CONTEST 6

ROUND 1

1. Define Lattice Energy.

ANSWER: It is the energy or heat given out or enthalpy change when gaseous ions
of opposite charges come together to form a crystal or solid.
2. Define Standard Enthalpy of Neutralization.
ANSWER: It is the enthalpy change when one mole of H+ ions from an acid reacts
with one mole of OH- from a base or alkali under standard conditions.
3. Some enthalpy changes are defined under standard conditions. What are these conditions?
ANSWER: Temperature 298 K; Pressure 100 kPaor 1
atmosphere.
PREAMBLE: Give the number of significant figures in the given quantity.

4.

ANSWER:

5.

ANSWER:

6.

ANSWER:

PREAMBLE: Find the odd one out

7. A sin45°, B sin135°, C √2/2, D -√2/2
ANSWER: D -√2/2
[all the others have value √2/2]
8. A cos60°, B cos300°, C cos120°, D √1/2
ANSWER: cos120°
[all the others have value 1/2]
9. A sin0°, B 0, C cos90°, D sin 90°
ANSWER: D sin90°
[all the others have value 0]
10. What arises from lateral meristem activity in plants?
ANSWER: The activity of the lateral meristem results in the growth in the thickness of
the plant body.

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11. What is the function of apical meristems?
ANSWER: Apical meristem is responsible for bringing about increase in the length of
the plant
12. What is the primary function of the style in a flower?
ANSWER: Style carries the stigma and exposes it properly for pollination.
13. In a volumetric exercise 20 cm3 of 0.075 moldm-3 HCl solution neutralizes 16.5 cm3 of NaOH
solution of unknown concentration. Calculate the concentration of the base. Give your answer
to three places of decimal.
ANSWER: HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O
20cm3, 0.075 16.5cm3, M
20*0.075/16.5*M = 1/1
M = (20*0.075)/16.5 = 0.091moldm-3
14. In a volumetric exercise using phenolphthalein as indicator 25 cm 3 of 0.120 moldm-3 HCl
solution reacts with 18.5 cm3 of a solution containing both Na2CO3 and NaHCO3. Calculate
the concentration of Na2CO3 alone and give your answer to three places of decimal.
ANSWER: With phenolphthalein
HCl + Na2CO3 → NaHCO3 + NaCl
25cm3, 0.12 18.5, M
25*0.12/18.5*M = 1/1:M = 25*0.12/18.5 = 0.162 moldm-3
15. In a volumetric exercise 15 cm3 of an iodine solution of unknown concentration reacts with
25 cm3 of 0.120 moldm-3 trioxothiosulphate (VI)(Na2S2O3) solution using starch as indicator.
If iodine and thiosulphate react in a1:2 ratio, calculate the concentration of the iodine solution
and give your answer to 2 places of decimal.
ANSWER: I2 + 2S2O32- → 2I- + S4O62-
15, M 25, 0.12
15*M/25*0.12 = ½; M = (25*0.12)/(2*15) = 0.10 moldm-3

PREAMBLE: A bus is moving on a flat horizontal road at a constant velocity of due

north. The brakes of the bus are suddenly applied and the bus stops in .

16. A metal bob hangs by a thread from the roof of the bus as it moves at constant

velocity. Find the angle the thread makes with the vertical.

ANSWER:

The bob and thread move with the same uniform velocity as the bus so the
net horizontal force is zero.

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17. A box lies stationary on a frictionless section of the floor of the bus as the bus moves with

constant velocity. Find the net force on the box when it slides forward as the brakes of the bus are

suddenly applied and the bus stops in .

ANSWER: 0
No net force acts on the box; it slides forward because it continues in its state
of uniform motion.

18. Name and give the magnitude of the average force acting on an passenger in the bus who

remains in her seat without sliding as the bus suddenly brakes to a stop in .

ANSWER: Friction;

PREAMBLE: Simplify
19. (4√3 – 5)(4√3 +5)
ANSWER: 23
[48 – 25 = 23 difference of 2 squares]
20. (√a + √b)(√a - √b)
ANSWER: a – b
[(√a)2 – (√b)2 = a – b difference of two squares]

21.

ANSWER: a
[a + b – b = a difference of two squares]
22. There are 4 main asexual reproductive processes among the protists (Kingdom Protista).
Name one each.
ANSWERS:
a) Binary Fission
b) Multiple Fission
c) Budding
d) Formation of spores (Fungus-like Protists produce spores)

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ROUND 2 - SPEED ROUND
a) Give one property shared by chloroplasts and mitochondria.
ANSWERS:
 Both of them are bounded by two selectively permeable membranes composed of
lipo-protein sub-units.
 They contain ribosomes and DNA attached to their inner membrane.
 Both of them are cellular organelles that grow and reproduce within the cell.
b) In genetics, a genotypic ratio of 1: 2: 1 in the offspring of a hybrid cross illustrates
which law.
ANSWER: The law of Segregation
c) Name the organelle that is always found in pairs with their axes at right angles to
each other and completely made of microtubules.
ANSWER: Centriole
d) Find the number of significant figures in the number 0.0150.
ANSWER: 3 sig. fig.
e) The ratio of the areas of two circles is 49 : 25. Find the ratio of their radii.
ANSWER: 7 : 5
[R2 : r2 = 49 : 25, hence R : r = 7 : 5]
f) Find the next term in the sequence 5, 7, 12, 19, 31, . . .
ANSWER: 50
[add previous two terms, ie 19 + 31 = 50]
g) Which of these two acids will be stronger, 2–chlorobutanoic acid and 3–
chlorobutanoic acid?
ANSWER: 2–Chlorobutanoic acid
h) Which element will be discharged in greater mass by one Faraday of charge in an
electrolysis? Sodium salt or aluminum salt.
ANSWER: Sodium. 1F ≡ 1 mole of Na+ = 23.0g
1F ≡ 1/3 mole of Al3+ = 27/3 = 9.0g

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i) Which polymer is most likely to be used for plastic chairs?
ANSWER: Polypropene/ Polypropylene

j) From what height must an object be dropped to strike the ground with a speed of ?

ANSWER:

k) The work function of a photocathode is . What is the kinetic energy of the most

energetic electrons emitted from the photocathode when photons fall on it?

ANSWER: 0: the photon energy is less than the work function so no

photoelectrons are emitted

l) The moment of inertia of an object about a certain axis is . What torque is required

to spin the object about that axis at an angular acceleration of ?

ANSWER:

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 PROBLEM OF THE DAY

a) Given that logx = p, express logxn in terms of p

b) Consider the sequence logx, logx2, logx3, . . ., and show that it is a linear

sequence. Find the first term a and the common difference d in terms of p.

c) Given that the sum of the first ten terms of the sequence is kp, find k.

SOLUTION

1. logxn = nlogx = np (2 Marks)

2. logx, logx2, logx3, . . . are simply p, 2p, 3p, 4p, . . . (2 Marks)

a linear sequence with first term a = p and arithmetic difference d = p

(2 Marks)

3. logx + logx2 + logx3 + . . . + logx10 = p + 2p + 3p + 4p + 5p + . . . + 10p

(1 Mark)

= p(1 + 2 + 3 + . . . + 10)

= p(10/2)(1 + 10) = 55p (2 Marks)

Hence k = 55 (1 Mark)

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ROUND 4

TRUE OR FALSE
1. Nucleons are held in the nucleus of an atom by electrostatic forces.
ANSWER: False
2. Nuclear binding energy accounts for the mass difference between a light nucleus and the
sum of the masses of its constituents.
ANSWER: True
3. The range of the fundamental force that binds nucleons in an atomic nucleus is very
large.
ANSWER: False
4. The chloride ion is smaller than the chlorine atom.
ANSWER: False
5. The sodium ion (Na+) is bigger than magnesium ion (Mg2+)
ANSWER: True
6. Atomic size decreases from left to right in a period of the Main Group elements.
ANSWER: True
7. A statement is true if its negation is false.
ANSWER: True
8. If a statement is true, then its converse is also true.
ANSWER: False
9. If a statement is false, then its converse is true.
ANSWER: False
10. The ribosomes of prokaryotes and of eukaryotes are somewhat similar in that both consist of
different sized sub-units
ANSWER: True
11. Eukaryotic ribosomes are larger but the structure of prokaryotic ribosomes is better
understood.
ANSWER: True
12. In eukaryotic cells, the utilization of food molecules such as glucose begins in the
mitochondrion.
ANSWER: False (Cytoplasm)
13. The net capacitance of two capacitors in parallel equals the sum of the capacitances of
the capacitors.
ANSWER: True

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14. When an alternating potential difference is applied across the terminals of a capacitor,
the amplitude of the current that flows is directly proportional to frequency.
ANSWER: True
15. The reactance of an ideal capacitor is directly proportional to frequency.
ANSWER: False
16. Polymerization of ethene into polyethene can be initiated using a cation or anion or a free
radical.
ANSWER: True
17. In the polymerization of 1, 3–butadiene, there will always be a double bond in the chain.
ANSWER: False A double bond could be present in the side chain in 1, 2–addition.

18. Proteins are examples of condensation polymers.

ANSWER: True
19. One and only one straight line can be drawn through any two points in a plane.
ANSWER: True
20. Two distinct lines in a plane can intersect in at most one point.
ANSWER: True
21. Two lines in a plane can intersect in more than one point.
ANSWER: True
22. In a food chain, the first trophic level is occupied by herbivores.
ANSWER: False
23. The organisms in the first trophic level of a food chain are secondary consumers.
ANSWER: False
24. A food chain also shows how the organisms are related to each other by the food they eat.
ANSWER: True

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ROUND 5
RIDDLES
RIDDLE 1
1. If I and my friends were boxers, we would belong to the heavy weight division.
2. We are mainly organic substances with big molecules.
3. Our bodies do not hate repeated units, in fact we love them.
4. We are formed from the combination of many small units.
5. We may be classified as Addition or Condensation depending on the chemistry of the
combination of the units.
Who are we?
ANSWER: Polymers

RIDDLE 2
1. I am a trigonometric ratio.
2. To be precise I am the reciprocal of a trigonometric ratio.
3. I am the co- of a trigonometric ratio.
4. For 45°, I am 1.
5. For 0°, I am undefined.
6. For 90°, I am nothing.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Cotangent

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RIDDLE 3
1. I am a sub-cellular structure.
2. I am found predominantly in protists and in unicellular algae.
3. My number per cell varies, depending on the species.
4. I was previously known as pulsatile.
5. I act as part of a protective mechanism that prevents the cell from absorbing too much
water and possibly lysing through excessive internal pressure.
6. As my name suggests, I expel water out of the cell by contracting.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Contractile vacuole

RIDDLE 4

1. I am a property of a solid material.

2. I operate by Hooke, never by crook.
3. I characterize elastic deformations.
4. I am quite Young.
Who am I?
ANSWER: Young’s modulus

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