CONTEST1

ROUND 1

PREAMBLE: Mention the branch of biology that deals with the given study.

1. The study of insects.

ANSWER: Entomology

2. The study of parasites.

ANSWER: Parasitology

3. The study of fossils and all aspect of extinct life.

ANSWER: Paleontology
PREAMBLE: Give the SI unit of the physical quantity.
4. Luminous intensity.
ANSWER: Candela
5. Solid angle.
ANSWER: Steradian
6. Amount of substance.
ANSWER: Mole
PREAMBLE: Given that log2 = 0.301 and log3 = 0.477 evaluate
7. log24
ANSWER: 1.380
[log24 = log8 + log 3 = 3log2 + log3 = 3(0.301) + 0.477 = 0.903 + 0.477 = 1.380]
8. log36
ANSWER: 1.556
[log36 = log4 + log 9 = 2log2 + 2log3 = 2(0.301) + 2(0.477) = 2(0.778) = 1.556]
9. log(9/4)
ANSWER: 0.352
[ log9 – log4 = 2log3 – 2log2 = 2(0.477 – 0.301) = 2(0.176) = 0.352]
10. An ore of iron has the formula Fe2O3.H2O, what is its name?
ANSWER: Limonite
11. What reaction takes place at the lowest part of the Blast Furnace for the extraction of iron.
ANSWER: Coke is oxidized or burnt in air to give carbon II oxide (2C + O2 → 2CO)

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12. What is the difference, chemically between bauxite and alumina.
ANSWER: Bauxite is the ore from which pure alumina is obtained. Bauxite is hydrated
aluminum oxide with impurities (e.g. iron, titanium, and silicon oxides) whilst alumina is
pure anhydrous aluminum oxide.
13. Name the basic functional unit of living organisms.
ANSWER: The cell
14. What name is given an organism that is made up of a single cell?
ANSWER: Unicellular organism
15. Name the structure that covers the outermost part of a plant cell.
ANSWER: Cell wall
PREAMBLE: The magnitude of the charge on an electron is approximately.

16. A copper wire carries a current of . Find the rate of flow of electrons through the wire.

ANSWER:

17. A plating bath operates with an electron flow rate of . Find the bath current.

ANSWER:

18. An aluminium wire carries a current of . Find the rate of flow of electrons through the

wire.
ANSWER:

PREAMBLE: Simplify the rational expression.

19. (x2 + 2x + 1)/(x + 1)
ANSWER: (x + 1) [ (x +1)2/(x +1) = x + 1]
20. (x2 – 2x)/(x2 – 4)
ANSWER: x/(x + 2) [ x(x – 2)/(x + 2)(x – 2) = x/(x + 2)]
21. (x2 – 49)/(x + 7)
ANSWER: (x - 7) [ (x - 7)(x + 7)/(x + 7) = (x – 7)]
22. 10cm3 solution of 1.0 moldm-3 are diluted to 100cm3. Calculate the change in pH.

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 ANSWER: Dilution 10cm3 to 100 cm3; Dilution is 1 in 10
pH = -log [H+] ; pH of original solution = 0
pH of 0.1moldm3 HCl = 1.0; Change in pH = 1.0
23. Ethanoic acid has a pKa of 4.76, what is the pKb of the ethanoate ion.
ANSWER: pKb = 14.0 - pKa (AcOH)
= 14 - 4.76 = 9.24
24. A weak organic base has a pKb of 9.24. What is the pH of its 0.10moldm-3 solution?
ANSWER: pOH = ½ pKb - ½ log Cb
= 9.24/2 - 0.5 = 5.12
pH = 14 - 5.12 = 8.88
25. Name one characteristic each that is common to viruses and non-living things.
ANSWERS;
a. They cannot grow on their own.
b. They cannot move.
c. They can be crystallized like chemicals.
d. They lack a definite nucleus, cytoplasm or organelles.
e. Viruses are not cells but particles.
PREAMBLE: The acceleration due to gravity is approximately 10 m\s2.
26. An object floating in water displaces 5 kg of water. Find the weight of the object.
ANSWER: 50 N
Weight = weight of water displaced.
27. An object floating in water displaces 2 kg of water. Find the upthrust on the object.
ANSWER: 20 N
Upthrust = weight of water displaced = 2 kg×10 m/s^2=20 N
28. The upthrust on an object submerged in water is 30 N. Find the mass of water displaced by the
object.
ANSWER: 3 kg
Mass of water displaced = upthrust/g = 30 N÷10 m/s^2=3 kg

PREAMBLE: Convert the degree measure to radian measure, and leave answer in π.
29. 18 degrees
ANSWER: (π/10) radians [18 x π/180 = π/10]
30. 165 degrees

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 ANSWER: (11π/12) radians [165 x π/180 = 11π/12]
31. 48 degrees
ANSWER: 4π/15 radians [48 x π/180 = 4π/15]
32. How many elements are present in Group 2 of the Periodic Table?
ANSWER: 6
33. How many elements are present in the second period of the Periodic Table?
ANSWER: 8
34. How many halogens are known?
ANSWER: 5

PROBLEM OF THE DAY

Working together Mensah and Adjei can paint a building in 20 days.
Mensah on his own can paint the building by himself in 9 days less the
time Adjei will take to paint the building on his own. Find how long it
will take each of them to paint the building working alone.

SOLUTION:

TIME RATE

MENSAH T 1/T

ADJEI T+9 1/(T + 9)

MENSAH & ADJEI 20 1/20 (2 MARKS)

1/T + 1/(T + 9) = 1/20 (2 MARKS)

20(T + 9 + 9) = T(T + 9)
40T + 180 = T2 + 9T
T2 – 31T – 180 = 0 (2 MARKS)
(T – 36)(T + 5) = 0
T = 36 (2 MARKS)

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 Mensah will take 36 days (1 MARK)

Adjei will take 36 + 9 = 45 days (1 MARK)

ROUND 3 – True or False

1. In methane, the carbon and two of the hydrogens are always in a plane.
ANSWER: True
2. In ethene all the atoms, the two carbons and the four hydrogens are in a plane
ANSWER: True
3. Benzene and cyclohexene molecules are both flat and planar.
ANSWER: False Benzene is but cyclohexene is not.
4. The period of a spring-mass system is directly proportional to the mass of the system.
ANSWER: False
5. The period of a simple pendulum varies nonlinearly with the length of the pendulum.
ANSWER: True
6. Frequency in uniform circular motion varies inversely as radius.
ANSWER: True
7. The prothallus of a fern is photosynthetic in nature.
ANSWER: True
8. The posterior side of the prothallus of a fern bears numerous rhizoids.
ANSWER: False
9. Ferns are rare or absent in the savanna and desert areas.
ANSWER: True
10. The function y = 1/x has at least one zero.
ANSWER: FALSE
11. Every polynomial has at least one zero.
ANSWER: FALSE
12. x = 1 is a zero of x3 – 1
ANSWER: TRUE
13. If the electron affinity of oxygen is -140 kJmol-1, a value of -330kJmol-1 for fluorine could
be true.

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 ANSWER: True.
14. If the electron affinity of carbon is -120 kJmol-1, a value of -130kJmol-1 for nitrogen could
be true.
ANSWER: False (N is less = -30kJmol-1)
15. If the electron affinity of lithium is -57 kJmol-1, a value of +66kJmol-1 for beryllium could
be true.
ANSWER: True
16. A deuteron is the nucleus of a helium isotope,
ANSWER: False
17. A deuteron contains only one neutron.
ANSWER: True
18. Any helium isotope must contain two neutrons.
ANSWER: False
19. The body of insects is divided into four main parts.
ANSWER: False
20. The cockroach possesses a biting and chewing mouthpart.
ANSWER: True
21. The life cycle of a cockroach is an example of a complete metamorphosis.
ANSWER: False
22. The slope of the line through the points (2, 2) and (3, 3) is 3/2.
ANSWER: False
23. The slope of the line through the points (-3,1) and (-3, 5) is 0 (zero).
ANSWER: False
24. The graph of x = 3 in the coordinate plane is the single point (3, 0)
ANSWER: False

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 ROUND 4
Riddles
Riddle #1
1. I am a single digit number and I am odd.
2. The sum of the digits of my square is equal to me.
3. Mind you I am myself a square.
4. I am the last digit in the decimal system
5. I determine a nonagon.
Who am I?
ANSWER: 9
Riddle #2
1. I am an organic compound
2. I have a symmetrical molecule.
3. My functional group enables me to form a crystalline derivative with 2,4-
dinitrophenylhydrazine.
4. I do not react with Tollens’ or Fehling’s reagent.
5. I have a carbonyl group that sits right in the middle of the compound.
6. If my backbone consists of five carbons in an open chain, then,
Who am I?
ANSWER: 3-Pentanone

Riddle #3
1. I am an isotope.
2. As isotopes go, I am one of the lightest.
3. I am an isotone of 1.
4. I am named for the Greek god of the sun.

Who am I?

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 ANSWER: Helium-3

Riddle #4
1. I am a unique organ in animals
2. My structure can vary among the different animal species
3. In humans, other mammals and birds I am divided into four chambers
4. I possess four valves that ensure unidirectional blood flow and prevent backflow of
blood
5. One of the simplest methods of assessing my condition is to listen to the sound I
produced using a stethoscope

Who am I?

ANSWER: Heart