HS Sample Set 4, Round 14 from NSB
If the determinant of a 2 by 2 matrix, denoted A, is equal to –2, what is the determinant of 2 times A?
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Which of the following matrices does not have the same determinant as the 2 by 2 matrix with row 1: 0, –1; and row 2: 1, 0? W) the 2 by 2 matrix row 1: 0, –1; row 2: –1, 0 X) the 2 by 2 matrix row 1: 1, 0; row 2: 0, 1 Y) the 2 by 2 matrix row 1: 1, –1; row 2: 0, 1 Z) the 2 by 2 matrix row 1: 0, 1; row 2: –1, 0
W: W) the 2 by 2 matrix row 1: 0, –1; row 2: –1, 0
X: X) the 2 by 2 matrix row 1: 1, 0; row 2: 0, 1
Y: Y) the 2 by 2 matrix row 1: 1, –1; row 2: 0, 1
Z: Z) the 2 by 2 matrix row 1: 0, 1; row 2: –1, 0
Answer: W) W) the 2 by 2 matrix row 1: 0, –1; row 2: –1, 0
If two sine waves are played with frequencies of 400 and 410 Hertz, at what frequency in Hertz will you perceive that their volumes are “pulsing”?
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If the fundamental frequency of a pipe open at both ends is 70 Hertz, what will its next two harmonics be in Hertz? W) 105 and 140 X) 140 and 210 Y) 210 and 350 Z) 210 and 420
W: W) 105 and 140
X: X) 140 and 210
Y: Y) 210 and 350
Z: Z) 210 and 420
Answer: X) X) 140 and 210
If you measure the solar altitude at noon and find it to be 90°, at which of the following locations could you be? W) Congo, in sub-Saharan Africa X) France, in Western Europe Y) Buenos Aires, Argentina, in southeastern South America Z) Tokyo, Japan, off the coast of eastern Asia
W: W) Congo, in sub-Saharan Africa
X: X) France, in Western Europe
Y: Y) Buenos Aires, Argentina, in southeastern South America
Z: Z) Tokyo, Japan, off the coast of eastern Asia
Answer: W) W) Congo, in sub-Saharan Africa
If where you live, the sun rises at 75° northeast on the horizon in May, and the solar altitude is less than 90° at the equinox, in which hemisphere do you live?
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Many mammal species produce colostrum during the late stages of pregnancy or shortly after giving birth. This “first milk” transfers antibodies from the mother to the infant. What is the isotype of these antibodies that can be transferred from the infant gut to the infant bloodstream?
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In humans, in addition to transferring antibodies, colostrum also stimulates the development of the neonatal gut through the transference of: W) Pheromones X) Non-heritable mutations Y) Beta-galactose Z) Growth factors
W: W) Pheromones
X: X) Non-heritable mutations
Y: Y) Beta-galactose
Z: Z) Growth factors
Answer: Z) Z) Growth factors
Which of the following is a polar, aprotic solvent? W) Water X) Methanol Y) Dimethyl sulfoxide Z) Chloroform
W: W) Water
X: X) Methanol
Y: Y) Dimethyl sulfoxide
Z: Z) Chloroform
Answer: Y) Y) Dimethyl sulfoxide
What kind of isomers are mannose and glucose? W) Enantiomers X) Conformational isomers Y) Meso isomers Z) Diastereoisomers
W: W) Enantiomers
X: X) Conformational isomers
Y: Y) Meso isomers
Z: Z) Diastereoisomers
Answer: Z) Z) Diastereoisomers
In determining the escape velocity of an object on Earth, which of the following values is generally least important? W) The mass of the object X) The volume of the object Y) The radius of Earth Z) The mass of Earth
W: W) The mass of the object
X: X) The volume of the object
Y: Y) The radius of Earth
Z: Z) The mass of Earth
Answer: X) X) The volume of the object
A spherical Gaussian surface encloses two point charges, q₁ and q₂, while a third point charge, q₃, is placed outside the Gaussian surface. The electric field on the Gaussian surface is due to which of the charges?
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Transition metal elements have atoms or ions with which of the following orbitals partially filled? W) d X) f Y) p Z) s
W: W) d
X: X) f
Y: Y) p
Z: Z) s
Answer: W) W) d
Which choice represents the electron configuration for the magnesium 2+ ion? W) 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² X) 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p² Y) 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹ Z) 1s² 2s² 2p⁶
W: W) 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s²
X: X) 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p²
Y: Y) 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹
Z: Z) 1s² 2s² 2p⁶
Answer: Z) Z) 1s² 2s² 2p⁶
How far apart, in degrees, are the asymptotes of the graph of 2 tan(³⁄₂ x)?
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If the sine of an angle is 0.3, which of the following is a possible cosine of that angle? W) 0.09 X) 0.7 Y) 0.7 Z) 0.91
W: W) 0.09
X: X) 0.7
Y: Y) 0.7
Z: Z) 0.91
Answer: Z) Z) 0.91
A strong oxidizing agent would show which of the following characteristics? W) A large, positive reduction potential X) A large, positive oxidation potential Y) A small, positive reduction potential Z) A small, positive oxidation potential
W: W) A large, positive reduction potential
X: X) A large, positive oxidation potential
Y: Y) A small, positive reduction potential
Z: Z) A small, positive oxidation potential
Answer: W) W) A large, positive reduction potential
Which of the following is the strongest reducing agent yielding the most ATP per molecule during oxidative phosphorylation? W) FADH₂ X) FAD⁺ Y) NADH Z) NAD⁺
W: W) FADH₂
X: X) FAD⁺
Y: Y) NADH
Z: Z) NAD⁺
Answer: Y) Y) NADH
A putative observation of methane on Mars was reported in 2009. Which of the following is NOT considered a possible source of this methane? W) Methanogenesis X) Clathrate dissociation Y) Volcanic outgassing Z) Serpentinization
W: W) Methanogenesis
X: X) Clathrate dissociation
Y: Y) Volcanic outgassing
Z: Z) Serpentinization
Answer: Y) Y) Volcanic outgassing
If the moon is in a new moon phase on April 1, approximately when will the next spring tide occur?
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Assuming that the light bulbs, wires, and batteries are all the same in two different circuits, how would the brightness of two light bulbs in series compare to the brightness of just one light bulb?
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What will the power loss be in watts in a 100,000-volt transmission line carrying 10 amperes of current if the resistance of the line is 20 ohms?
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One component of a solar energy system is the charge controller. Its function is to: W) Provide electrical protection to the system X) Regulate the amount of power that goes into energy storage for later use Y) Dissipate excess energy Z) Store the energy for later use
W: W) Provide electrical protection to the system
X: X) Regulate the amount of power that goes into energy storage for later use
Y: Y) Dissipate excess energy
Z: Z) Store the energy for later use
Answer: X) X) Regulate the amount of power that goes into energy storage for later use
How much heat in kilocalories does it take to heat 10 kilograms of bathwater from 10 °C to 20 °C?
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What is the derivative of sin(w) at w = 0?
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What is the derivative of cos(π/2 + w) with respect to w, in terms of cos(w)?
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What will likely happen to the amount of dissolved oxygen in a river downstream of a tributary that brings sewage effluent? W) The amount of oxygen will be depleted X) The amount of oxygen will stay the same Y) Oxygen will be generated Z) More oxygen will diffuse into the water
W: W) The amount of oxygen will be depleted
X: X) The amount of oxygen will stay the same
Y: Y) Oxygen will be generated
Z: Z) More oxygen will diffuse into the water
Answer: W) W) The amount of oxygen will be depleted
Does a heavy wet snowfall in Buffalo, New York necessarily mean that Boston, Massachusetts will experience the same weather? W) Yes, because they are geographically close and the Westerlies drive storm systems across the U.S. towards the East X) Yes, because airmasses hitting New England are always impacted by their proximity to the ocean and, therefore, pick up moisture that will be dumped as snow Y) No, because Buffalo, New York, is subject to lake-effect snows; the airmass may be “dried out” by the time it gets to Boston Z) No, because weather in the U.S. is driven by the Westerlies which push storm systems from east to west across the continent
W: W) Yes, because they are geographically close and the Westerlies drive storm systems across the U.S. towards the East
X: X) Yes, because airmasses hitting New England are always impacted by their proximity to the ocean and, therefore, pick up moisture that will be dumped as snow
Y: Y) No, because Buffalo, New York, is subject to lake-effect snows; the airmass may be “dried out” by the time it gets to Boston
Z: Z) No, because weather in the U.S. is driven by the Westerlies which push storm systems from east to west across the continent
Answer: Y) Y) No, because Buffalo, New York, is subject to lake-effect snows; the airmass may be “dried out” by the time it gets to Boston
Which of the following principles is at work in hybrid cars? W) Recapture some of the car’s kinetic energy and use it to go faster X) Recapture some of the car’s kinetic energy and use it for better fuel economy Y) Recapture some of the car’s kinetic energy to synthesize gasoline Z) Recapture engine heat and convert it to more kinetic energy for the car
W: W) Recapture some of the car’s kinetic energy and use it to go faster
X: X) Recapture some of the car’s kinetic energy and use it for better fuel economy
Y: Y) Recapture some of the car’s kinetic energy to synthesize gasoline
Z: Z) Recapture engine heat and convert it to more kinetic energy for the car
Answer: X) X) Recapture some of the car’s kinetic energy and use it for better fuel economy
If a force of 10 newtons raises a mass 1.0 meter in 1.0 second, then what is the power in watts?
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Humans have a gene, called LCT, which encodes lactase. In most of the world, LCT is active in young children but is turned off in adults. However, northern Europeans and three different tribes of African pastoralists carry a mutation that permits it to be expressed in adults. The mutation is different in each of the four cases, indicating the mutation is an example of: W) Paralogous genes X) Convergent evolution Y) Homologous genes Z) Divergent evolution
W: W) Paralogous genes
X: X) Convergent evolution
Y: Y) Homologous genes
Z: Z) Divergent evolution
Answer: X) X) Convergent evolution
The human foot and the monkey foot are very different, despite common primate ancestry. The evolution of these differing traits allowed organisms to adapt to different environmental conditions. This type of evolution is known as:
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In a parallelogram ABCD, the sides AB and DC can be represented by: W) Opposite vectors X) Two different vectors with the same direction Y) Two different vectors with the same magnitude Z) The same vector
W: W) Opposite vectors
X: X) Two different vectors with the same direction
Y: Y) Two different vectors with the same magnitude
Z: Z) The same vector
Answer: Z) Z) The same vector
The number 360 has how many positive integer factors?
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What kind of plate tectonic boundary formed the East African rift? W) Divergent X) Convergent Y) Thrust Z) Transform
W: W) Divergent
X: X) Convergent
Y: Y) Thrust
Z: Z) Transform
Answer: W) W) Divergent
What oceanic plate sits west of the South American plate, forming a convergent boundary?
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If N represents the number of sides for a regular polygon that tessellates the plane, how many different values of N are there?
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Find the limit as x approaches –2 of (x³ + 8)/(2x + 4).
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Which of the following ions are NOT isoelectronic with an argon atom? W) K⁺ X) Ti²⁺ Y) S²⁻ Z) Ca²⁺
W: W) K⁺
X: X) Ti²⁺
Y: Y) S²⁻
Z: Z) Ca²⁺
Answer: X) X) Ti²⁺
In a breath analyzer, what color change occurs in a potassium dichromate solution in the presence of alcohol? W) Orange-yellow to green X) Red to blue Y) Clear to pink Z) Orange-yellow to red
W: W) Orange-yellow to green
X: X) Red to blue
Y: Y) Clear to pink
Z: Z) Orange-yellow to red
Answer: W) W) Orange-yellow to green
When the path difference between two slits is an odd multiple of the light’s wavelength divided by 2, the waves arrive 180 degrees out of phase. What kind of interference does this represent?
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A beam of white light is incident on a triangular glass prism with an index of refraction of 1.5 for visible light, producing a spectrum. Initially, the prism is in a glass aquarium filled with air. If the aquarium is filled with water with an index of refraction of 1.3, which of the following is true? W) The spectrum produced has the deviation of the beam opposite to that in air X) The positions of red and violet are reversed in the spectrum Y) The spectrum produced has greater separation between red and violet than that produced in air Z) The spectrum produced has lesser separation between red and violet than that produced in air
W: W) The spectrum produced has the deviation of the beam opposite to that in air
X: X) The positions of red and violet are reversed in the spectrum
Y: Y) The spectrum produced has greater separation between red and violet than that produced in air
Z: Z) The spectrum produced has lesser separation between red and violet than that produced in air
Answer: Z) Z) The spectrum produced has lesser separation between red and violet than that produced in air
What is the pH for a solution with 0.01 mole of nitric acid in 1.0 liter of water?
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What are the nonsuperimposable mirror images of a chiral compound called?
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The incorporation of beta carotene genes from daffodil flowers into rice represents a type of: W) Traditional plant breeding X) Natural selection Y) Genetic engineering Z) Bioprospecting
W: W) Traditional plant breeding
X: X) Natural selection
Y: Y) Genetic engineering
Z: Z) Bioprospecting
Answer: Y) Y) Genetic engineering
What is the method by which scientists determine the precise chromosomal location for a gene that encodes a particular biological trait?
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Which of the following is NOT an accurate description of the dominant airmass affecting America’s Pacific Northwest? W) Cool X) Maritime Y) Humid Z) Dry
W: W) Cool
X: X) Maritime
Y: Y) Humid
Z: Z) Dry
Answer: Z) Z) Dry
The Chinook winds that come from the west and move air down the eastern face of the Rocky Mountains are known as “snow eaters,” because: W) The winds bring moist warm air from California, causing the snows to melt and “disappear” from the Front Range region of Colorado X) The airmass brings cold, dry winds from the peaks of the Rockies, causing the snow to freeze into black ice, making it look like the snow “disappeared” Y) The winds blow the snow off the Front Range and onto the Plains, making the snow “disappear” from the eastern face of the mountains Z) The airmass warms as it descends, increasing its water vapor capacity and causing the snow to sublime and “disappear”
W: W) The winds bring moist warm air from California, causing the snows to melt and “disappear” from the Front Range region of Colorado
X: X) The airmass brings cold, dry winds from the peaks of the Rockies, causing the snow to freeze into black ice, making it look like the snow “disappeared”
Y: Y) The winds blow the snow off the Front Range and onto the Plains, making the snow “disappear” from the eastern face of the mountains
Z: Z) The airmass warms as it descends, increasing its water vapor capacity and causing the snow to sublime and “disappear”
Answer: Z) Z) The airmass warms as it descends, increasing its water vapor capacity and causing the snow to sublime and “disappear”
Which one or ones of the following are aquatic insect nymphs that have external gills on either the thorax or the abdomen: 1) stoneflies, 2) damselflies, 3) dragonflies, or 4) mayflies?
Choices:
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In insects, prothoracicotropic hormone stimulates the prothoracic gland to produce what hormone important in insect development?
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