CONTEST7

ROUND 1
PREAMBLE: Determine the number of distinct real roots of the given quadratic equation.
1. x2 – 5x + 9 = 0
ANSWER: 0 (no real solution) [ D = 25 – 36 < 0, hence no real solution]
2. x2 – 9x + 5 = 0
ANSWER: 2 [ D = 81 – 20 > 0, hence two real solutions]
2
3. x – 8x + 16 = 0
ANSWER: 1 [ D = 64 – 4(16) = 64 – 64 = 0, hence one distinct solution]
4. A 2 kg object moves in a circle of radius 5 m. Find the magnitude of its angular momentum relative to the
centre of the circle when its speed is 3 m / s.
ANSWER: 30 kg m 2 / s
2
L=rmv=5 m ×2 kg × 3 m / s=30 kg m / s=30 J s
5. The magnitude of the angular momentum of a 2 kg object moving in a circle of radius 3 m is 60 J s . Find its
speed.
ANSWER: 10 m / s v=L / ( mr )=60 J s ÷ ( 2kg ×3 m )=10 m / s
6. Find the radius of the circle in which a 3 kg object moves if the magnitude of its angular momentum is
120 J s when its speed is 20 m / s.
ANSWER: 2 m r =L / ( mv )=120 J s ÷ ( 3 kg × 20 m / s )=2 m
7. Give one structural adaptation each of Amoeba to its habitat.
ANSWERS:
a) It possesses a contractile vacuole which is responsible for osmoregulation.
b) Possession of a flexible surface membrane that allows it to change its shape.
c) Has a large surface area that enhances exchange of materials between the
organism and the external environment.
d) It has a thin outer membrane which facilitates diffusion of materials.
8. What is a spatula normally used for in the laboratory?
ANSWER: To transfer solids (from bottle/flask to flask/weighing bottles etc.)
9. A volumetric flask always has a mark or a ring in the neck. What is the significance of this?
ANSWER: A volumetric flask is for measuring a specified volume of a liquid. It is exactly
that volume when the meniscus is on that ring or mark.
10. What do a laboratory pan balance and a double beam balance have in common?
ANSWER: a) They operate by the same principle i.e. first order lever
b) They both use external weights
c) They both have two pans each.
PREAMBLE: Find the equation of the straight line with x-intercept a and y-intercept b.
11. a = -2, b = 1
ANSWER: y = ½ x + 1 [x /-2 + y/1 = 1, y = ½ x + 1]
12. a = 3, b = -2
ANSWER: y = (2/3) x – 2 [x/3 + y/-2 = 1, y = 2x/3 – 2]
13. a = -2, b = 2
ANSWER: y = x + 2 [x/-2 + y/2 = 1, y = x + 2]
PREAMBLE: Potassium-40, a naturally occurring radioactive isotope, decays in several ways.
14. Give the decay product following positron emission.
ANSWER: Argon-40
15. Give the decay product following beta decay by electron emission,
ANSWER: Calcium-40
16. Give the decay product following electron capture.
ANSWER: Argon-40
PREAMBLE: Name the branch of biology that deals with the following:
17. The study of cells.
ANSWER: Cytology
18. The study of tissues.
ANSWER: Histology
19. The study of mushrooms.
ANSWER: Mycology
PREAMBLE: You are going to be given the beginning of a sentence which is one of the formulations
of Dalton’s Theory. Complete the sentence by filling in the blank..
20. Atoms combine………………………………………………
ANSWER: To form compounds and they do so in simple whole numbers.
21. Atoms can
ANSWER: Neither be created nor destroyed
22. Atoms of different
ANSWER: Elements have different mass and size.
PREAMBLE: Give me the trigonometric expression in terms of sine or cosine and simplify as far as
possible.
23. tanAcosA
ANSWER: sinA [(sinA/cosA)cosA = sinA]
24. sinAcotA
ANSWER: cosA [sinA(cosA/sinA) = cosA]
25. secAcosA
ANSWER: 1 [(1/cosA)cosA = cosA/cosA = 1]
PREAMBLE: A disk rotates at 20 π rad / s about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the disk.
26. Find the angular speed of the disk in revolutions per minute.
ANSWER: 600 rev / min
ω=20 π rad / s= ( 20 π rad / s ) × ( 1 / 2 π rev / rad ) ÷ ( 1 / 60 min / s )=600 rev / min
27. Find the speed at a point 20 cm from the axis of rotation.
ANSWER: 4 π m / s=13 m / s v=rω=0.2 m× 20 π rad / s=4 π m / s=13 m / s
28. Find the distance from the axis of rotation at which the speed is 6 π m / s .
ANSWER: 0 . 3 m=30 cm r =v / ω=6 π m / s ÷ ( 20 π rad / s )=0.3 m=30 cm
PREAMBLE: Give the specific functions of the following structures on the leg of the honey bee.
29. Comb
ANSWER: It is used for removing pollen from the head, proboscis and antennae.
30. Prong
ANSWER: It is used to scoop out pollen grains from the pollen basket on the hind leg.
31. Brush
ANSWER: It is used in sweeping pollen grains from the body into the pollen basket
32. A radioactive substance X decays by β–radiation. If the half–life is one day, Calculate the decay
constant of X. One day = 8.60 *104 seconds.
ANSWER: t1/2 = 0.693/k
k = 0.693/8.60*104 = 8.06*10-6s-1
33. The decay constant of a radioactive substance Y is 2.31*10-6s-1. Calculate the half–life of the
substance and give your answer to 1 place of decimal.
ANSWER: t1/2 = 0.693/k = 0.693/2.31*10-6 = 3.0*105sec
34. The half – life of a radioactive substance is 1.5minutes. Calculate the decay constant of the
radioactive substance and give its units.
ANSWER: t1/2 = 0.693/k
k = 0.693/(1.5*60) = 7.7*10-3s-1.
 PROBLEM OF THE DAY

Explain how green plants and animals in a habitat depend on each other.

SOLUTION:

1. The green plants in the habitat are the producers.

2. They manufacture food which serves as source of energy directly or

indirectly for the animals.

3. Plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis which is used by the

animals during respiration.

4. The animals also produce CO2 during respiration which is used by plants

during photosynthesis.

5. When the animals die, their bodies decay to release nutrients to the

plants.
 ROUND 3
TRUE OR FALSE
1. A family is a smaller division of a genus.
ANSWER: False
2. Orders are sub-groupings within each class of organisms.
ANSWER: True
3. A species is a unit used in biological classification.
ANSWER: True
4. When two objects collide and stick together, total linear momentum after the collision equals
total linear momentum before the collision.
ANSWER: True
5. When two objects collide and stick together, total kinetic energy after the collision equals total
kinetic energy before the collision.
ANSWER: False
6. A collision between two objects that stick together after colliding is inelastic.
ANSWER: True

7. 3 + 5 × 6 = 3(5 + 6)
ANSWER: True [Both sides equal to 33]
8. a + bc = a(b + c)
ANSWER: False
9. a – b = a + (-b)
ANSWER: True
10. The product formed when ammonia is strongly heated with methanoic acid is Methanamide.
ANSWER: True
11. Alkanals can be reduced to give secondary alkanols.
ANSWER: False Can be reduced to give primary alkanols
12. The ester pentyl ethanoate produced in bananas, on hydrolysis with dilute mineral acid will give
pentane and ethanoic acid.
ANSWER: False Will give 1-pentanol and ethanoic acid.
13. Movement in organisms can involve the whole organism or part of the organism.
ANSWER: True
14. Growth in living organisms may result in changes to body shape or function.
ANSWER: True
15. Plants continue to grow throughout their lives.
ANSWER: True
16.The specific heat capacity of a substance is the thermal energy required for a unit change in
temperature of unit mass of the substance.
ANSWER: True
17.The heat capacity of an object is proportional to the mass of the object.
ANSWER: True
18.Two objects with different specific heat capacity cannot have the same heat capacity.
ANSWER: False
19. It is not possible for a trapezium to have three congruent sides.
ANSWER: False
20. If two lines do not intersect, then they are parallel.
ANSWER: False (unless lines are in the same plane)
21. If a point is equidistant from the endpoints of a line segment, then it is the midpoint of the segment.
ANSWER: False
22. If the initial concentration of a reactant in a third order reaction is doubled, the initial rate is expected
to increase by a factor of 9.
ANSWER: False It increases by a factor of 8 (23)
23. If the initial concentration of a reactant in a zero order reaction is trebled, the initial rate does not
change.
ANSWER: True
24. If a catalyst is added to a zero order reaction the rate is not expected to change.
ANSWER: False The catalyst is expected to lower the activation energy of
whatever transformation is taking place.

ROUND 4
 RIDDLE

Riddle #1
1. I am a field.
2. I am described by field lines.
3. My field lines are closest together where my field strength is greatest.
4. My field lines have no beginning and no end.
5. I am electromagnetic.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Magnetic field

Riddle #2
1 I have an external point of view.
2 I am associated with polygons even though I am outside the polygon.
3 I am a supplement to the interior angle of a polygon.
4 For a triangle, I am the sum of the interior opposite angles.
5 For a square I am a right kind of angle.
6 For any polygon, the sum of my siblings is four right angles.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Exterior Angle

Riddle #3
1. I am an organic compound.
2. My molecules on paper appear as a regular polygon.
3. In real practice my molecules have a puckered structure.
4. All my carbon atoms try to maintain the tetrahedral angle.
5. I have chair and boat conformations.
6. If I am a hydrocarbon of six carbons then.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Cyclohexane
Riddle #4

1. I consist of a complicated system of membranous channels.

2. My membranes are usually interconnected with one another to form a complex network.
3. I connect the plasma membrane with the nuclear membrane.
4. Depending on the presence or absence of ribosomes on my surface, I might me rough or smooth.
5. My rough members are the sites for protein synthesis while my smooth members are the site for the
synthesis of lipids and steroids.
WHO AM I?
ANSWER: Endoplasmic (reticulum)

1 It is not possible for a trapezium to have three congruent sides

ANSWER: FALSE
2 If two lines do not intersect, then they are parallel
ANSWER: FALSE (unless lines are in the same plane)
3 If a point is equidistant from the endpoints of a line segment, then it is the midpoint of the
segment.
ANSWER: FALSE