CONTEST 49

ROUND 1
1. Name the structure that separates the nucleus from the cytoplasm of the cell.
ANSWER: Nuclear envelope
2. What feature of the nucleus enables it to communicate with the activities in the
cytoplasm?
ANSWER: Nuclear pore
3. Name the two energy-related organelles in living cells
ANSWER: Mitochondria and Chloroplast
4. Duodecane is a saturated hydrocarbon. What will be the molar mass of the alkanol
derived from it? O = 16.0; C = 12.0; H = 1.0.
ANSWER: Duodecane = C12H26 = 144+26
= 170
Alkanol = C12H25OH = C12H26O = 170+16
= 186
5. Calculate the molar mass of an alkene that can be derived from decanol.
O = 16.0; C = 12.0; H = 1.0
ANSWER: Decanol = C10H21OH
Decene = C10H20
= 120+20
= 140
6. What is the molar mass of an alkanone derived from nonane.
O = 16.0; C = 12.0; H= 1.0
ANSWER: Nonane = C9H20 = 108+20 = 128
Alkanone = -2H + O = -2+16 = 14
Hence Alkanone = 128 + 14 = 142.
PREAMBLE: Find the equation of the axis of symmetry of the given curve
7. y = x2 – 6x + 2
ANSWER: x = 3 [y = x2 – 6x + 2 = (x – 3)2 – 7, hence axis of symmetry is x = 3]
8. y = x2 + 2x + 7
ANSWER: x = -1 [y = x2 + 2x + 7 = (x + 1)2 + 6, hence axis of symmetry is x = -1]
9. y = -x2 + 4x – 7

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 ANSWER: x = 2 [y = -x2 + 4x – 7 = -[x2 – 4x + 7] = -[(x – 2)2+ 3], hence x = 2 ]
10. A 2.0 μ F capacitor is connected in series with a 100 Ω resistor and a 20 V battery.
What is the maximum charge the capacitor can have?
ANSWER: 40 μ C
Q=Cε =2.0 μ F × 20 V =40 μ C
11. A 2.0 μ F capacitor is connected in series with a 100 Ω resistor and a battery. What is
the emf of the battery if the maximum charge the capacitor is 100 μ C ?
ANSWER: 50 V
ε =Q / C=100 μ C / 2.0 μ F=50 V
12. A 5.0 μ F capacitor is connected in series with a 10 Ω resistor and a 40 V battery.
What is the maximum charge the capacitor can have?
ANSWER: 200 μ C
Q=Cε =5.0 μ F × 40 V =200 μ C
13. PREAMBLE: Name one stage each of the three stages of the Calvin Cycle of
photosynthesis.
ANSWERS:
a. CO2 fixation
b. CO2 reduction
c. Regeneration of RuBP (Ribulose Biphosphate)
14. Give the product of reaction when 1-butene decolourises bromine in
trichloromethane.
ANSWER: 1, 2-dibromobutane.
15. Ethene decolourises cold KMnO4 solution. What is the product formed.
ANSWER: 1, 2-Ethandiol/Ethylene glycol.
16. 1-Propene will decolourise bromine water. What will be the product formed?
ANSWER: 1-Bromo-2-propanol.
17. Find the scale of a map if a distance of 200 km is represented by 5cm on the map.
ANSWER: 1: 4,000,000 [ 5cm : 200 x 1000 x 100 cm, 5 : 20,000,000,
1 : 4,000,000]
18. Find the scale of a map if a distance of 60 km is represented by 12 cm on the map.
ANSWER: 1 : 500,000 [ 12 cm : 60 x 1000 x 100 cm, 12 : 6,000,000,
1 : 50,000]

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19. The scale of a map is 1 : 300,000. Find the actual distance in km represented by 3
cm on the map.
ANSWER: 9 km [ 3 x 300,000 cm = 9000 m = 9 km ]
PREAMBLE: At a certain instant a 3.0 C charge of mass 4.0 kg is moving in the positive
x direction with speed 2.0 m / s in a uniform 0.50 T magnetic field directed in the positive y
direction. No other fields are present.
20. What is the magnitude of the magnetic force on the charge?
ANSWER: 3.0 N
F=|q v × B|=qvB=3.0 C × 2.0 m / s ×0.50 T =3.0 N
21. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the charge?
ANSWER: 0.75 m / s2
2
a=F / m=3.0 N ÷ 4.0 kg=0.75 m / s
22. What is the speed of the charge after 5 s ?
ANSWER: 2.0 m / s
The acceleration is radial so no change in speed occurs.
23. What is the name given to the male reproductive organ of the moss?
ANSWER: Antheridia
24. What is the name of the male gametes in mosses?
ANSWER: Antherozoids
25. What name is given to the fine threads with which Paramecium defends itself
against enemies?
ANSWER: Trichocysts
26. Explain why standard enthalpies of formation of H2, N2, and O2 and graphite are all
zero?
ANSWER: By convention, the standard enthalpies of formation of all elements
in their most stable forms are set to be zero.
27. State how the chemical energy in matches is transformed when a match is struck
ANSWER: Chemical energy is transformed into a) light energy b)
heat energy and c) sound energy.
28. When a reaction mixture in a flask explodes what are the most obvious chemical
energy transformations?

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 ANSWER: Chemical energy is transformed into a) sound energy b)
mechanical energy c) ( kinetic energy +potential energy)
PREAMBLE: Find the integral

29.

ANSWER:

30.

ANSWER:

31.

ANSWER:
32. Name the region near the metallurgical junction of a p-n device where no free
charge carriers exist.
ANSWER: Depletion layer
33. Which of the following best describes the electrical behavior of the depletion layer of
a p-n junction: metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
ANSWER: Insulator
34. Give the bias condition needed to operate a p-n junction as a capacitor.
ANSWER: Reverse bias
35. Name the phase of mitosis where chromosomes are aligned at the spindle
ANSWER: Metaphase
36. Name the phase of mitosis where daughter chromatids separate and become
daughter chromosomes
ANSWER: Anaphase
37. Name the phase of mitosis where the nucleolus disappears, and the nuclear
envelope break down.
ANSWER: Prophase.
38. Hydrogen could be placed in two possible Groups of the Periodic Table. Which
Groups are these?
ANSWER: Group 1 and Group 7 (or 17)

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39. Why is fluorine more electronegative than chlorine?
ANSWER: Fluorine has a smaller atomic radius than chlorine. The positive
nucleus has greater pull on the in-coming electron.
40. Even though lithium belongs to Group 1 of the Periodic Table, its compounds have
high degree of covalency. Explain
ANSWER: Li+ ion is small and therefore possesses high charge density and
hence high polarising power.
PREAMBLE: Factorise completely

41.

ANSWER: [ ]

42.

ANSWER: [ ]

43.

ANSWER: [ ]
44. What type of semiconductor dopant is called acceptor?
ANSWER: One which accepts electrons (thereby producing excess holes in the
valence band)
45. What type of semiconductor is formed by doping an intrinsic semiconductor with
acceptor atoms?
ANSWER: P-type
46. What type of semiconductor dopant is called donor?
ANSWER: One which donates electrons (thereby producing excess electrons in
the conduction band)

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 ROUND 2
PROBLEM OF THE DAY

Two schools are to be merged into one school of 1000 students in which 42% will
be girls.
One of the schools has a 10% girls student population and the other school has a
90% girls student population.
Find the student population in each of the two schools.

SOLUTION:
Let the schools be A and B
Let school A have x students (1 Mark)
Then school B has (1000 – x) students (1 Mark)
For the totality of girls in the two schools, we have

0.1)x + (0.9)(1000 – x) = (0.42)(1,000) (2 Marks)

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 ROUND 3
TRUE/FALSE
1. Protein can be hydrolysed by both aqueous acids and aqueous bases
ANSWER: True
2. The functional group that unites the α-amino acids in the protein molecule is the
carbonyl.
ANSWER: False It is the amide.
3. Proteins are linear molecules
ANSWER: False
4. An isosceles triangle fits its outline in only one position
ANSWER: FALSE [Fits outline in two positions]
5. A rhombus fits its outline in four positions
ANSWER: TRUE
6. A kite fits its outline in two positions
ANSWER: TRUE
7. The mass of a stable atomic nucleus equals the sum of the masses of the protons
and neutrons it contains.
ANSWER: False
8. The difference between the mass of an atomic nucleus and the sum of the masses
of the protons and neutrons it contains is a measure of the binding energy of the
nucleus.
ANSWER: True
9. The mass of an atom is less than the sum of the masses of the electrons and
nucleus it contains.
ANSWER: True
10. The family is a higher taxonomic level which includes several related genera.
ANSWER: True
11. The Linnaeus taxonomic system does not specify a name unique to each organism.
ANSWER: False
12. Taxonomy attempts to describe natural selection among organisms.
ANSWER: False

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13. CaO is amphoteric.
ANSWER: False It is basic.
14. Al2O3 is amphoteric.
ANSWER: True
15. Silica is an acid
ANSWER: True It reacts with CaO.
16. In a circle equal chords subtend equal arcs.
ANSWER: True
17. In a circle, the diameter subtends a right angle on the circumference.
ANSWER: True
18. Opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral are complementary.
ANSWER: False [They are supplementary ]
19. The acceleration of a particle undergoing simple harmonic oscillations is proportional
and opposite to the displacement of the particle.
ANSWER: True
20. The velocity of a particle undergoing simple harmonic oscillations is zero when the
displacement of the particle is zero.
ANSWER: False
21. The kinetic energy of a particle undergoing simple harmonic oscillations is largest
when the displacement of the particle is zero.
ANSWER: True
22. In humans blood flows from the body back to the heart through the arteries.
ANSWER: False
23. Birds and mammals have fully separated pulmonary and systemic circuits
ANSWER: True
24. In humans, the left ventricle pumps blood through the pulmonary circuit
ANSWER: False …. Right Ventricle

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 ROUND 4
RIDDLES
RIDDLE 1
1. I am a process, rather than a physical part of a body
2. I am a fact of life that has been accepted by many scientists who have tackled
the world of living organisms
3. Evolution enables species to change, but I contribute to their fitness and survival
4. I give rise to adaptive traits, which may be structural, behavioral or physiological.
5. I am the modifications that make living organisms suited to their way of life
WHO AM I?
ANSWER: Adaptation

RIDDLE 2
1. My name suggests things depend on me.
2. I am associated with exponentials, logarithms and number systems.
3. For an exponential, I am the lower term or number.
4. For the common logarithm, I am ten.
5. For the binary system, I am two.
6. In a laboratory, I turn litmus paper blue.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Base

RIDDLE 3
1. I am made up of penta-atomic molecules
2. One of my elements is the last but one member of Group 7 or 17
3. I am a strong acid and a good oxidizing agent at the same time.
4. I myself am a product of oxidation.
5. Trioxo should be part of my systematic name
6. I am definitely a member of the Bronsted-Lowry club in good standing
Who am I?
ANSWER: HIO3 or Trioxoiodate (V) acid.

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RIDDLE 4
1. I am a property of certain particles.
2. I am quantized.
3. I come in two kinds.
4. I determine the force a particle experiences when placed in an electric field.
5. The larger my magnitude, the greater the magnitude of the force the particle
experiences.
Who am I?
ANSWER: (Electric) charge

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