ROUND 1

1. Give an expression for the effective resistance of three parallel resistors with resistance ,
and .

ANSWER:

2. Give an expression for the effective capacitance of three parallel capacitances , and
.

ANSWER:

3. Give an expression for the effective impedance of three series impedances , and .

ANSWER:

Factorise the quadratic expressions

4. x2 – 5xy - 6y2

ANSWER: (x + y)(x – 6y) [ x2 – 5xy – 6y2 = x2 – 6xy + xy – 6y2 = x(x – 6y)

+ y(x - 6y) = (x + y)(x – 6y)]

5. 3x2 + 5xy + 2y2

ANSWER: (3x +2y)(x + y) [ 3x2 + 5xy + 2y2 = 3x2 + 3xy + 2xy + 2y2 = 3x(x +
y) + 2y(x + y) = (3x + 2y)(x + y)]

6. 5x2 – 2xy – 7y2

ANSWER: (x + y)(5x – 7y) [5x2 – 2xy – 7y2 = 5x2 + 5xy – 7xy – 7y2 = 5x(x
+y)- 7y(x + y) = (x + y)(5x – 7y) ]

7. What name is given to the two genetically identical chromosomes that are attached to
each other?

ANSWER: Sister Chromatids

8. Sister Chromatids are constricted and attached to each other at a region called

ANSWER: centromere

9. What name is given to a microtubule structure that brings about chromosomal

movement during cell division?

ANSWER: Spindle

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 10. How many elements are present in the Group 1 of the Periodic Table?

ANSWER: Seven including hydrogen.

11. How many elements are present in the first d-Transition series of elements?

ANSWER: 10 including Cu and Zn

12. How many inert gases are known?

ANSWER: Six (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe and Rn)

13. What is the upper fixed point on the Celsius scale?

ANSWER: The steam point, the temperature of boiling water at standard atmospheric
pressure

14. What is the lower fixed point on the Kelvin scale?

ANSWER: Absolute zero, the state of zero pressure of a gas

15. What is the lower fixed point on the Celsius scale?

ANSWER: The ice point, the temperature of melting pure ice

Complete the sentence

16. The measure of an acute angle is less than . . .

ANSWER: 90 degrees

17. The measure of an obtuse angle is greater than . . .

ANSWER: 90 degrees

18. The measure of a reflex angle is greater than . . .

ANSWER: 180 degrees

19. Name the process by which organisms can become modified over time

ANSWER: Natural selection

20. The maintenance of the internal conditions of an animal within certain boundaries is
called

ANSWER: Homeostasis

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 21. Changes that occur in populations of organisms with the passage of time which
results in increased adaptation of the organisms to the prevailing environment is
called.

ANSWER: Evolution

22. How do atomic orbitals overlap to form sigma bonds?

ANSWER: Orbitals overlap headlong

23. What is the hybridization of carbon in carbon II oxide?

ANSWER: sp hybridization

24. Why do compounds with pi bonds undergo addition reaction readily?

ANSWER: The pi electron cloud is very much exposed and therefore attracts
reagents especially electrophiles

25. What is a saturated vapour?

ANSWER: A vapour which is in dynamic equilibrium with its liquid or solid

26. What is the critical point of a substance?

ANSWER: The unique temperature and pressure above both of which only a gas phase
exists?

27. What is the dew point?

ANSWER: The temperature at which there is sufficient water vapour in air to saturate it
Complete the sentences using either mean, mode, median or standard
deviation

28. The middle value of a set of data (numbers) is the . .. .

ANSWER: MEDIAN

29. The average of a set of data is the . . .

ANSWER: MEAN

30. The most common value of a set of numbers is the . . .

ANSWER: MODE

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 Fill in the blanks

31. The plumule in some seeds may be enclosed in sheathing structures called….

ANSWER: Coleoptiles

32. The radicle mal also be enclosed in a sheathing structures called …………..

ANSWER: Coleorhiza

33. The short part of the seedling or embryo just above the cotyledons is called ….

ANSWER: Epicotyl

34. Solid CO2 is called ‘dry ice’. Will dry ice melt or sublime if allowed to warm up?

ANSWER: Solid CO2 sublimes’

35. Which kind of substances react with both acids and bases?

ANSWER: Amphoteric substances

36. What is electroplating?

ANSWER: It is the deposition of a thin film of metal on an object by electrolysis.

37. What is the beat frequency from a 256 Hz note and a 252 Hz note sounded together?

ANSWER: 4 Hz [The beat frequency is the difference in frequency.]

38. If the pressure amplitude of the sound wave from a loud speaker is 0.2 mPa at a distance of 1
m from the speaker, what is the amplitude 5 m away?

ANSWER: 0.04 mPa [Amplitude is inversely proportional to distance so pressure at 5 m

is ].

39. What is the ratio of the intensity of sound at 2 m to the intensity at 10 m from a small
speaker?

ANSWER: 25 [Intensity obeys the inverse square law so

.]

40. Find the base if the subtraction ( 225 – 136) = 56 is true

ANSWER: 7 [ x + 5 – 6 = 6, hence x = 7]

41. Find the base if the addition (156 + 77) =244 is true.

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 ANSWER: 9 [ 6 + 7 – x = 4, x = 13 -4 = 9 ]

42. Change the decimal number 38 to a number in base 6.

ANSWER: 102six [ 38 = 36 + 2 = 1(62) + 0(6) + 2(60)

Describe the following types of fruits

43. Drupe

ANSWER: Simple fleshy fruit with a single seed enclosed in a hard

stony endocarp
44. Berry

ANSWER: Fleshy fruits that normally develop from compound ovary

and commonly contain more than one seed

45.Pome

ANSWER: Simple fleshy fruit flesh is derived primarily from the

receptacle/ The exocarp and mesocarp of a pome
may be fleshy and difficult to distinguish from one another.

46. Magnesium reacts with HCl to give magnesium chloride and hydrogen gas. If 0.15
mol of magnesium is added to 0.24 mol HCl how many moles of magnesium chloride
will be formed?

ANSWER: Mg + 2HCl = MgCl2 + H2

0.15 0.24

0.24 mol of HCl will react with 0.12 mol of Mg

Therefore mol of MgCl2 that will be formed = 0.12

47. What volume of HCl gas in litres must be dissolved in 300cm3 of water in order to
produce 0.20 moldm-3 of hydrochloric acid? Assume molar vole of gas is 22.4 litres?

ANSWER: 300cm3 of 0.20 moldm-3 of hydrochloric acid ≡ 0.6 mol

HCl

1 mol HCl ≡ 22.4 litre of HCl gas

0.6mol = (0.6/1) x 22.4

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 = 13.44 litre

48. 100 cm3 of 0.10 moldm-3 NaCl solution are added to 200 cm3 of 0.04 moldm-3 silver
nitrate solution. How many moles of free chloride ions will be left in solution?

ANSWER: Initial moles of chloride = (100/1000) x 0.1

= 0.01

Initial moles of silver ions = (200/1000) x 0.04

= 0.008

Therefore excess moles of Cl- = 0.01 – 0.008

= 0.002

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 PROBLEM OF THE DAY

A flower has the following floral formula. Describe the flower as far as
possible.
•Ӏ• K(5) C(3)+2A10 G(2)

SOLUTION
a. It is a zygomorphic(irregular) flower (Could be cut in only one plane)
b. It is bisexual (hermaphrodite) flower (Contains both male and female
parts)
c. The Calyx consists of 5 sepals that are all fused.
d. The Corolla consists of 5 petals, 3 of which are fused and 2 are free.
e. The Androecium consists of 10 free stamens
f. The gynoecium consists of 2 superior ovaries that are fused.

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ROUND 3 – True or False

1. The set of prime numbers is a subset of the set of odd integers

ANSWER: FALSE (2 is a prime but it is not an odd number)
2. The set of multiples of ten is a subset of multiples of five
ANSWER: TRUE
3. A number is divisible by 3 if the sum of its digits is divisible by 3
ANSWER: TRUE
4. A number is divisible by 4 if the sum of its digits is divisible by four
ANSWER: FALSE
5. Interior opposite angles formed a transversal and two parallel lines are supplementary
ANSWER: TRUE
6. A scalene triangle fits its outline in exactly one position
ANSWER: TRUE
7. The speed of light in glass is lower than the speed of light in air.
ANSWER: True
8. The wavelength of a light wave in air equals the wavelength of the same wave in glass.
ANSWER: False
9. An optically dense medium has a higher refractive index than a less dense medium.
ANSWER: True
10. A p type semiconductor has a higher concentration of holes than of electrons.
ANSWER: True
11. An n type semiconductor is negatively charged.
ANSWER: False
12. An intrinsic semiconductor has equal hole and electron concentrations.
ANSWER: True
13. Arteries carry blood away from the heart
ANSWER: True
14. Arteries contain many valves
ANSWER: False

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15. Arteries are capable of expanding
ANSWER: True
16. Tomatoes and grapes are types of berries
ANSWER: True
17. Apples are types of pomes
ANSWER: True
18. Legumes are fleshy fruits
ANSWER: False
19. The backbone of starch polymer is made up of tetrahydropyran rings held together
through oxygen atoms.

ANSWER: T pyranose ≡ tetrahydropyran

20. The two strands of the DNA structure are held by weak covalent bonds.

ANSWER: F They are held by hydrogen bonds

21. The linkages between various amino acid units in a protein are covalent bonds.

ANSWER: T Linkages are amide bonds/peptide linkages

22. 1 mole of molten aluminium oxide and two moles of molten magnesium oxide will
require the same amount of charge to discharge them in electrolysis.

ANSWER: F 1 mol Al2O3 will require 6F of charge; 2 mol MgO will

require 4F of charge. (F = Faraday)

23. Pure water does not conduct electricity.

ANSWER: T Water is a covalent compound.

24. Any impurity in water makes it possible for the water to conduct electricity.

ANSWER: F The impurity has to be ionic or capable of ionizing in water

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ROUND 4 – Riddles
Riddle #1
1. I am an electrical property of matter.
2. My value for a substance depends on the type of substance and on temperature.
3. For certain special substances, my value is zero at very low temperatures.
4. For metals, my value generally increases as temperature increases.
5. I behave the opposite way for semiconductors.
6. If you know my value, you can calculate electrical resistance.

WHO AM I?
ANSWER: Electrical resistivity

Riddle #2
1. I am a figure in the plane.
2. Of my type, I am one of the simplest.
3. There is nothing circular about me.
4. I have three of everything.
5. I am usually known by the number of my angles.
6. I may be right, equilateral, isosceles or scalene.

WHO AM I?
ANSWER: TRIANGLE

Riddle #3
1. I am a cation.

2. I am derived from a heavy metal

3. I am two electrons less my neutral atom

4. If H2S is bubbled through my aqueous solution a black precipitate is formed

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 5. If sodium hydroxide solution is added to my aqueous solution, a white precipitate
insoluble in excess is obtained

6. If I am derived from an element whose ancestors were all plumbers.

WHO AM I?
ANSWER: Pb2+ /Lead II ions

Riddle #4
1. I am a mammal.
2. I belong to the cat family.
3. You can say I am one of a kind because I am the only living species of the genus to
which I belong.
4. Unlike the domestic cat, climbing is not my specialty.
5. However, you dare not challenge me to a short distance race.
6. I am the fastest four-legged animal.
WHO AM I?
ANSWER: CHEETAH (Acinonyx jubatus)

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