Exam Questions

Question 1

What is the average power consumed by a 64-year-old woman during the ascent of the 15-cm-high steps, if her mass is 54 kg?
*using data from table

Answer 1

Use the equation Energy = Power * time
rewrite it as P = (PE)/time
PE = mgh (all given)

Question 2

What is the ratio of the minimum sound intensities heard by a 64-year-old male and a 74-year-old female?
*20 dB and 40 dB

Answer 2

20dB = 10^2
40dB = 10^4
ratio would be 10^2 = 100

Question 3

Which of the following energy conversions best describes what takes place in a battery-powered resistive circuit when the current is flowing?

Answer 3

chemical –> electrical –> thermal

Question 4

Protein secondary structure is characterized by the pattern of hydrogen bonds between:

Answer 4

backbone amide proteins and carbonyl oxygens
- secondary structure involves turns, helices, and sheets
- no side chain interactions (this is tertiary structure)

Question 5

What is the pH of a buffer solution that is 0.2 M in HCO3– and 2 M in H2CO3? (Note: The first pKa of carbonic acid is 6.37.)

Answer 5

5.37
To find the pH of a solution, use the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation: pH = pKa + log([base] /[acid] )
pH = 6.37 + log(0.2/2) = 5.37 because the log(0.1) is -1.

Question 6

What is the concentration of Ca2+(aq) in a saturated solution of CaCO3? (Note: The solubility product constant Ksp for CaCO3 is 4.9 × 10–9.)

Answer 6

The dissolution of CaCO3 is CaCO3(s) ⇌ Ca2+(aq) + CO32–(aq) and the solubility product constant expression is Ksp = [Ca2+] [CO32–] . Equal amounts of Ca2+ and CO32– are produced when CaCO3 dissolves in solution, so the expression reduces to x2 = 4.9 × 10–9, which is equal to 49 × 10–10. Taking the square root, x = 7.0 × 10–5 M.

Question 7

Which single bond present in nitroglycerin is most likely the shortest? The average bond energies in kJ/mol of the C–H, C–O, C–C, and O–N single bonds present in nitroglycerin are 413, 358, 347, and 201, respectively.

Answer 7

C-H
- largest bond energy means strongest bond
- the stronger the bond, the shorter it is

Question 8

At STP, the volume of N2(g) produced by the complete decomposition of 1 mole of nitroglycerin would be closest to which of the following?

4C3H5N3O9(l) → 12CO2(g) + 10H2O(g) + 6N2(g) + O2(g)

Answer 8

According to the balanced reaction given in the passage, for every 4 moles of nitroglycerin consumed, 6 moles of N2(g) are produced. Therefore, for every 1 mole of nitroglycerin, 1.5 moles of N2(g) are produced. At STP, the molar volume of an ideal gas is 22.4 L*mol–1, which means that 1.5 moles of N2 will occupy 33.6 L.

Question 9

Based on the passage, findings from comparative studies of social mobility have led some scholars to question which aspect of U.S. society?
*scholars question ‘assumptions about opportunity’ in American society

A.Meritocracy
B.Socialization
C.Social identity
D.Cultural capital

Answer 9

A. Meritocracy

According to the passage, the United States tends to have less social mobility than its peer countries. This empirical finding from comparative research had led some scholars to question assumptions about opportunity in American society. Such questioning of opportunity would be relevant to the concept of meritocracy, which assumes that opportunity is based on a combination of talent and effort.

Question 10

How would a structural functionalist interpret the efficacy of yoga as part of a smoking cessation therapy?

A.Yoga provides an alternate understanding of healthful practices that enables the individual to better understand his or her personal needs and motives.
B.Yoga provides an inexpensive therapy option for those lacking the financial resources necessary for more expensive medical interventions.
C.The utility of yoga as an effective smoking cessation therapy stems from the transformation of the individual’s self-concept as a nonsmoker.
D.The utility of yoga as an effective smoking cessation therapy is an unintended, though beneficial, outcome of a yoga practice.

Answer 10

D. The utility of yoga as an effective smoking cessation therapy is an unintended, though beneficial, outcome of a yoga practice.

Functionalism makes a distinction between manifest, or intended, and latent, or unintended, functions of social practices which sustain social stability. The option describes a latent, or unintended, function. Because the expected function of yoga is not specifically smoking cessation, its utility as a cessation therapy is a latent function of the social activity.

Question 11

The left cerebral hemisphere in humans is most often linked with which cognitive function?

A.Visuospatial skills
B.Music perception
C.Vocabulary skills
D.Emotion processing

Answer 11

C. vocabulary skills

Vocabulary skills tend to be lateralized to the left hemisphere, whereas visuospatial skills, music perception, and emotion processing tend to be lateralized to the right hemisphere.

Question 12

What expression gives the amount of light energy (in J per photon) that is converted to other forms between the fluorescence excitation and emission events? excitation = 360 nm ;emission = 440 nm

A.(6.62 × 10–34) × (3.0 × 108)
B.(6.62 × 10–34) × (3.0 × 108) × (360 × 10–9)
C.(6.62 × 10–34) × (3.0 × 108) × [1 / (360 × 10–9) – 1 / (440 × 10–9)]
D.(6.62 × 10–34) × (3.0 × 108) / (440 × 10–9)

Answer 12

C. (6.62 × 10–34) × (3.0 × 108) × [1 / (360 × 10–9) – 1 / (440 × 10–9)]

The photon energy is hf = hc/λ, where h = 6.62 × 10−34 J · s and c = 3 × 108 m/s. Excitation occurs at λe = 360 nm and fluorescence is observed at λf = 440 nm.

Question 13

Why must the person either lean forward or slide their feet under the chair in order to stand up?

A.To increase the force required to stand up
B.To use the friction with the ground
C.To reduce the energy required to stand up
D.To keep the body in equilibrium while rising

Answer 13

D.To keep the body in equilibrium while rising

As the person is attempting to stand, the only support comes from the feet on the ground. The person is in equilibrium only when the center of mass is directly above their feet. Otherwise, if the person did not lean forward or slide the feet under the chair, the person would fall backward due to the large torque created by the combination of the weight of the body (applied at the person’s center of mass) and the distance along the horizontal between the center of mass and the support point.

• it’s not B because the friction with the ground is used at all times that your feet are in contact with it

Question 14

When used in place of spHM, which peptide would be most likely to achieve the same experimental results?
FLGFTY (phosphorylated)

A.FLGFAY
B.FLGFQY
C.FLGFGY
D.FLGFEY

Answer 14

D. FLGFEY

The phosphorylated threonine (T) would most likely be mimicked by glutamate (E) in terms of size and charge. The carboxylate side chain of glutamate has a negative charge like phosphate and multiple oxygen atoms, also like phosphate.

Question 15

Based on the information in the passage, PDK1 catalyzes the addition of phosphate to what functional group? (acts on Ser/Thr residues)

A.Hydroxyl
B.Amine
C.Carboxyl
D.Phenyl

Answer 15

A. Hydroxyl

PDK1 phosphorylates specific Ser or Thr residues, and the nucleophile accepting the phosphate in the side chains of both residues is –OH (hydroxyl).

Question 16

A patient puts on a mask with lateral openings and inhales oxygen from a tank as shown.
What phenomenon causes static air to be drawn into the mask when oxygen flows?

A.Doppler effect
B.Venturi effect
C.Diffusion
D.Dispersion

Answer 16

B. Venturi effect

The oxygen pressure is the sum of the oxygen static pressure P and the oxygen flow pressure ½ ρv2. In the area of the mask openings, Pair = P + ½ ρv2, thus Pair > P. Air enters the mask because the static pressure of the air is larger than the static pressure of the oxygen that flows in the mask. This is the Venturi effect, and the mask is called the Venturi mask.

Question 17

What are the structural features possessed by storage lipids?

A.Two fatty acids ester-linked to a single glycerol plus a charged head group
B.Three fatty acids ester-linked to a single glycerol
C.Two fatty acids ester-linked to a single sphingosine plus a charged head group
D.Three fatty acids ester-linked to a single sphingosine

Answer 17

B.Three fatty acids ester-linked to a single glycerol

Storage lipids are neutral fat, defined as a triacylglycerol or three fatty acids ester-linked to a single glycerol.

Question 18

Which of the following atoms will be expected to have the smallest second ionization energy?

A.Na
B.C
C.O
D.Ca

Answer 18

D. Ca

Second ionization energy is the minimum energy required to remove a second electron from a positively charged ion: X+(g) → X2+(g) + e–. Calcium, Ca, has an electron configuration of 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2. Losing two electrons from calcium will require the lowest amount of energy because the ion’s resulting electron configuration is a stable noble gas configuration (1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6) with a full octet.

Question 19

In [Cu(NH3)4]2+, the subscript 4 indicates which of the following?

A.The oxidation number of Cu only
B.The coordination number of Cu2+ only
C.Both the oxidation number of Cu and the coordination number of Cu2+
D.Neither the oxidation number of Cu nor the coordination number of Cu2+

Answer 19

B. The coordination number of Cu2+ only

The subscript 4 indicates the number of neutral ammonia ligands directly bonded to the central Cu2+ cation.

Co-ordination number is the number of co-ordination bonds with which the ligands are bound to central ion whereas oxidation state is a number assigned to an element in chemical combination which represents the number of electrons lost or gained by an atom of that element in the compound.

Question 20

The concentration of enzyme for each experiment was 5.0 μM. What is kcat for the reaction at pH 4.5 with NO chloride added when Compound 3 is the substrate? the rate is 125 nM/s

A.2.5 × 10–2 s–1
B.1.3 × 102 s–1
C.5.3 × 103 s–1
D.7.0 × 105 s–1

Answer 20

A.

Because the reaction was run at substrate saturation, the reaction rate was equal to Vmax. The equation Vmax = kcat[E] total can be rearranged to give kcat = Vmax/[E] total = 125 nM·s–1/5000 nM = 2.5 × 10–2 s–1.

Question 21

absorption of ultraviolet light by organic molecules always results in what process?

A.Bond breaking
B.Excitation of bound electrons
C.Vibration of atoms in polar bonds
D.Ejection of bound electrons

Answer 21

B.Excitation of bound electrons

Question 22

Four organic compounds: 2-butanone, n-pentane, propanoic acid, and n-butanol, present as a mixture, are separated by column chromatography using silica gel with benzene as the eluent. What is the expected order of elution of these four organic compounds from first to last?

A.n-Pentane → 2-butanone → n-butanol → propanoic acid
B.n-Pentane → n-butanol → 2-butanone → propanoic acid
C.Propanoic acid → n-butanol → 2-butanone → n-pentane
D.Propanoic acid → 2-butanone → n-butanol → n-pentane

Answer 22

A.n-Pentane → 2-butanone → n-butanol → propanoic acid

more polar compounds will elute more slowly

The least polar compound, capable on only London dispersion forces, will elute first because it has the weakest attraction to the polar stationary phase (n-pentane). The second compound to elute will be a slightly polar compound that can accept but not donate hydrogen bonds (2-butanone). The third compound to elute will be a more polar compound that can both accept and donate hydrogen bonds via 1 OH group (n-butanol). The fourth compound to elute will be a compound that can both accept and donate hydrogen bonds via 1 OH group and accept hydrogen bonds to C=O (propanoic acid).

Question 23

Which imaging technique is best suited for localizing brain areas, as described in the studies of neural activity?
A.PET
B.EEG
C.MRI
D.CT

Answer 23

A. PET

PET would show activity
EEG captures brainwave data
MRI and CT are good for showing neuroanatomy/structure

Question 24

Which statement is NOT consistent with a conflict theoretical analysis of the findings in the passage?

A.Religion is an instrument of social control.
B.Religion helps to legitimate inequality in society.
C.Religion encourages passive acceptance of material conditions.
D.Religion helps to increase social solidarity.

Answer 24

The correct answer is D.

A. A conflict perspective focuses on the social institutions that maintain social inequalities; therefore, the social control of reactions against those inequalities would be consistent with a conflict perspective.
B. A conflict perspective would be interested in analyzing narratives that legitimize social inequalities and draw attention to these narratives.
C. The passive acceptance of inequalities in material conditions would be a topic of analysis from a conflict viewpoint.
D. This option represents a functionalist understanding of religion, with the reference to social solidarity.

Question 25

A transient shortage of oxygen (global ischemia) releases excess glutamate into the extracellular fluid of the brain. This causes neuronal death by hyperexcitation to a greater extent in the hippocampus than in the cortex. Which reason best explains why the hippocampus is selectively vulnerable during global ischemia?

A.The magnitude of action potentials is greater in hippocampal than cortical neurons.
B.The expression of NMDA receptors is more abundant in hippocampal than cortical neurons.
C.Hippocampal neurons generate a more negative postsynaptic potential than cortical neurons.
D.Hippocampal synapses have faster neurotransmitter diffusion rates compared to cortical synapses.

Answer 25

B.The expression of NMDA receptors is more abundant in hippocampal than cortical neurons.

NMDA receptors are glutamate-responsive ion channels that promote action potential formation upon activation. Consequently, increased expression of NMDA receptors in the hippocampus will increase the likelihood of action potential formation, increasing excitability.

it’s not D. because : Diffusion of neurotransmitters across the synaptic space, which tightly couples presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons, is not a major determinant of neuronal excitability. Instead, the concentration of neurotransmitters and postsynaptic receptors most strongly determines excitability.

Question 26

Pairs of research participants interacted for 10 min. They rated themselves and their partners on personality traits and then rated the accuracy of their partners’ ratings of them. The partners’ ratings were rated as more accurate if they were close to participants’ own self-ratings. This finding illustrates:

A.the self-fulfilling prophecy.
B.self-verification.
C.the self-serving bias.
D.self-efficacy.

Answer 26

B. self-verification

Self-verification refers to the tendency to seek out (and agree with) information that is consistent with one’s self-concept. This is what is illustrated by the study finding.

Question 27

At the end of Study 2, the researchers’ recommendation suggests that parents in food-insecure households are subject to which role dynamic? (The researchers recommended that public health agencies pay particular attention to these parents, who may be struggling to satisfy their children’s needs while experiencing distress from their own needs.)

A.Role engulfment
B.Role confusion
C.Role conflict
D.Role strain

Answer 27

D. Role strain

The passage refers to researcher-recommended interventions for parents who experience stress from trying to satisfy both their children’s needs and their own needs. By identifying tension stemming from the parental role, the recommendation suggests role strain, which refers to stress from different expectations associated with a single role. For parents with depression, the parental role can cause competing obligations of satisfying their children’s needs when they are coping with psychological distress and find themselves unable to meet their own needs.

Question 28

In order to balance on one foot, many people need to have their eyes open. This is an example of:

A.motion parallax.
B.sensory interaction.
C.vestibular sense.
D.perceptual maladaptation.

Answer 28

B. sensory interaction

Sensory interaction is the idea that one sensory modality (e.g., vision) may influence another (e.g., balance).