SHORTCUT TRIAL CONTEST 9
ROUND 1 – FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS
Preamble: Rutherford and Soddy, in 1903, postulated that radioactivity is a nuclear
phenomenon and all the radioactive changes are taking place in the nucleus of the atom. The
postulates are organized into the theory of radioactive disintegration. State one of the main
postulates of this theory.
1. The atomic nuclei of the radioactive elements are unstable and liable to disintegrate any
moment.
2. The disintegration is spontaneous, i.e. constantly breaking. The rate of breaking is not
affected by external factors like temperature, pressure, chemical combination, etc.
3. During disintegration, atoms of new elements called daughter elements having different
physical and chemical properties than the parent element come into existence.
4. During disintegration, either alpha or beta particles are emitted from the nucleus.
Preamble: Find the inverse of the given logarithmic function.
1 𝟑𝟐𝒙+𝟓
1. 𝑦 = 2 log3(2𝑥 − 5) Ans: 𝒚 = 𝟐
𝟏𝟎−𝟑𝒙−𝟐
2. 𝑦 = − 1 𝑙𝑜𝑔(5𝑥 + 2) Ans: 𝒚 =
𝟓
3
𝟏
(𝒙+𝟕)
𝟑𝟓
3. 𝑦 = 5 log 3 (4𝑥) − 7 Ans: 𝒚 =
𝟒
Preamble: Insulin actions is opposed by a number of other counterregulatory hormones.
Provide one each example of these counterregulatory hormones.
1. Glucagon
2. Cortisol
3. Catecholamines (adrenaline, noradrenaline)
4. Vasopressin
5. Growth hormones
1. A 8 kg object is at rest on a plane inclined at 45° to the horizontal. Find the magnitude of
the friction force on the object.
Ans: 60N
2. A 3.6 kg object is at rest on a plane inclined at 60.0° to the horizontal. Find the
magnitude of the normal force on the object.
SHORTCUT TRIAL CONTEST 9
Ans: 18 N
3. A 16 kg object is at rest on a plane inclined at 30° to the horizontal. Find the magnitude
of the friction force on the object.
Ans: 80 N
Preamble: Identify the most electropositive element and calculate its oxidation number in the
given complex.
1. [𝐻𝑔(𝐶𝑁)4]2−
Ans: Mecury (Hg) in the +2 state
2. [𝐶𝑜(𝑁𝐻3)2𝐶𝑙4]−
Ans: Cobalt (Co) in the +3 state
3. [𝑃𝑡𝐶𝑙6]2−
Ans: Platinum (Pt) in the +4 state
Preamble: Find the exact change in the area of a square if the side changes from:
1. 7.15𝑐𝑚 𝑡𝑜 7.10𝑐𝑚 Ans: 𝟎. 𝟕𝟏𝟐𝟓 𝒄𝒎𝟐
2. 6.50𝑐𝑚 𝑡𝑜 6.00𝑐𝑚 Ans: 𝟔. 𝟐𝟓 𝒄𝒎𝟐
3. 5.85𝑐𝑚 𝑡𝑜 5.55𝑐𝑚 Ans: 𝟑. 𝟒𝟐 𝒄𝒎𝟐
Preamble: Explain the difference between the following,
1. Toxins and toxicants
Ans: Toxins are natural products such as the ones found in snakes’ venom, plants etc.
Toxicants are synthetic products (artificially made) that would cause undesirable effects.
Example pesticides.
2. Contaminant and pollutant
Ans: contaminants are not readily present naturally but are introduced in the system
through human activities. Pollutants on the other hand can exist naturally or
synthetically by human activities.
3. Venom and Poison
Ans: Venoms are mostly susceptible to the GIT dues to their chemical structure of larger
or complex protein molecules hence would likely cause adverse effect upon direct
injection into blood streams while Poison on the other hand can produce more toxic
metabolite when introduced into the GIT or absorbed through the skin.
SHORTCUT TRIAL CONTEST 9
1. Find the magnitude of the magnetic force on a 0.50 m section of a straight conductor
carrying a current of 5.0 A that lies perpendicular to a uniform 0.80 T magnetic field.
Ans: 2.0 N
2. Find the magnitude of the magnetic force on a 0.80 m section of a straight conductor
carrying a current of 5.0 A that makes an angle of 30° to a uniform 0.80 T magnetic field.
Ans: 1.6 N
3. Find the magnitude of the magnetic force on a 0.50 m section of a straight conductor
carrying a current of 6.0 A that makes an angle of 30° to a uniform 4.0 T magnetic field.
Ans: 6.0 N
SHORTCUT TRIAL CONTEST 9
ROUND 2 – SPEED RACE
1. Determine the sum of the stoichiometric coefficients of all reactants and products in the
balanced equation for the complete combustion of propylmethanoate.
Ans; 14
2. What band or region of the electromagnetic spectrum contains the Paschen series of
hydrogen spectral lines?
Ans; Infrared region
3. How many electrons are present in the balanced half equation for the reduction of IO3-
to I-?
Ans: 6 electrons
4. In how many ways can a committee of 4 be formed from 4 men and 5 women if two
particular women must not be on the committee and the same number of each sex must
be present.
Ans: 18 ways
5. Determine the length of the tangent to the circle 𝑥2 + 𝑦2 + 5𝑥 − 7𝑦 + 25 = 0 at the
point 𝑃(0,0) from the circle.
Ans: 5 units
6. What is the nth term of a sequence whose sum is given by 𝑆𝑛 = 12𝑛2 − 5𝑛 + 3.
Ans: 𝑼𝒏 = 𝟐𝟒𝒏 − 𝟏𝟕
7. Explain how the sensory receptors for taste and smell interact to contribute to the
perception of flavor.
Ans; the integration of taste and smell occurs in the brain where signals from both
receptors converge in the gustatory and olfactory cortices to integrate flavor perception.
8. Name the bond that forms between the hydroxyl group and an adjacent hydrogen
molecule in a tertiary protein.
Ans; Hydrogen bond
9. What type of epithelia is found within the proximal convoluted tubules?
Ans, Simple cuboidal
10. The velocity of a 4.0 kg object moving along a straight line is given by V(t) = at + bt2
where a=0.5 ms-2 and b=2.0 ms-3. Find the force on the object at t=2.0 s.
Ans: 34 N
11. Find the wavelength at which the spectral radiancy is maximum, for a blackbody at
7250 K.
Ans: 4.00 x 10-7m = 0.4 um
12. The surface gravity of a round celestial object of radius 860 km is 0.50 m s−2. Find the
gravitational potential on the object’s surface.
Ans: 430 kgm2s-2 / 430 kJ/kg
SHORTCUT TRIAL CONTEST 9
ROUND 3 – PROBLEM OF THE DAY
Use the information below to trace the path of food through the
alimentary canal of mammals. List the different regions where
chemical digestion and mechanical digestion take place and where
water is absorbed
Anus, Caecum, Colon, Duodenum, Ileum, Mouth, Oesophagus,
Pharynx, Rectum and Stomach
Mouth Pharynx Oesophagus Stomach
Duodenum Ileum Caecum Colon Rectum
Anus
Mechanical digestion - Mouth
Chemical digestion - Stomach, Duodenum, Ileum
Water absorption - Colon
SHORTCUT TRIAL CONTEST 9
ROUND 4 – TRUE OR FALSE
1. Addition of dilute NaOH to Al3+ solution produces a white chalky precipitate.
False White gelatinous precipitate
2. Pure Fe(OH)2 is green.
True but turns brown when exposed to air.
3+
3. When H2S is bubbled through a solution of Fe a shiny black precipitate is obtained.
False a whitish to yellow precipitate is formed
4. The first ionization energy of oxygen, atomic number 8, is lower than that of nitrogen
atomic number 7.
True O = 134; N = 1402
5. The first ionization energy decreases down each group except the noble gases ie Group
8/18
False Decreases down the group of the noble gases
6. Aluminium, atomic number 13, has lower first ionization energy than both magnesium
atomic number 12 and silicon atomic number 14.
True Mg =738; Al = 578; Si = 789
7. Mitosis does not form sexual spores or gametes
True
8. Pairing of homologous chromosomes occur in mitosis
False
9. Chiasmata and crossing over are absent in prophase of mitosis
True
10. Members of the kingdom Protoctista are often unicellular organisms
True
11. Protoctista are eukaryotic organisms
True
12. Some protoctista are like plants and possess chlorophyll
True
13. A translation is a linear transformation.
False
SHORTCUT TRIAL CONTEST 9
14. Under a reflection, a figure and its image are congruent.
True
15. A rotation is a rigid body motion
True
16. A chord of a circle subtends equal angles at any point on the circumference of the circle
False
17. Opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral are supplementary
True
18. An exterior angle of a cyclic quadrilateral is congruent to the interior opposite angle
True
19. A blackbody emits no radiation.
False
20. A blackbody reflects none of the radiation falling on it.
True
21. A blackbody absorbs all the radiation falling on it.
True
22. The wavelength for maximum intensity in the spectrum of a blackbody is independent of temper
ature.
False
23. The total radiant energy emitted by a blackbody increases as the temperature of the blackbody in
creases.
True
24. A blackbody appears whiter as its temperature increases.
True
SHORTCUT TRIAL CONTEST 9
ROUND 5 – RIDDLES
1. I am a specialized cell layer present in plants but absent in animals
2. In most seed plants, especially woody types, I am absent from the stems but present in
roots
3. I am made of compact living cells surrounded by an outer ring of cells that are
impregnated with hydrophobic substances
4. I am therefore frequently a barrier to free diffusion of solutes
5. I help regulate the movement of water, ions and hormones into and out of the vascular
system.
Who Am I?
Endodermis
1. I am a type of energy.
2. I am stored, not in motion.
3. I exist due to the configuration of objects or particles.
4. When objects or particles move in relation to each other, I can be converted into another
form.
5. I am the energy stored in an object because of its position in a gravitational field, ready to
be released when the object falls.
Who am I?
Gravitational Potential Energy (Do not accept Potential Energy)
1. I am a super heavy chemical and an extremely radioactive synthetic element.
2. I am a P-block, group 14, period 7 element.
3. Presumably, I can be metallic/silvery white/grey liquid at room temperature much like
Mercury.
4. I was named after the Russian physicist George Flerov who founded the JINR (Joint Institute
for Nuclear Research) when the element was discovered.
5. I have a mass of 289 and an electron number of 114
Who am I?
Flerovium
.
1. There is nothing smooth about me even though my range is everything real.
2. However, my graph is not continuous.
3. For an angle of zero measure, I am zero and for an angle of measure 45o, I am 1
4. For a right angle my existence is threatened.
5. I am also a line that just touches a curve.
Who am I?
Tangent
