HS Sample Set 10, Round 11 from NSB

Questions in Packet

TOSS-UP math multiple_choice

Let \(f(x)\) be a continuous and differentiable function on the closed interval \([3,6]\). Which of the following could be the \(x\)-value guaranteed by the Mean Value Theorem for this situation? W) 2 X) 3 Y) 5 Z) 7

W: W) 2

X: X) 3

Y: Y) 5

Z: Z) 7

Answer: Y) Y) 5

BONUS math phrase

One dimension of a cube is increased by 1, another is decreased by 1, and the other is left unchanged. If the new solid has a volume 5 less than that of the original cube, what was the volume of the original cube?

Acceptable Answers:

  • 125

TOSS-UP bio phrase

The selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra is characteristic of what neurodegenerative disease?

Acceptable Answers:

  • PARKINSON’S DISEASE
  • PARKINSONISM

BONUS bio phrase

Chondrocytes are associated with what structural material found in joints and spinal disks?

Acceptable Answers:

  • CARTILAGE

TOSS-UP energy phrase

If a solar power farm doesn’t operate for 28% of the time in a month, what is its month-averaged capacity factor?

Acceptable Answers:

  • 72%
  • 0.72

BONUS energy multiple_choice

Lithium-ion batteries can deliver more than twice the overall voltage compared to a similar alkaline battery. What is the term for this energy-per-volume ratio in batteries? W) Power X) Energy density Y) Electrical output Z) Battery density

W: W) Power

X: X) Energy density

Y: Y) Electrical output

Z: Z) Battery density

Answer: X) X) Energy density

TOSS-UP chem phrase

What allotrope of phosphorus is thermodynamically stable at room temperature and pressure and is structured as puckered sheets of linked atoms connected in 6-membered rings?

Acceptable Answers:

  • BLACK PHOSPHORUS

BONUS chem phrase

Titanium forms a non-stoichiometric oxide where there are 1.18 oxygen atoms per titanium atom. If the oxide contains Ti²⁺ and Ti³⁺ cations, what is the ratio of the 2⁺ ion abundance to the 3⁺ ion abundance?

Acceptable Answers:

  • \(\tfrac{16}{9}\)

TOSS-UP phys multiple_choice

Which of the following statements correctly summarizes the zeroth law of thermodynamics? W) If each of two systems are in thermal equilibrium with a third system, they must be in thermal equilibrium with each other X) When energy passes as work, heat, or with matter, into or out of a system, its internal energy changes in accord with the law of conservation of energy Y) In a natural thermodynamic process, the sum of the entropies of the participating thermodynamic systems increases Z) The entropy of a system approaches a constant value as the temperature approaches absolute zero

W: W) If each of two systems are in thermal equilibrium with a third system, they must be in thermal equilibrium with each other

X: X) When energy passes as work, heat, or with matter, into or out of a system, its internal energy changes in accord with the law of conservation of energy

Y: Y) In a natural thermodynamic process, the sum of the entropies of the participating thermodynamic systems increases

Z: Z) The entropy of a system approaches a constant value as the temperature approaches absolute zero

Answer: W) W) If each of two systems are in thermal equilibrium with a third system, they must be in thermal equilibrium with each other

BONUS phys phrase

Water flowing out of a 2.0 cm diameter pipe can fill a 300-liter bathtub in 5 minutes. In m³/s, what is the flow rate of the pipe?

Acceptable Answers:

  • 0.001
  • 1/1000

DO NOT ACCEPT:

  • 1×10⁻³

TOSS-UP ess multiple_choice

Which of the following low pressure systems typically has the weakest sustained wind speed? W) Tropical storm X) Tropical depression Y) Hurricane Z) Tropical wave

W: W) Tropical storm

X: X) Tropical depression

Y: Y) Hurricane

Z: Z) Tropical wave

Answer: Z) Z) Tropical wave

BONUS ess phrase

What is the period in years of two stars, each with a mass of two solar masses, in an orbit with a semi-major axis of 1600 AU and an eccentricity of 0.5?

Acceptable Answers:

  • 32000

TOSS-UP math phrase

How many points of intersection are there for the graphs of \(y = 3x\) and \(y = -x^2 + 5\)?

Acceptable Answers:

  • 2

BONUS math multiple_choice

Which of the following is nearest to 1,000,000? W) \(5^6\) X) \(10^7\) Y) \(2^{20}\) Z) \(400^2\)

W: W) \(5^6\)

X: X) \(10^7\)

Y: Y) \(2^{20}\)

Z: Z) \(400^2\)

Answer: Y) Y) \(2^{20}\)

TOSS-UP chem phrase

What general type of bond is formed when two lobes of an orbital of one atom overlap two lobes of an orbital of the other atom?

Acceptable Answers:

  • PI BOND

BONUS chem phrase

A solution of weak acid that is 0.1 M is 1% ionized at room temperature. To one significant figure, what is the acid’s pKa value?

Acceptable Answers:

  • 5

TOSS-UP energy multiple_choice

Which of the following percentages is closest to the percent of energy used in Texas in 2014 that was generated by wind? W) 10 X) 20 Y) 30 Z) 40

W: W) 10

X: X) 20

Y: Y) 30

Z: Z) 40

Answer: W) W) 10

BONUS energy multiselect

Before the electricity from a transmission line reaches an end user like a home or business, it passes through a step-down transformer. Identify all of the following changes that occur across an ideal step-down transformer: 1) Current decreases 2) Voltage decreases 3) Power decreases

Choices:

  • Current decreases
  • Voltage decreases
  • Power decreases

Correct Answers:

  • 2

TOSS-UP bio multiselect

Identify all of the following three macromolecules that are digested primarily in the stomach: 1) Starches 2) Nucleic acids 3) Proteins

Choices:

  • Starches
  • Nucleic acids
  • Proteins

Correct Answers:

  • 3

BONUS bio phrase

The white matter in the spinal cord appears white because the neurons are covered with what substance?

Acceptable Answers:

  • MYELIN
  • MYELIN SHEATH

TOSS-UP ess multiple_choice

Which of the following is NOT an example of an ichnofossil? W) Shell X) Burrow Y) Coprolite Z) Urolite

W: W) Shell

X: X) Burrow

Y: Y) Coprolite

Z: Z) Urolite

Answer: W) W) Shell

BONUS ess phrase

In what month does light take longest to travel from the Sun to the Earth?

Acceptable Answers:

  • JULY

TOSS-UP phys phrase

An ionization chamber smoke detector uses the radiation from a small amount of radioactive material to detect the presence of smoke. What type of radiation is it that ionizes oxygen and nitrogen molecules, providing a steady current in the chamber, and then when impeded by smoke, disrupts the current, triggering the alarm?

Acceptable Answers:

  • ALPHA
  • ALPHA PARTICLES
  • ALPHA DECAY

BONUS phys phrase

Matt throws a baseball horizontally from a height of 4 m. It lands 25 m away. What is the horizontal velocity, to the nearest meter per second, of the ball as it leaves Matt’s hand?

Acceptable Answers:

  • 28

TOSS-UP ess phrase

From what common halide mineral is hydrofluoric acid manufactured?

Acceptable Answers:

  • FLUORITE

BONUS ess phrase

What formation of porous sand and gravel, covering 450,000 km² just east of the Rocky Mountains, is the largest aquifer in the United States?

Acceptable Answers:

  • OGALLALA FORMATION
  • OGALLALA AQUIFER

TOSS-UP bio phrase

During DNA replication, what protein is responsible for negatively supercoiling the DNA to relieve strain?

Acceptable Answers:

  • TOPOISOMERASE
  • DNA TOPOISOMERASE

BONUS bio phrase

What type of muscle contraction is NOT associated with a change in length?

Acceptable Answers:

  • ISOMETRIC

TOSS-UP math multiselect

Identify all of the four quadrants in which cosecant is positive.

Choices:

  • Quadrant I
  • Quadrant II
  • Quadrant III
  • Quadrant IV

Correct Answers:

  • 1
  • 2

BONUS math phrase

What is the image of the point \((0,0)\) when it is reflected across the line \(y = x - 1\)?

Acceptable Answers:

  • (1, –1)

TOSS-UP phys phrase

A 100-kg box filled with coffee is sitting on your concrete garage floor. You decide to move the box, but you’re going to push the box rather than lift it. How much force, in newtons to the nearest integer, must you exert on the box in order to get it moving, if the coefficient of static friction is 0.25?

Acceptable Answers:

  • 245

BONUS phys multiple_choice

An oscillating system has a characteristic frequency of 10 rad/s and an effective spring constant of 200 N/m. What is the effective mass, in kilograms, of the oscillator? W) 1 X) 2 Y) 5 Z) 10

W: W) 1

X: X) 2

Y: Y) 5

Z: Z) 10

Answer: X) X) 2

TOSS-UP chem multiple_choice

Which of the following values, in volts, is closest to the standard emf produced by the Daniell cell? W) 0.6 X) 0.8 Y) 1.1 Z) 1.5

W: W) 0.6

X: X) 0.8

Y: Y) 1.1

Z: Z) 1.5

Answer: Y) Y) 1.1

BONUS chem multiple_choice

Which of the following functional groups undergoes a reaction with ozone to generate separate ketones or aldehydes, rapidly decolorizes bromine, and is generated by dehydration reactions? W) Alkene X) Ester Y) Alkane Z) Alcohol

W: W) Alkene

X: X) Ester

Y: Y) Alkane

Z: Z) Alcohol

Answer: W) W) Alkene

TOSS-UP energy multiple_choice

Which of the following is the International Energy Agency’s stance on energy subsidies? W) They should be phased out X) There should be greater international collaboration on subsidies Y) Subsidies are necessary for energy sustainability Z) Subsidies are necessary to reduce greenhouse emissions

W: W) They should be phased out

X: X) There should be greater international collaboration on subsidies

Y: Y) Subsidies are necessary for energy sustainability

Z: Z) Subsidies are necessary to reduce greenhouse emissions

Answer: W) W) They should be phased out

BONUS energy multiple_choice

Which of the following has the greatest energy content in BTUs? W) One gallon of gasoline X) One cord of wood Y) One kilowatt hour Z) One therm of natural gas

W: W) One gallon of gasoline

X: X) One cord of wood

Y: Y) One kilowatt hour

Z: Z) One therm of natural gas

Answer: X) X) One cord of wood

TOSS-UP ess phrase

What is the plutonic equivalent of andesite?

Acceptable Answers:

  • DIORITE

BONUS ess multiselect

Identify all of the following four objects around which accretion disks are sometimes present: 1) White dwarfs 2) Protostars 3) Stellar mass black holes 4) Supermassive black holes

Choices:

  • White dwarfs
  • Protostars
  • Stellar mass black holes
  • Supermassive black holes

Correct Answers:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

TOSS-UP bio phrase

Tandem mass spectrometry is a technique that can be used to determine the primary structure of a protein. What two amino acids can mass spectrometry NOT differentiate?

Acceptable Answers:

  • ISOLEUCINE AND LEUCINE

BONUS bio phrase

A glutamate to valine mutation is well-known to be responsible for what disease that is associated with resistance to malaria?

Acceptable Answers:

  • SICKLE CELL ANEMIA

TOSS-UP math phrase

If \(n\) is an odd integer, how many lines of symmetry does a regular \(n\)-gon have?

Acceptable Answers:

  • \(n\)

BONUS math phrase

Solve the following equation for \(x\) over the real numbers: \[8^{2x} = 4^{2x - 1}.\]

Acceptable Answers:

  • -1

TOSS-UP chem phrase

By what process can a molecule in the singlet excited state relax to the ground state with concomitant emission of light?

Acceptable Answers:

  • FLUORESCENCE

BONUS chem phrase

An SN1 reaction is performed by reacting sodium bromide with (S)-2-chlorobutane, and generates a 1 M mixture of 70% (S)-2-bromobutane and 30% (R)-2-bromobutane. If the optical rotation of the solution was 9.2°, what is the optical rotation of pure (S)-2-bromobutane, to the nearest degree?

Acceptable Answers:

  • 23°

TOSS-UP phys phrase

An RC circuit contains a 10 Ω resistor and a 20 mF capacitor. How long, in milliseconds, would it take for the voltage to fall by a factor of \(e^{-2}\)?

Acceptable Answers:

  • 400

BONUS phys phrase

To one significant figure, how fast, in meters per second, would you be moving if you started at rest and accelerated at a constant rate of 1 m/s² for an entire year?

Acceptable Answers:

  • 30 000 000