLE: Simplify the expression:
26. (√21)/(√7)
ANSWER:7 √3
27. (√90)/√(10)
ANSWER: 3
28. (√132)/(√11)
ANSWER: 2√3 or √12
PREAMBLE: Consider the following enthalpies of formation in kJmol-1;
CO2(g) -394, H2O(l) -285, CaO(s) -635, CaCO3(s) -1206,
ethanal(g) -166, ethanol -278.
29. Calculate the enthalpy of combustion of ethanal under standard conditions.
ANSWER: CH3CHO + 5/2 O2 → 2CO2 + 2H2O
∆Hcom = (2*-394 + 2*-285) – (-166) = -1192 or -1.19*103.kJ
30. Calculate the enthalpy change when a mole of solid CaO absorbs gaseous CO 2 to form solid
CaCO3.

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 ANSWER: CaO(s) + CO2(g) → CaCO3(s)
∆Hr = -1206 – (-635 + -394) = -177 or -1.77*102 kJ.
31. Calculate the heat of combustion of ethanol under standard conditions.
ANSWER: CH3CH2OH + 3O2 → 2CO2 + 3H2O.
∆Hcom = (2*-394 + 3*-285) - -278 = -1365 or -1.37*103kJmol-1

32. Convert to .

ANSWER:

33. Convert to .

ANSWER:

34. Convert to .

ANSWER:

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 PROBLEM OF THE DAY

The events A and B are independent with P(A) = P(B).

Given further that , find

i) P(A)

ii) P(AUB)

SOLUTION

i) Let P(A) = P(B) = x

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A and B are independent hence P ( A  B ) P ( A).P ( B )  xx  x (2 MARKS)

x2 = 4/9 and x = 2/3 (2 MARKS)

hence P(A) = 2/3 (1MARK)

ii ) P ( A  B ) P ( A)  P ( B )  P ( A  B ) (2 MARKS)

Hence P(AUB) = 2/3 + 2/3 – 4/9= 4/3 – 4/9 = (12 – 4)/9 = 8/9 (3 MARKS)

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 ROUND 3

True or False

1. The work done by a force equals the product of the force and the distance moved by its point of
application.
ANSWER: False
2. The work of the gravitational force on an object equals zero when the object is displaced
horizontally near the surface of the earth.
ANSWER: True
3. The work done by a force is negative when the point of application of the force is displaced in a
direction opposite to the force.
ANSWER: True
4. Paramecium moves about by means of flagella.
ANSWER: False
5. Paramecium can move forwards and backwards.
ANSWER: True
6. Excretion in paramecium is the same as in Amoeba.
ANSWER: True
7. The midpoint of the hypothenuse of a right angle triangle is equidistant from all three vertices.
ANSWER: True
8. If you multiply the lengths of all three sides of a triangle by the same number, the resulting
triangle will be a larger right angle triangle.
ANSWER: False
9. If you add the same length to each side of a right angle triangle, the resulting triangle will be a
right angle triangle.
ANSWER: False
10. Anthracene has three benzene rings fused together in an angular fashion.
ANSWER: False
11. Naphthalene has only two benzene rings fused together.
ANSWER: True
12. Phenanthrene is another polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon.
ANSWER: True 3 benzene rings fused together.
13. When light passes from water into glass, it is refracted towards the normal.
ANSWER: True

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14. When light is incident from air on a boundary between air and glass at the critical angle, it is
totally reflected.
ANSWER: False
15. When light is incident normally from air on a boundary between air and glass, it is totally
transmitted.
ANSWER: False
16. At all stages in their development tadpoles have external gills for exchange of gases.

ANSWER: False

17. The tadpole possesses horny jaws that enables it to feed on small water animals.

ANSWER: False (for feeding on water weeds)

18. The change of a tadpole to a toad is a form of metamorphosis.

ANSWER: True

19. The domain of the function y = √x is the set of all real numbers.
ANSWER: False
20. The domain of the rational function y = 2/(x2 + 1) is the set of all real numbers.
ANSWER: True
21. The domain of a polynomial function is the set of all real numbers.
ANSWER: True
22. There is more silicon in the earth’s crust than iron.

ANSWER: True (Si 25.7%, Fe 4.7%)

23. There is more CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere than any of the inert gases.

ANSWER: False (Argon 0.934%, CO2 0.04%)

24. The most abundant inert gas in the earth’s atmosphere is helium.

ANSWER: False It is Argon.

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 ROUND 4

Riddles
Riddle #1

1. I am a rule of association between two sets.

2. I am definitely a relation.
3. I am not many to many, and neither am I one to many.
4. I may however be many to one or one to one.
5. Examples of me may be linear, quadratic or trigonometric
Who am I?

ANSWER: Function

Riddle #2
1. I am a multicellular diploid eukaryote.
2. I may be a minute rudimentary plant contained within a seed or an archegonium.
3. I could also be a young animal in an early phase of development in the egg or the womb.
4. The science of the formation and development of me is known as embryology.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Embryo.

Riddle #3
1 I am an organic compound with the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in my molecule.
2 I am quite rich in functional groups.
3 I have two double bonds and an alkanol in my molecule.
4 I have a backbone of six carbons in an open chain.
5 My first carbon which carries the alkanol functional group is just before the first double bond
6 My second double bond is found on the fourth carbon.
What is my systematic name?

ANSWER: 2,4-Hexadien-1-ol Or Hexa-2,4-dien-1-ol.

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Riddle #4

1. I am a particle.
2. I am emitted in certain nuclear reactions.
3. I am positively charged.
4. I am called first.
5. I have a mass of 4 amu.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Alpha particle