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1) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer

What American physicist remains the only person yet to have won two Nobel prizes in physics?

ANSWER: JOHN BARDEEN
1) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

With whom did Bardeen win his first Nobel prize, which was awarded for the invention of the transistor?

ANSWER: SHOCKLEY AND BRATTAIN
2) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice

One hundred resistors have minimum, mean, and maximum values of 110 ohms, 150 ohms, and 300 ohms, respectively. If all 100 resistors are connected in parallel, which of the following ranges could contain the equivalent resistance?
W) The provided information is insufficient to answer the question
X) Less than 110 ohms
Y) More than 110 ohms but less than 300 ohms
Z) More than 300 ohms

ANSWER: X) LESS THAN 110 OHMS
2) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

The breakdown electric field of air is approximately 3 million volts per meter. Assuming that lightning moves uniformly through a cylinder of air with a crosssectional area of 1 square meter and providing your answer in scientific notation with one significant digit, if a typical storm cloud is at an altitude of 2,000 meters and the resistivity of air is about 10 ohm-meters at breakdown, what is the current in amperes of a cloud-to-cloud lightning strike?

ANSWER: 3 x 105
3) Toss Up - Earth Science - Short Answer

What is the name for the most recent Pleistocene glacial episode in North America?

ANSWER: Wisconsinian
3) Bonus - Earth Science - Multiple Choice

Glacial till is:
W) sorted and stratified
X) sorted and unstratified
Y) unsorted and stratified
Z) unsorted and unstratified

ANSWER: Z) unsorted and unstratified
4) Toss Up - Biology - Multiple Choice

Which of the following is TRUE:
W) chimpanzees are an ancestor of Homo sapiens
X) bipedal motion dominated hominid ancestors by about 30 million years ago
Y) humans and modern apes have a common ancestor
Z) Neanderthals were ancestors to modern humans

ANSWER: Y) HUMANS AND MODERN APES HAVE A COMMON ANCESTOR
4) Bonus - Biology - Short Answer

Order the following 5 taxonomic group with the MOST members to the one with the FEWEST members: genus; order; phylum; class; family

ANSWER: PHYLUM; CLASS; ORDER; FAMILY; GENUS
5) Toss Up - Math - Multiple Choice

In 1991 two scientists at Columbia University established a new record for the number of digits in the value of pi. Approximately how many digits did they produce?
W) 2 thousand
X) 2 million
Y) 2 billion
Z) 2 trillion

ANSWER: Y-- 2 BILLION
5) Bonus - Math - Short Answer

What is the term for the curve described by a uniform heavy flexible cord hanging freely between two points?

ANSWER: CATENARY
6) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer

What is the potential energy in Joules of a spring stretched 20 meters from its equilibrium position, if it has a spring constant of 8 N/m?

ANSWER: 1600 JOULES
6) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

An 8 kg object that is undergoing simple harmonic motion on a spring with spring constant 4 N/m and a maximum displacement of 10 meters travels through its equilibrium position with what speed?

ANSWER: 5 * SQRT(2) METERS PER SECOND
7) Toss Up - Biology - Short Answer

What is the common name for the units in DNA to which phosphates are covalently linked?

ANSWER: Ribose Sugars (Accept: Pentose Sugars Or Sugars Or Deoxyribose
7) Bonus - Biology - Short Answer

Order the following 4 storage forms of energy from the most readily available to humans to the most difficult to mobilize: adipose stores; ATP; glycogen; glucose

ANSWER: Atp; glucose; glycogen; adipose stores
8) Toss Up - Biology - Multiple Choice

The order of insects which includes beetles is known as:
W) Coleoptera (pron: kO-lee-op-teh-rah)
X) Orthoptera (pron: or-tho-op-teh-rah)
Y) Hymenoptera (pron: high-meh-nop-teh-rah)
Z) Diptera (pron: dip-teh-rah)

ANSWER: W) Coleoptera (pron: kO-lee-op-teh-rah)
8) Bonus - Biology - Multiple Choice

In biological studies, which of the following terms could be used to replace the word dehydration?
W) encystation
X) desiccation
Y) hydrolysis
Z) none of these

ANSWER: X) desiccation
9) Toss Up - Math - Short Answer

In Triangle ABC the angle bisector of A intersects BC at D. Given AB=9, AC=21, and DB=15, compute DC.

ANSWER: 35
9) Bonus - Math - Short Answer

In triangle ABC, AB=14, AC=13, and BC=15. Let the incenter be I. Compute Cl in simplest radical form.

ANSWER: square root of 65
10) Toss Up - Math - Multiple Choice

Which of the following shapes of tiles cannot be used to completely cover a flat area?
W) an obtuse triangle
X) a trapezoid
Y) a regular pentagon
Z) a regular hexagon

ANSWER: Y-- A REGULAR PENTAGON
10) Bonus - Math - Short Answer

Given five distinct points on a line, how many distinct segments can be named using these five points?

ANSWER: 8
11) Toss Up - Earth And Space - Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a common mineral that is composed entirely of silicon and oxygen?
W) Pyrite
X) Quartz
Y) Bauxite (read as: BOHK-syt)
Z) Feldspar

ANSWER: X) QUARTZ
11) Bonus - Earth And Space - Multiple Choice

Which of the following minerals is a mafic silicate?
W) Fluorite
X) Diamond
Y) Muscovite
Z) Pyroxene (read as: py-ROHK-seen)

ANSWER: Z) PYROXENE
12) Toss Up - Computer Science - Multiple Choice

The allowing of long file names was a primary difference between:
W) DOS and Windows 3.11
X) Windows 3.11 and Windows for Workgroups
Y) Windows 3.11 and Windows 95 z) Windows 95 and Windows 98

ANSWER: Y) WINDOWS 3.11 AND WINDOWS 95
12) Bonus - Computer Science - Multiple Choice

In Windows 98, long file names can be up to how many characters long:
W) 35
X) 75
Y) 100
Z) 255

ANSWER: Z) 255
13) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer

A train moving at 35 meters per second emits a whistle with a frequency of 900 hertz. Assuming that the speed of sound in air is 350 meters per second, what is the frequency, in hertz, measured by a stationary observer in front of the train?

ANSWER: 1000
13) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

A particle that is constrained to travel in one dimension moves in simple harmonic motion about the origin with an amplitude of 5 meters and a period of 2 seconds. Providing your answer in terms of `pi`, what is the maximum acceleration experienced by the particle in meters per second squared?

ANSWER: `5pi^2`
14) Toss Up - Math - Short Answer

Giving your answers in terms of pi and in inches squared, find the total surface area of a closed right circular cone whose altitude is 8 inches and radius is 6 inches:

ANSWER: `96pi`
14) Bonus - Math - Short Answer

In degrees, what is the least positive angle that is coterminal with 650°?

ANSWER: 290°
15) Toss Up - Math - Multiple Choice

Which of the following numbers is evenly divisible by both 11 and 3:
W) 7791
X) 7553
Y) 5181
Z) 8769

ANSWER: Y) 5181
15) Bonus - Math - Short Answer

What parameter, usually signified by a lower case r, describes the direction and strength of a straight-line relationship between two quantifiable variables?

ANSWER: Correlation
16) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer

A loaded mousetrap stores 50 Joules of energy. As it is released, it is used to power the horizontal movement of a small 4 kilogram car. Once the mousetrap has unwound completely, how fast is the car moving?

ANSWER: 5 METERS PER SECOND
16) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

In the same situation, if the potential energy of the mousetrap doubles, by what factor does the final speed increase?

ANSWER: SQUAREROOT OF 2
17) Toss Up - Chemistry - Multiple Choice

With regard to a graph illustrating the distribution of molecular speeds for a gas at different temperatures, which of the following occurs as temperature decreases?
W) The curve flattens
X) The average speed increases
Y) The percentage of gas at higher speeds decreases z) The mean free path decreases

ANSWER: Y) THE PERCENTAGE OF GAS AT HIGHER SPEEDS DECREASES
17) Bonus - Chemistry - Short Answer

Rank the following four gases in order of increasing effusion rates: 1) Argon, 2) Helium, 3) Oxygen, 4) Chlorine.

ANSWER: 4, 1, 3, 2 (ACCEPT: CHLORINE, ARGON, OXYGEN, HELIUM)
18) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice

This device, invented around 150 BC, consists of a flask with two twisted protruding tubes. When water in the flask is boiled, the steam exits through the two tubes, creating torque that rotates the flask.
W) torque heater
X) Hero's engine
Y) thermal carafe
Z) phase steamer

ANSWER: X) HERO'S ENGINE
18) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

If 1.00 * 10^2 calories of heat are added to a system, how many joules of heat are added?

ANSWER: 419 JOULES
19) Toss Up - Earth And Space - Short Answer

What element is produced in a fusion of hydrogen within a star?

ANSWER: HELIUM
19) Bonus - Earth And Space - Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements best explains how conglomerates differ from breccias [BRECH-ee-uhs]?
W) Conglomerates are comprised of interlocking crystals rather than sediments
X) Breccias are comprised of less mature sediments
Y) Conglomerates are formed at higher elevations
Z) Breccias are formed through metamorphic processes

ANSWER: X) BRECCIAS ARE COMPRISED OF LESS MATURE SEDIMENTS
20) Toss Up - Chemistry - Multiple Choice

Under which of the following conditions will iron rust:
W) in water
X) in water and oxygen
Y) in oil
Z) in oil and water

ANSWER: X) IN WATER AND OXYGEN
20) Bonus - Chemistry - Short Answer

In order to compare two different gas samples, scientists use what is called the STP. What does STP stand for?

ANSWER: STANDARD TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE (ACCEPT: 0° C OR 273 K AND 1 ATM OR 760 mm Hg)
21) Toss Up - Biology - Multiple Choice

A cell contains a very large number of bound ribosomes. Which type of cell is it most likely to be?
W) Goblet cell
X) Adipose cell
Y) Neuron
Z) Red blood cell

ANSWER: W) Goblet cell
21) Bonus - Biology - Short Answer

What post-translational modification of mucins allows them to hold large amounts of water?

ANSWER: Glycosylation
22) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer

What is the temperature (in Kelvin) of a system in thermal equilibrium with another system made up of ice and water at one atmosphere of pressure?

ANSWER: 273 (DEGREES KELVIN) (ACCEPT 273.15)
22) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice

The magnetic domains in a non magnetized piece of iron are characterized by which orientation?
W) parallel to the magnetic axis
X) anti-parallel to the magnetic axis
Y) random
Z) perpendicular to the magnetic axis

ANSWER: Y) RANDOM
23) Toss Up - Earth And Space - Multiple Choice

Which of the following tectonic environments would lead to the formation of the most felsic, silica-rich magma?
W) Subduction associated with the Andes Mountains
X) East African Rift Valley
Y) Volcanic island arc of Japan
Z) Hot spot underneath Yellowstone

ANSWER: Z) HOT SPOT UNDERNEATH YELLOWSTONE
23) Bonus - Earth And Space - Multiple Choice

Which of the following will NOT help crystallize magma?
W) Cooling the liquid
X) Increasing pressure
Y) Removing water to raise the melting point
Z) Increasing temperature

ANSWER: Z) INCREASING TEMPERATURE
24) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice

Capacitors are widely used in electronic circuits in all of the following except:
W) for blocking direct current while allowing alternating current to pass,
X) in filter networks, for smoothing the output of power supplies,
Y) in the resonant circuits that tune radios to particular frequencies
Z) for blocking alternating currect while letting direct current pass

ANSWER: Z) FOR BLOCKING ALTERNATING CURRECT WHILE LETTING DIRECT CURRENT PASS
24) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice

Which of the following is not true concerning capacitance and inductance under steady state conditions?
W) inductive reactance increases with frequency
X) inductive reactance decreases with frequency
Y) inductor behaves like a short circuit at DC
Z) Capacitor behaves like open circuit at DC

ANSWER: X) INDUCTIVE REACTANCE DECREASES WITH FREQUENCY
25) Toss Up - Math - Short Answer

If someone has 1 red shirt, 2 blue shirts, 4 red pants, and 3 green pants from which to choose, what is the probability that a randomly selected shirt and pant combination has at least one red item? Provide your answer as a fraction in simplest form.

ANSWER: 5/7
25) Bonus - Math - Short Answer

If the mean of a certain sample is 8 and the standard deviation is 0.25, what value has a z-score of 12?

ANSWER: 11