INTER REGIONAL NSMQ – ACHIMOTA VENUE

Contest 1

ROUND ONE

1. In 3 significant figures calculate the mole fraction of ethanol (C2H5OH) in a solution

containing 92.0 grams of ethanol and 54.0 grams of water. [The molar mass of water is 18.0
g/mol; The molar mass of ethanol is 46.0 g/mol] Answer: 0.400

2. A solution is prepared by dissolving 116 grams of sodium chloride (NaCl) in 90.0 grams of
water. In 3 significant figures calculate the mole fraction of sodium chloride in the solution.
[The molar mass of NaCl is 58.0 g/mol; The molar mass of water is 18.0 g/mol]
Answer: 0.286

3. Calculate the mole fraction of oxygen (O2) in air. Assume air consists of 16 % oxygen and
84% nitrogen. [The molar mass of oxygen (O2) is 32 g/mol; molar mass of nitrogen (N2) is 28
g/moll] Answer: 0.14

Preamble: Name one of the layers of the walls of the heart

Ans: Epicardium, Myocardium, Endocardium

Next Question

1. A proton enters a magnetic field of flux density 1.5 Wb/m2 with a velocity of 2.0 x 107m/s at
an angle of 30o with the field. Compute the magnitude of the force on the proton
Ans: 2.4 x 10-12 N
2. An electron of mass 9.1 x 10-31kg is bent in a circle of radius 2.0cm by a uniform field with
field strength of 4.5 x 10-3 T. What is the speed of the electron? Ans: 1.6 x 107 m/s
3. An ion with charge q = +2 electrons enters a magnetic field of 1.2 Wb/m2 at a speed of 2.5
x105 m/s perpendicular to the field. Determine the force on the ion Ans: 9.6 x 10-14 N

Next Question:

𝑥
1. If f(x) = 10x and g(x) = x+2. Find (fog)-1(x) Answer: 10 – 3
1 1
2. Find the inverse of the function g:x→ 𝑥−3 (x≠3) Answer: 𝑥 + 3, (x≠0)
1 2
3. What is the inverse of the function 2𝑥+1 , (x≠ - ½ ) Answer: 𝑥−1

Preamble: Consider the following coordination compound: [Ni(NH3)4(OH)2]

1. What is the oxidation number of the central metal ion? Ans: +2

2. What is the number of ammine ligands in the compound? Ans: 4
3. The above compound is called tetramminedihydroxidonickel(II). What is the number of
hydroxide ligands in the compound? Ans 2

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Preamble: Zygotene is one of the stages of Prophase I during Meiosis I. Mention only one thing that
occurs during zygotene. [Note: Penalize schools that give more than one answer]

1. Synapsis i.e. the pairing up of homologous chromosomes (in a zipper-like manner)

2. The synapsed chromosomes begin to form a bivalent (which may not be very visible at this
stage)
3. A ladder-like protein structure called a synaptonemal complex forms between the
homologous chromosomes of the bivalent.
4. Further shortening of the chromosomes continues.

Next Question

1. A biconvex lens with equal radii curvature has refractive index 1.6 and focal length 10 cm.
What will be its radius of curvature? Answer: 12 cm
2. What will be the focal length of a combination of lenses formed with lenses having powers
of + 2.50 D and – 3.75 D? Answer: -80 cm
3. If a convex lens of focal length 80 cm and a concave lens of focal length 50 cm are
combined together, what will be their resulting power? Answer: -0.75 D

Preamble: Given that log102 = 0.3010, log103 = 0.4771, log105 = 0.6990, log107 = 0.8451, accurate
to four decimal places, evaluate the following:
3
1. log √72 Answer: 06191
2. log 2.4 Answer: 0:3801
3. log 108 Answer: 2.0333

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ROUND TWO (SPEED RACE)

1. It is required to seat 5 men and 4 women in a row so that the women occupy the even
places. How many such arrangements are possible? Answer: 2880
2. Simplify (3-2i)3 Answer: - 9 - 46i
3. Simplify (2a + 3b - 5c)2 Answer: 4a2 + 9b2 + 25c2 + 12ab - 20ac - 30bc

4. A boat is moving with velocity of 3i + 4j in river and water is moving with a velocity of
-3i - 4j with respect to ground. What is the relative velocity of the boat with respect to the
water? Answer: 6i + 8 j
𝑡2
5. A body of mass 6kg is under a force which causes displacement in it given by s = 4
metres
where t is time. The work done by the force in 2 seconds is Answer: 3 J
6. An X-ray tube is operated at 50 kV. The minimum wavelength produced is
Answer: 0.25 Å (0.25 Angstrom)

7. In fish farming, hatching pits are required to hatch fertilized eggs. The pits must have water
continuously flowing at a slow rate and fenced with fine mesh nets. Explain the function of
the mesh nets.
Answer: To protect the eggs from predators and prevent the escape of laid eggs.

8. In the human liver the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde is catalysed by which

enzyme? Ans: Alcohol dehydrogenase

9. The balanced chemical equation for respiration of Palmitic acid is given as:
C16H32O2 + 23O2 → 16CO2 + 16H2O
Calculate the respiratory quotient of Palmitic acid to two decimal places.
Answer: 0.70 (Do not accept 0.695)

10. How many milliliters of nitrogen dioxide are produced when 3.4 mL of oxygen reacts with
an excess of nitrogen monoxide? Assume conditions of stp. Ans: 6.8 mL

11. The half-life of a radioactive isotope is 10 days. If you start with 100 grams of the isotope,
how many grams will remain after 30 days? Answer: 12.5 grams.

12. A current of 5 amps is passed through a solution of CuSO4 for 10 minutes. How many grams
of copper will be deposited on the cathode? [Molar mass of copper = 64 g/mol; is
Faraday’s constant (96,000 C/mol)] . Leave your answer in 2 significant figures.
Answer: 1.0 grams.

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ROUND THREE (TRUE OR FALSE)

1. Increasing the atomic radius of an element decreases its ability to form ionic bonds.
Answer: False
2. Increasing the ionization energy of an element promotes the formation of ionic bonds.
Answer: True
3. Increasing the temperature generally favors the formation of ionic bonds.
Answer: False

1. In the infection of a host cell by a bacteriophage, the first step is the synthesis of the phage
components followed by the attachment of the virus to the host cell wall.
Answer: False
2. Adsorption is attachment of virus to host bacteria and if a naked phage nucleic acid
infects a bacterial cell, it is called transfection.
Answer: True.
3. The assembly of phage components into infectious particles inside bacterial hosts is called
maturation.
Answer: True

1. Friction is always detrimental and undesirable. Answer: False

2. Friction can never be completely eliminated. Answer: True
3. Friction depends on the weight of an object. Answer: False

Preamble: A man holds 2 of a total of 20 tickets in a lottery. If there are 2 winning tickets, The
probability that he has
1. Both is 1/190 Answer: True
2. Neither is 37/190 Answer: False
3. Exactly one is 77/95 Answer: False

1. The polarizing power of a cation increases as the cationic charge increases.

Answer: True
2. The polarizability of an anion decreases as the atomic size decreases.
Answer: False
3. As we move across a period in the periodic table, the polarizing power of cations
increases.
Answer: True

1. Pyramids of energy are always upright because when energy flows from one trophic level
to the next trophic level, some energy is always lost e.g. as heat. Answer: True
2. Pyramids of biomass in marine ecosystems are inverted because the biomass of fishes far
exceeds that of phytoplankton. Answer: True
3. Ecological pyramids are sufficient in ecological studies because of their ability to describe
exactly the trophic level to which a particular organism belongs. Answer: False

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1. A tuning fork produces sound through electronic amplification. Answer: False

2. Tuning forks are commonly used to tune musical instruments. Answer: True
3. Tuning forks produce sound waves with a continuous frequency. Answer: True

1. The pair of lines 16x + 7 = 15y and 4x + 5y = 0 intersect Answer: True

2. The pair of lines 9x - 2y = 18 and 45x = 10y + 14 intersect Answer: False
3. The pair of lines 3x - 8y = 13 and x - 6y = 0 intersect Answer: True

ROUND FOUR (RIDDLES)

RIDDLE 1 (PHYSCIS)

1. I'm born in spaces large and grand

2. Surfaces smooth or rough, I embrace, reflecting waves at a measured pace.
3. Multiple reflections, they abound, creating a cascade of sonic surround.
4. I bring to the sound time delay, enhancing depth and making it profound.
What am I?
Answer: Reverberation

RIDDLE 2 (CHEMISTRY)

1. I am an approach to chemical bonding that focuses on the electronic structure of atoms

and the transfer or sharing of electrons.
2. In my approach, atoms strive to achieve a stable electron configuration similar to the noble
gases.
3. I represent the valence electrons of an atom using dots around the atomic symbol.
4. The sharing or transfer of electrons between atoms, guided by my approach, leads to the
formation of chemical bonds and the attainment of a stable electron configuration.
5. I help explain the formation of ionic compounds and covalent compounds, as well as the
concept of formal charge.
Who am I?
Answer: The Kossel-Lewis Approach (also known as the electron dot structure approach or
Lewis structure approach).

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RIDDLE 3 (BIOLOGY)

1. I can say boldly that I am the basis of most animal training techniques.
2. I am a type of learning most famously associated with the renowned psychologist B.F.
Skinner.
3. Here, a behaviour is gradually modified by its consequences as an animal responds to a
stimulus.
4. By using positive and negative reinforcements e.g. rewards or punishments, an animal is
conditioned to associate a type of behaviour with punishment or a reward.
5. Part of my name suggests that I tend to produce effects but I am not an operant gene.
Who am I?
Answer: Operant conditioning

RIDDLE 4 (MATHEMATICS)

1. I have been studied and used for thousands of years, dating back to ancient civilizations.
2. My value represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.
3. I am an irrational number, meaning my decimal representation goes on forever without
repeating.
4. The ancient Egyptians and Babylonians approximated my value as 3, while the ancient
Greeks refined it to a more accurate estimate.
5. I am commonly denoted by the Greek letter "π."
6. I have been a subject of fascination for mathematicians throughout history, including
Archimedes and Isaac Newton.
7. My value has been calculated to trillions of digits with the help of modern computers.
What am I?
Answer: pi