CONTEST 23

ROUND 1

1. Which of the following agents is likely to disperse fruits or seeds that possess air spaces?
ANSWER: a. Wind. b. Birds c. Water d. Mammals
2. In vegetative propagation, which of the following requires part of another plant to develop?
ANSWER: a. Corm. b. Bulb c. Rhizome d. Scion
3. Which of the following relationships involves only one organism?
ANSWER: a Epiphytism b. Mutualism c. Parasitism d. Saprophytism
4. The gravitational potential at a point outside a spherical mass is

ANSWER:

5. A probe orbits a celestial object at in a circular orbit where the gravitational potential is

. Find the gravitational potential energy of the probe.

ANSWER:

6. A object moving instantaneously at has a gravitational potential energy of .

Find the gravitational potential at its location.

ANSWER:

PREAMBLE: Evaluate x given that consecutive terms of a linear sequence are

7. x + 3, 2x + 1, 4x – 5
ANSWER: x = 4 [2(2x + 1) = (x + 3) + (4x – 5), 5x – 4x = 2 + 5 – 3 = 4, x = 4]
8. 2x – 7, x + 5, 3x – 1
ANSWER: x = 6 [2(x + 5) = (2x – 7) + (3x – 1), 5x – 2x = 10 + 8, 3x = 18, x = 6]
9. x – 4, x + 2, 3x
ANSWER: x = 4
[2(x + 2) = (x – 4) + 3x, 4x – 2x = 4 + 4, 2x = 8, x = 4]
PREAMBLE: Steam reacts with methane in a reversible reaction equation below.
CH4 (g) + H2O (g) → CO (g) + 3 H2 (g)
10. Give the expression for the Kc of the reaction when it is in equilibrium.
ANSWER: Kc = [CO][H2]3/[CH4][H2O]
11. Give the relationship between the Kc and Kp of the reaction.
 ANSWER: Kp = Kc(RT)∆n where ∆n is the difference in the number of
gaseous products and gaseous reactants
Therefore, Kp = Kc(RT)2
12. Predict the effect of increased pressure on the equilibrium.
ANSWER: Increase in pressure will shift the equilibrium to the left/reactants
13. Name one of the four important organs that are situated close to the stomach.
ANSWERS:
a) Gall bladder
b) Pancreas
c) Spleen
d) Liver
PREAMBLE: Find the time constant of the given circuit.
14. resistor in series with capacitor.

Ans:

15. Parallel combination of two resistors in series with capacitor.

Ans:

16. resistor in series with a parallel combination of two capacitors.

Ans:

PREAMBLE: In the binary system, find the number of digits of the given decimal number
17. 8010
ANSWER: 7
[highest power of 2 less than 80 is 64 = 26, hence no of digits is 6 + 1 = 7
18. 4810
ANSWER: 6
[highest power of 2 less than 48 is 32 = 25, hence no of digits is 5 + 1 = 6]
19. 13210
ANSWER: 8
[highest power of 2 less than 132 is 128 = 27, hence no of digits is 7 + 1= 8]
PREAMBLE: Consider the following bond energies in kJmol-1
C = C 602, C – C 346, C – O 358, H – O 459, C – H 411
20. Calculate the energy required to break all the necessary bonds when a mole of steam is make to
react with ethane to form ethanol.
ANSWER: H2C = CH2 + H2O → CH3 – CH2OH
Bonds broken: C=C = 602
H–O = 459
Total = 1061
Energy required is 1061 kJmol-1 or 1.06*103kJmol-1
21. Calculate the enthalpy change for the formation of all the necessary bonds in that reaction
ANSWER: Bond formed: C – C 346
C – O 358
C – H 411
Total = 1115
Enthalpy change = -1115 kJmol-1 or -1.12*103 kJmol-1
22. If the enthalpy change for the breaking of all the necessary bonds is 1061 kJ and same for the
formation of the necessary bonds is – 1115 kJmol-1, how much energy is given out when
ANSWER: For 1 mole of ethene, heat given out = 1061 - 1115 = - 54
560 g of ethene = 560/28 mol = 20
Heat given out = -54*20 = - 1080 kJ or - 1.08*103 kJ
 ROUND 2 - SPEED ROUND

1. What fraction of the offspring resulting from a heterozygous’ heterozygous dihybrid cross are
homozygous recessive for both traits?
ANSWER: 1/16 or one-sixteenth
2. Why does fatigue of leg muscles occur in long distance runners?
ANSWER: Insufficient supply of oxygen
3. How many different phenotypes can be produced by a pair of alleles that are co-dominant?
ANSWER: Three (3)
4. Give the product containing lithium when lithium trioxocarbonate (IV) is heated
ANSWER: Li2O or lithium oxide. (Other product is CO2)
5. Give the product that contains nitrogen when lithium trioxonitrate (V) is heated
ANSWER: Nitrogen (IV) oxide or NO2. (Other products are Li2O and O2)
6. When sodium trioxonitrate (V) is heated it gives two products, one being oxygen gas. What is the
other product?
Ans: NaNO2 or sodium dioxonitrate (III)

7. What is the speed of a particle whose velocity vector is .

ANSWER:

8. Define the unified atomic mass unit.

ANSWER: the mass of one atom of carbon-12 in its ground state

Do not accept carbon or carbon nucleus.

9. Find the power developed in bringing a object at rest to a speed of in .

ANSWER:

10. Find the integral

ANSWER: x4 + x3 + C
11. The measures of angles in a triangle are in the ratio 2 : 3 : 4. Find the measure of the least angle
ANSWER: 40° [ (2/9) x 180 = 2 x 20 = 40
12. Solve the quadratic equation (2x – 3)2 = 25
 ANSWER: x = 4, or x = -1
[ 2x – 3 = ±5, 2x – 3 = 5 and x = 4, 2x – 3 = -5, 2x = -2, x = - 1]
ROUND 3

PROBLEM OF THE DAY

You have been provided with a solid mixture of two inorganic salts, salt A which is fairly soluble

in water and salt B which is not so soluble in water. You are required to perform a fractional

crystallization using water as solvent to separate the salts. Describe in detail how this will be

done.

SOLUTION

1. Some volume of water is heated on a Bunsen burner or a hot plate

2. The solid mixture is transferred into a beaker

3. A small volume of the hot water is added to the beaker and the mixture stirred

with a glass rod

4. More hot water is added in small volumes

5. After each addition the mixture is stirred

6. When almost all the solid has gone into solution, the hot solution is filtered and

the filter paper washed with small amount of hot water into a conical flask

7. The conical flask is covered and left on the bench or cupboard to cool

8. Salt B crystallizes out first. It is filtered off and washed with cold water through a

fluted filter paper

9. The filtrate in the conical flask is placed in ice/water mixture or in the fridge

10. Salt A crystallizes and filtered and washed

11. Both salts are dried and stored in labeled sample bottles or sample tubes
ROUND 4

TRUE OR FALSE
PREAMBLE: State whether the following statements about the pyrenoid layer in spirogyra are true or
false.
1. It excretes waste products.
ANSWER: False
2. It is mainly used for respiration.
ANSWER: False
3. It usually contains starch.
ANSWER:True
4. Electron affinity of phosphorus is expected to be larger than that of nitrogen.
ANSWER: True
5. Electron affinity of sulphur is less than that of phosphorus.
ANSWER: False S > P
6. The more negative the electron affinity of an atom, the easier it is to add an electron to the neutral
atom.
ANSWER: True
7. The acceleration of a projectile is greatest at the highest point of its parabolic path when air
resistance is negligible.
ANSWER: False
8. The acceleration of a projectile is zero at the highest point of its parabolic path when air
resistance is negligible. `
ANSWER: False
9. The acceleration of a projectile is directed upward in the downward flight.
ANSWER: False
10. If a function has an inverse, then it is one to one.
ANSWER: True
11. If a function is onto, then it has an inverse.
ANSWER: False
12. If a function is one to one, then it has an inverse.
ANSWER: False
13. Arachnids are mostly herbivorous.
 ANSWER: False

14. Arachnids do not possess antennae.

ANSWER: True
15. Arachnids have two kinds of eyes, the lateral and median ocelli.
ANSWER: True
16. Generally cations have larger ionic radii than the radii of corresponding neutral atoms.
ANSWER: False
17. Enthalpy of atomization is the energy required to break up a crystal structure into its component
gaseous units.
ANSWER: False (That is lattice energy)
18. A sodium atom has a bigger radius than aluminum.
ANSWER: True Na > Al
19. Rays parallel and close to the principal axis of a concave mirror are reflected to pass through
the centre of curvature of the mirror.
ANSWER: False
20. Rays passing through the centre of curvature of a concave mirror are reflected to pass
through the focus of the mirror.
ANSWER: False
21. Rays incident at the pole of a concave mirror are reflected to make an equal angle with the
principal axis as the incident rays.
ANSWER: True
22. Points in a plane equidistant from a fixed point in the plane lie on a sphere.
ANSWER: False
23. Points in space equidistant from any fixed point lie on a sphere.
ANSWER: True
24. The surface area of a sphere varies as the square of its radius.
ANSWER: True
ROUND 5
RIDDLES
RIDDLE 1
1. I am a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure.
2. I typically function as foil that produce lift or thrust.
3. I may be a membranous appendage extending from the body of some organisms.
4. I am an organ of locomotion and balance in some aquatic animals.
5. In most fishes, I may be paired or unpaired.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Fin

RIDDLE 2
1. I am a member of the Main Group Elements in the Periodic Table.
2. My symbol is derived from my Latin name which means MARK.
3. I am not abundant in the earth’s crust but I am found in over 100 minerals.
4. I belong to Group 5 or 15 of the Periodic Table.
5. I am the heavier of the two semi–metals in that Group with atomic number 51.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Antimony (Sb)
RIDDLE 3

1. I am a space curve.
2. Associated with objects that move under gravity.
3. I have an axis of symmetry.
4. Which separates upward motion from downward motion.
5. I am an open curve,
6. The trajectory of projectiles near the surface of the earth.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Parabola

RIDDLE 4
1. I am a four sided figure.
2. You can say I am a quadrilateral.
3. My diagonals bisect each other perpendicularly.
4. My diagonals are not congruent.
5. You can say I am equilateral.
Who am I ?
ANSWER: Rhombus