MS Sample Set 14, Round 8 from NSB
What is the term for a period of time marked with a rapid die-off of many species of organisms?
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Which of the following animals typically moves around through propagating rhythmic contractions known as peristalsis [peh-rih-STALL-sis]? W) Shark X) Squid Y) Earthworm Z) Armadillo
W: W) Shark
X: X) Squid
Y: Y) Earthworm
Z: Z) Armadillo
Answer: Y) Y) Earthworm
Which of the following SI units can be used to measure weight? W) Kilogram X) Joule Y) Watt Z) Newton
W: W) Kilogram
X: X) Joule
Y: Y) Watt
Z: Z) Newton
Answer: Z) Z) Newton
Which of the following quantities measures the amount of friction between two layers of a fluid moving at different velocities? W) Ram pressure X) Surface tension Y) Refraction Z) Viscosity
W: W) Ram pressure
X: X) Surface tension
Y: Y) Refraction
Z: Z) Viscosity
Answer: Z) Z) Viscosity
What major rock type is produced when magma cools and solidifies?
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The Earth’s tectonic plates are made up of lithosphere. Which of the following best describes lithosphere? W) The top half of the crust X) The crust Y) The crust and the upper mantle Z) The crust and most of the mantle
W: W) The top half of the crust
X: X) The crust
Y: Y) The crust and the upper mantle
Z: Z) The crust and most of the mantle
Answer: Y) Y) The crust and the upper mantle
Scientists at Savannah River National Lab are analyzing microbial activity through staining cells with DAPI [DAP-ee], which marks regions rich in adenine [AD-eh-neen] and thymine [THIGH-meen]. Which of the following organelles will be stained the most? W) Cell wall X) Endoplasmic reticulum Y) Nucleus Z) Cytoplasm
W: W) Cell wall
X: X) Endoplasmic reticulum
Y: Y) Nucleus
Z: Z) Cytoplasm
Answer: Y) Y) Nucleus
Scientists at Los Alamos National Lab are synthesizing radium-223 for cancer therapy. What type of decay does thorium-227 undergo to become radium-223?
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Solve the following equation for x: $$4^{x+3} = \tfrac{1}{64}$$
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What is the square root of the least common multiple of 16 and 18?
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What celestial object was created as the result of a collision involving the Earth approximately 4.5 billion years ago?
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Identify all of the following three solar system bodies that have dunes: 1) Titan; 2) Mars; 3) Venus.
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Scientists at the Joint Genome Institute are studying infectious agents best described as simple protein coats surrounding a DNA or RNA payload. What are these infectious agents known as?
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Scientists supported by the Department of Energy are developing new methods to synthesize tagatose [TAG-ah-tose], an isomer of glucose that is nearly as sweet as sucrose. What is the chemical formula of tagatose?
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Charles Darwin suggested that evolution in the wild occurs by what process, in which environmental conditions determine what individuals will produce the most offspring?
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What structure controls the size of the pupil in the human eye?
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What vector quantity includes both the speed of an object and its direction of motion?
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Identify all of the following three types of radioactivity that when emitted by an atom result in a change in its atomic number but NOT a change in its atomic mass number: 1) Alpha; 2) Beta; 3) Gamma.
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What detrital sedimentary rock contains a significant proportion of rounded granules, pebbles, cobbles, or boulders cemented by a fine-grained matrix?
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Identify all of the following three characteristics that are true about Earth’s magnetic field: 1) It is uniform across Earth’s surface; 2) It originates in the inner core; 3) The magnetic poles are stationary.
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What is the slope of a line perpendicular to the line with equation $$y = -6x + 4$$ at the point (2, -8)?
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What is the area of the triangle formed by the x-axis, the y-axis, and the line passing through the point (0, 24) with slope –3?
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Brookhaven National Lab researchers are using quadrupole magnets to focus electron beams. How many ordinary bar magnets are assembled to form a quadrupole?
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Savannah River National Lab scientists are studying immune functions in the context of hyperglycemia. This is a condition in which there is an excess of what substance in the blood?
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What molecule is the initial substrate in the process of glycolysis [glye-KAWL-eh-sis]?
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Which of the following populations of cells is likely to be most dramatically reduced in the brain of a patient with Parkinson’s disease? W) Leukocytes X) Astroglia Y) Motor neurons Z) Dopaminergic neurons
W: W) Leukocytes
X: X) Astroglia
Y: Y) Motor neurons
Z: Z) Dopaminergic neurons
Answer: Z) Z) Dopaminergic neurons
In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope captured the first photo of what type of stellar remnant?
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What planet in the solar system has a mean orbital radius of 228 million kilometers?
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What instrument is used to measure atmospheric pressure?
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In degrees Celsius, at what temperature will the temperature as measured in degrees Fahrenheit be double that in Celsius?
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A 75-foot rope is stretched across 75 feet. How many cuts would be required to cut it into 5-foot sections?
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If an 8-by-13 rectangle has its linear dimensions increased by 50%, what is the area of the new larger rectangle?
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Although urine is stored in the bladder, it is produced in what organ?
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Which of the following pathways harvests the largest number of ATP molecules per molecule of glucose? W) Glycolysis X) Aerobic respiration Y) Lactic acid fermentation Z) Alcohol fermentation
W: W) Glycolysis
X: X) Aerobic respiration
Y: Y) Lactic acid fermentation
Z: Z) Alcohol fermentation
Answer: X) X) Aerobic respiration
Galvanometers and ammeters are used to most directly measure which of the following quantities? W) Current X) Voltage Y) Resistance Z) Power
W: W) Current
X: X) Voltage
Y: Y) Resistance
Z: Z) Power
Answer: W) W) Current
A battery is connected to a circuit with an overall resistance of 6 ohms, causing a 4-ampere current to flow through the circuit. In volts, what is the voltage output of the battery?
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Evaluate the quotient $$\displaystyle \frac{\tfrac{7}{3}}{\tfrac{1}{6}}$$.
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If the ratio of a sphere’s volume to its surface area is 36, what is the radius of the sphere?
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What is the ecological term for the consumption of one animal by another?
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Identify all of the following three orders of mammals that form a placenta during embryonic development: 1) Monotremata; 2) Marsupialia; 3) Eutheria.
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What physical quantity regarding an electric circuit is defined as the product of the current through the circuit and the voltage drop across the circuit?
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Consider a table resting on the surface of the Earth. Which of the four fundamental forces is responsible for resisting the pull of the gravitational force on the table?
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What is the name of the physical weathering phenomenon in which water trapped in a crack freezes, expands, and forces the crack to grow?
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Which of the following geologic periods is closest to when insects, seed-bearing plants, and tetrapods first lived simultaneously on land? W) Cambrian X) Devonian Y) Cretaceous Z) Triassic
W: W) Cambrian
X: X) Devonian
Y: Y) Cretaceous
Z: Z) Triassic
Answer: X) X) Devonian
The temperature at 8 AM was 68 °F. If the temperature rose 4 °F per hour, what was the temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, at 2 PM?
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Three apples and two oranges cost 120 cents. Four apples and one orange cost 115 cents. How many cents would two apples and three oranges cost?
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