1) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice
Two blocks are released from the top of a building.
One falls straight down while the other slides down a smooth ramp. If all friction is ignored, which one is moving faster when it reaches the bottom?
W) the block that went straight down
X) the block that went down the ramp
Y) they both have the same speed
Z) insufficient information to work the problem
1) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice
If a is acceleration, v is velocity, x is position, and t is time, then which equation is not dimensionally correct?
W) t = x/v (Read: t equals x divied by v)
X) a = v2/x (Read: a equals v squared divided by x)
Y) v = a/t (Read: v equals a divided by t)
Z) t2 = 2x/a (Read: t squared equals two x divided by a)
2) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer
A .02kg bullet is fired at 300m/s into a stationary 4kg chunk of ballistics gel, and exits at 100m/s, if the gel is on a frictionless horizontal surface, what is its speed?
ANSWER: 1M/S2) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice
A 2kg object with velocity 10m/s collides with a 8kg, initially stationary object, and the 2kg object bounces back at -2m/s, how much energy has been dissipated in the collision?
W) 20J
X) 40J
Y) 60J
Z) 120J
3) Toss Up - General Science - Multiple Choice
Some vitamin tablets contain high concentrations of zinc and must be formulated to include high levels of which of the following minerals in order to prevent an induced anemia:
W) copper
X) calcium
Y) magnesium
Z) boron
3) Bonus - General Science - Short Answer
What is the most common name for the technique that places a molecule in a strong magnetic field, irradiates the molecule with radio waves, and finally detects changes in the spin of atoms in the molecule?
ANSWER: NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE (ACCEPT: NMR or MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY)4) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer
What law describes the speed that a fluid is expelled through a hole from a container that is filled to some height above the hole?
ANSWER: TORRICELLI’S LAW4) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice
A fluid container is filled 5 centimeters above a small hole in its side through which fluid can escape. Assuming gravitational acceleration to be 10 m/s2, how fast is the liquid expelled?
W) 0.25 m/s
X) 0.5 m/s
Y) 1 m/s
Z) 2 m/s
5) Toss Up - Biology - Short Answer
What is the most common name for the horizontal enlarged stem of Solanum tuberosum?
ANSWER: POTATO (ACCEPT: TUBER)5) Bonus - Biology - Multiple Choice
Which of the following biomes is NOT properly matched with its description:
W) tundra has extreme cold and presence of permafrost
X) taiga has moderately wet summers and long cold winters
Y) chaparral has hot wet summers and moderate dry winters
Z) temperate grasslands have occasional droughts with warm summers and cool to cold winters
6) Toss Up - Earth Science - Multiple Choice
Halos and rings around the Moon in the night sky are most often caused by which of the following:
W) nucleation particles in the stratosphere
X) small water droplets in nimbostratus clouds
Y) temperature inversions
Z) ice crystals in cirrus clouds
6) Bonus - Earth Science - Multiple Choice
Which of the following types of volcanic eruptions is distinguished primarily by its eruption of basaltic and andesitic magma from its vent, producing incandescent bombs that fall near the vent, eventually building a small cone of tephra:
W) Plinian
X) Hawaiin
Y) Pelean
Z) Strombolian
7) Toss Up - Biology - Short Answer
The most common method used by Beadle and Tatum in generating mutant molds for their metabolic studies was to expose the molds to what?
ANSWER: X-RAYS7) Bonus - Biology - Short Answer
Which 2 of the following 4 amino acids contain nonpolar R groups? serine; glutamine; leucine; (read as: lew-seen), phenylalanine (read as: FEE-nal-AL-a-neen)
ANSWER: LEUCINE; PHENYLALANINE8) Toss Up - Biology - Multiple Choice
PCR does NOT use which of the following:
W) heat to separate strands
X) primers
Y) DNA polymerase
Z) reverse transcriptase
8) Bonus - Biology - Short Answer
B cells get their name from what part of a bird’s body?
ANSWER: BURSA FABRICUS9) Toss Up - Energy - Multiple Choice
Whose equation describes the relationship between the concentration of an electro-active species and electric potential?
W) Ohm
X) Joule
Y) Nernst
Z) Bode
9) Bonus - Energy - Short Answer
Arrange the following four substances in order of decreasing energy content in kilocalories per gram: 1) proteins, 2) organic acids, 3) fats, 4) ethanol.
ANSWER: 3, 4, 1, 2 (ACCEPT: FATS, ETHANOL, PROTEINS, ORGANIC ACIDS)10) Toss Up - Math - Multiple Choice
Which of the following pairs of angles are complementary?
W) `tan^-1(1)` and `sin^-1(sqrt(3)/2)`
X) `cos^-1(2/3)` and `cos^-1(-2/3)`
Y) `sin^-1(1/3)` and `cos^-1(1/3)`
Z) `tan^-1(1/5)` and `cos^-1(4/5)`
10) Bonus - Math - Short Answer
List the following angles from smallest to largest: `cos^-1(2/5)`, `sin^-1(4/5)`, `tan^-1(2)`
ANSWER: `sin^-1(4/5)`, `tan^-1(2)`, `cos^-1(2/5)` (ACCEPT: 2, 3, 1)11) Toss Up - Chemistry - Short Answer
Calculate the atom percent composition, rounded to the nearest whole number, for each atom in acetic acid:
ANSWER: C = 25%; H = 50%; O = 25%11) Bonus - Chemistry - Short Answer
Calculate the mass percent composition, rounded to the nearest whole number, for each atom in acetic acid:
ANSWER: C = 40%; H = 7%; O = 53% (Solution: C = 24/60 x 100% = 40%; H = 4/60 x 100% = 6.7%; O = 32/60 x 100% = 53.3%)12) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice
A point mass is traveling in uniform circular motion at a rate of 800 rotations per minute with a diameter of 10 meters. If the particle’s speed doubles but its centripetal acceleration remains the same, what is the new diameter of the circle?
W) 5 meters
X) 10 meters
Y) 20 meters
Z) 40 meters
12) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer
A wheel is rotating with an initial angular velocity of 10.00 radians per second. The wheel experiences a brief period of acceleration and has a new angular velocity of 14.14 radians per second. If the wheel has rotated through an angle of 10 radians, what is the average angular acceleration of the wheel? W) 1 radian per second per second X) 5 radians per second per second Y) 100 radians per second per second Z) 200 radians per second per second
ANSWER: X) 5 RADIANS PER SECOND PER SECOND13) Toss Up - General Science - Multiple Choice
The development of this is usually considered by anthropologists and sociologists the main prerequisite for an advanced social, economic and political structure:
W) art
X) technology
Y) monetary system
Z) agriculture
13) Bonus - General Science - Short Answer
What term derived from the Greek word for “shortcoming” generally means an apparent lag in effect behind what is causing it?
ANSWER: HYSTERESIS14) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice
Which of the following scientists did not discover the electron, neutron, or proton?
W) Rutherford
X) Chadwick
Y) Thomson
Z) Yukawa
14) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer
A 50 kg man climbs up Half Dome from the floor of Yosemite Valley, ascending 1500 meters. To two significant figures, how many kilocalories does he convert into gravitational potential energy? Take g to be 10 meters per second squared.
ANSWER: 180 KILOCALORIES15) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice
The greatest induced EMF will occur in a straight wire moving at
constant speed through a uniform magnetic field when the angle between the direction of the
wire’s motion and the direction of the magnetic field is
W) 0 degrees.
X) 30 degrees.
Y) 60 degrees.
Z) 90 degrees.
15) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice
The Michelson interferometer was designed to study the nature of
W) water waves.
X) sound waves.
Y) sunlight.
Z) an “ether”.
16) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer
Information is carried by AM radio waves as a pattern of changes in
ANSWER: AMPLITUDE16) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice
In a cathode-ray tube
W) the electron beam is controlled by electromagnets.
X) about one picture per second is produced.
Y) the fewer the number of electrons striking the screen, the brighter the light
the screen gives off.
Z) the fluorescent material on the screen causes the electrons to move up and
down the screen.
17) Toss Up - Math - Multiple Choice
The lines defined by y = 2x and 2y = -x are which of the following?
W) Parallel
X) Perpendicular
Y) Horizontal
Z) Vertical
17) Bonus - Math - Short Answer
Providing your answers as fractions in lowest terms, what are the x-intercepts of the graph of `y = 12x^2 - 5x - 2`?
ANSWER: `2/3` AND `-1/4`18) Toss Up - Math - Short Answer
The dot product of vectors `vec u = (:u_1,u_2:)` (read as: u equals u one comma u two) and `vec v = (:v_1,v_2:)` is
ANSWER: `u_1 v_1 + u_2 v_2`18) Bonus - Math - Multiple Choice
When graphing a rational function, it is important to note that
W) the graph cannot cross a vertical asymptote
X) the graph can cross a horizontal asymptote
Y) a graph may have both a vertical and horizontal asymptote
Z) all of the above
19) Toss Up - Earth Science - Multiple Choice
Which of the following types of moraines does NOT parallel ice flow:
W) medial
X) lateral
Y) double lateral
Z) end
19) Bonus - Earth Science - Multiple Choice
Which of the following is both fluorescent and radioactive:
W) calcite
X) halite
Y) talc
Z) zircon
20) Toss Up - Biology - Multiple Choice
What characteristic has made angiosperms so successful during the last 140 million years?
W) They are very tall, outcompeting other plants for sunlight
X) They have flowers to attract pollinators
Y) They are thorny to deter herbivores from consuming them
Z) They are the only plants that can reproduce asexually
20) Bonus - Biology - Multiple Choice
Fruits primarily function in order to entice animals to eat them. In what way does this benefit the fruiting plant?
W) Animals disperse the seeds
X) Animals pollinate while eating the fruits
Y) Animals eat the fruit instead of other parts of the plant
Z) There is no benefit to the plant
21) Toss Up - Astronomy - Multiple Choice
Which of the following is not a characteristic of the terrestrial planets:
W) low average density
X) closely spaced orbits
Y) craters in old surfaces
Z) very few moons
21) Bonus - Astronomy - Multiple Choice
Which of the following is NOT true of Kepler’s works in astronomy:
W) Kepler gathered most of his data from his monitoring of the planets with a quadrant
X) Kepler very seldom observed the planets and looked through a telescope only a few times in his life
Y) many of Kepler’s computations were based on data gathered by Tycho Brahe
Z) Kepler assumed planetary motion was not circular
22) Toss Up - Earth Science - Multiple Choice
Which of the following is best used to date the age of the Earth to about 4.5 billion years old:
W) uranium-235
X) uranium-238
Y) potassium-40
Z) carbon-14
22) Bonus - Earth Science - Multiple Choice
Which of the following is a ubiquitous trace mineral found in many igneous, metamorphic and clastic sedimentary rocks, and has been used to date Earth’s oldest rocks at 4-plus billion years:
W) titanite
X) tremolite
Y) zircon
Z) beryl
23) Toss Up - Chemistry - Short Answer
Name all of the following 3 concentration units that are temperature-dependent: molal (read as: moe-LAHL); molarity; normality
ANSWER: MOLARITY; NORMALITY23) Bonus - Chemistry - Short Answer
Calculate the enthalpy of vaporization, in kilojoules, of water at 25°C and 1 atmosphere. Assume the standard enthalpy of formation of liquid water is -286 kilojoules and the standard enthalpy of formation of water gas is -242 kilojoules:
ANSWER: 44 (Solution: AH°reaction = EnpAHf°(products) - EnrAHf°(reactants) = [-242 - (-286) = +44.0 kJ)24) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice
In an isovolumetric process by an ideal gas, the system's heat gain is proportional to a change in
W) mass
X) volume
Y) pressure
Z) internal energy
24) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice
When I stand half way between two speakers, with one on my left and one on my right, a musical note from the speakers gives me constructive interference. How far to my left should I move to obtain destructive interference?
W) one fourth of a wavelength
X) half a wavelength
Y) one wavelength
Z) one and a half wavelengths
25) Toss Up - Chemistry - Multiple Choice
When the change of enthalpy of a reaction is negative and the change of entropy of the same reaction is positive, the reaction is which of the following?
W) Always spontaneous
X) Spontaneous only under high temperature conditions
Y) Spontaneous only under low temperature conditions
Z) Never spontaneous
25) Bonus - Chemistry - Short Answer
By name or number, identify all of the following four diatomic molecules whose bond strength would decrease after the removal of an electron to form a positively charged ion: 1) H2, 2) B2, 3) ClBr, 4) OF.
ANSWER: H2, B2, ClBr (ACCEPT: 1, 2, AND 3)