Round #2

Question 1

1) Energy – Multiple Choice Nuclear power plants generate energy by which of the following processes?
W) Fission
X) Fusion
Y) Formation
Z) Fracture

Answer 1

ANSWER: W) FISSION

Question 2

1) Energy – Multiple Choice Most of today’s plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles incorporate a common battery.
This battery is also onboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. What type is this battery?
W) Lithium-ion
X) Lead-acid
Y) Nickel-metal hydride
Z) Nickel cadmium

Answer 2

ANSWER: W) LITHIUM-ION

Question 2

2) Life Science – Multiple Choice If both parents are heterozygous [hetero-ZYE-gus] for a
Mendelian [men-DAY-lee-an] trait, what is the percent probability that an offspring is homozygous recessive for that
trait?
W) Zero
X) 25
Y) 50
Z) 100

Answer 2

ANSWER: X) 25

Question 3

2) Life Science – Multiple Choice Stromatolites [stroh-MAT-oh-lite] have been used to study the age of which of the
following?
W) Earliest life forms
X) Oceans
Y) The Earth
Z) The Solar System

Answer 3

ANSWER: W) EARLIEST LIFE FORMS

Question 4

3) Earth and Space – Multiple Choice The rings of Saturn are primarily composed of which of the following?
W) Fine particles and dust
X) Chunks of rock
Y) Lumps of water ice
Z) Hydrogen, helium, methane and other trace gases

Answer 4

ANSWER: Y) LUMPS OF WATER ICE

Question 5

3) Earth and Space – Multiple Choice Which of the following is the final phase of stellar evolution for our Sun and
stars of similar size?
W) Brown dwarf
X) Red giant
Y) Supergiant
Z) White dwarf

Answer 5

ANSWER: Z) WHITE DWARF

Question 6

4) Math – Multiple Choice Which of the following types of triangles is impossible?
W) Acute equilateral
X) Obtuse equilateral
Y) Obtuse isosceles
Z) Right scalene

Answer 6

ANSWER: X) OBTUSE EQUILATERAL

Question 7

4) Math – Short Answer What are the coordinates of the vertex of the parabola with equation
y = –3x2 + 4x – 10?

Answer 7

ANSWER: (2/3, –26/3) (ACCEPT: (2/3, –8 2/3))

Question 8

5) Physical Science – Multiple Choice How are ionically-bonded compounds generally named?
W) After the scientist who first created the compound
X) They end in “onium”
Y) By using the name of the positive ion followed by the name of the negative ion
Z) By using the name and Roman numeral associated with the metal involved

Answer 8

ANSWER: Y) BY USING THE NAME OF THE POSITIVE ION FOLLOWED BY THE NAME OF THE NEGATIVE
ION

Question 9

5) Physical Science – Multiple Choice A nucleus of Lithium containing 3 protons and 4 neutrons is surrounded by 4
electrons. Which of the following best describes this?
W) Tracer
X) Ion
Y) Isotope
Z) Neutral atom

Answer 9

ANSWER: X) ION

Question 10

6) Life Science – Multiple Choice A blood cell is placed into a salt solution and is observed to shrink. What type of
solution was the blood cell placed in?
W) Hypertonic [high-pur-tawn-ik]
X) Isotonic
Y) Hypotonic [high-poh-tawnic]
Z) Osmotic [oz-MAW-tik]

Answer 10

ANSWER: W) HYPERTONIC

Question 11

6) Life Science – Multiple Choice In what state will a plant cell be if placed in a hypotonic [high-poh-tawnic]
environment?
W) Lysis [LYE-sis]
X) Plasmolysis [plazz-MAWL-ih-sis]
Y) Turgor
Z) Shrinking

Answer 11

ANSWER: Y) TURGOR

Question 12

7) Math – Multiple Choice A coin is flipped 6 times. The first five flips all result in heads. Which of the following
statements is true about the result of the sixth flip?
W) It is more likely to be heads
X) It is more likely to be tails
Y) It is equally likely to be heads or tails
Z) The probability of the result being tails is 5/6

Answer 12

ANSWER: Y) IT IS EQUALLY LIKELY TO BE HEADS OR TAILS

Question 13

7) Math – Short Answer A regular polygon with 15 sides has exterior angles of what degree measure?

Answer 13

ANSWER: 24

Question 14

8) Physical Science – Short Answer The liquefaction of what gas was recognized with the 1913 Nobel Prize in
Physics?

Answer 14

ANSWER: HELIUM

Question 15

8) Physical Science – Short Answer What scientist used the data collected by Tycho Brahe [TEE-koh BRAH-hay] in
order to formulate empirical laws regarding the motion of the planets?

Answer 15

ANSWER: JOHANNES KEPLER (ACCEPT: KEPLER)

Question 16

9) Earth and Space – Multiple Choice Important mineral deposits and large reservoirs of petroleum and natural gas are
associated with which of the following?
W) Ocean trenches
X) Guyots
Y) Rift zones
Z) Continental shelves

Answer 16

ANSWER: Z) CONTINENTAL SHELVES

Question 17

9) Earth and Space – Short Answer What is the term for reefs that form circular or horseshoe-shaped rings around
lagoons?

Answer 17

ANSWER: ATOLLS (ACCEPT: CORAL ATOLL)

Question 18

10) Life Science – Short Answer In what cellular organelle [organ-ELL] does photosynthesis occur?

Answer 18

ANSWER: CHLOROPLAST

Question 19

10) Life Science – Multiple Choice A plant cell containing 0.1 molar sucrose and 0.2 molar glucose is placed in a 0.3
molar solution of sucrose. What type of solution is this?
W) Super saturated
X) Isotonic
Y) Hypotonic [high-poh-tawnic]
Z) Hypertonic [high-pur-tawn-ik]

Answer 19

ANSWER: X) ISOTONIC

Question 20

11) Energy – Multiple Choice Which of the following is closest to the percentage of the electricity in the United States
that is generated from wind?
W) 4
X) 10
Y) 16
Z) 22

Answer 20

ANSWER: W) 4

Question 21

11) Energy – Multiple Choice Scientists from two DOE labs, Pacific Northwest and Oak Ridge National Labs, have
developed new methods for extracting uranium from seawater. Which of the following would this be used to fuel?
W) Fission reactors
X) Fusion reactors
Y) Chemical reactors
Z) Hybrid reactors

Answer 21

ANSWER: W) FISSION REACTORS

Question 22

12) Math – Short Answer What is the adjective for the type of formal reasoning that leads to a conclusion that logically
follows from a set of premises?

Answer 22

ANSWER: DEDUCTIVE (DO NOT ACCEPT: DEDUCTION)

Question 23

12) Math – Short Answer Kaye makes widgets at a rate of 20 per hour and Jay makes them at a rate of 15 per hour. If
Jay has a one-hour head start and they both then work continuously, after how many hours from the time she starts will
Kaye have made the same number of widgets as Jay?

Answer 23

ANSWER: 3

Question 24

13) Physical Science – Multiple Choice What is the name for the SI derived unit for energy?
W) Erg
X) Electron-volt
Y) Watt
Z) Joule [jool]

Answer 24

ANSWER: Z) JOULE

Question 25

13) Physical Science – Multiple Choice Which of the following is most closely related to the frequency of a wave?
W) Amplitude
X) Wavelength
Y) Crest
Z) Trough

Answer 25

ANSWER: X) WAVELENGTH

Question 26

14) Life Science – Multiple Choice Which of the following is the target of alkylating [AL-kil-lay-ting] agents, such as
mustard gas?
W) DNA
X) Proteins
Y) Carbohydrates
Z) Fatty acids

Answer 26

ANSWER: W) DNA

Question 27

14) Life Science – Multiple Choice Lecithin is an example of which of the following?
W) Carbohydrate
X) Protein
Y) Phospholipid [faws-foe-lip-id]
Z) Nucleic [new-CLAY-ik] acid

Answer 27

ANSWER: Y) PHOSPHOLIPID

Question 28

15) Earth and Space – Multiple Choice What was the name of the first U.S. satellite put in orbit around the Earth?
W) Explorer I
X) Sputnik
Y) Vanguard
Z) Telstar

Answer 28

ANSWER: W) EXPLORER I

Question 29

15) Earth and Space – Short Answer A cooler-than-normal sea surface temperature in the central and eastern Pacific
Ocean, near the equator off the west coast of South America is known as what?

Answer 29

ANSWER: LA NIÑA

Question 30

16) Energy – Multiple Choice Which of the following percentages is closest to the typical efficiency of a steam turbine
for electricity generation?
W) 10
X) 35
Y) 60
Z) 85

Answer 30

ANSWER: X) 35

Question 30

16) Energy – Short Answer What does the acronym OPEC stand for?

Answer 30

ANSWER: ORGANIZATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES

Question 31

17) Math – Short Answer Simplify the fraction with numerator x5 y6 and denominator
x –3 y5.

Answer 31

ANSWER: x8 y

Question 32

17) Math – Short Answer A manufacturing facility says that a 100% rate at its packing station is 200 shelves per day.
Last week, Jordan’s rates for 5 days were 50%, 60%, 45%, 70%, and 75%. What was the average daily number of shelves
packed by Jordan during those 5 days?

Answer 32

ANSWER: 120

Question 33

18) Earth and Space – Multiple Choice Which of the following is closest to the ratio of the surface temperature of
Aldebaran, a red giant, to that of the Sun?
W) 0.5
X) 1
Y) 2
Z) 3

Answer 33

ANSWER: W) 0.5

Question 34

18) Earth and Space – Short Answer Identify all of the following four rocks that would be considered well-sorted:
1) Breccia; 2) Arkose; 3) Shale; 4) Quartz sandstone.

Answer 34

ANSWER: 2, 3, 4 (ACCEPT: ARKOSE, SHALE, QUARTZ SANDSTONE)

Question 35

19) Life Science – Short Answer What type of microscope did van Leeuwenhoek [LOO-wen-hook] use when first
observing cells?

Answer 35

ANSWER: LIGHT MICROSCOPE (ACCEPT: SINGLE-LENS MICROSCOPE)

Question 36

19) Life Science – Short Answer In what structure of the human lung does gas exchange occur?

Answer 36

ANSWER: ALVEOLI (ACCEPT: ALVEOLUS)

Question 37

20) Physical Science – Multiple Choice For two samples of mercury, one with a mass of 10 grams and the other with a
mass of 20 grams, which of the following would NOT be the same?
W) Boiling point
X) Density
Y) Melting point
Z) Volume

Answer 37

ANSWER: Z) VOLUME

Question 38

20) Physical Science – Short Answer What type of elementary particle is thought not to exist in isolation because of
color confinement?

Answer 38

ANSWER: QUARKS

Question 39

21) Earth and Space – Short Answer What radiation belts surround the Earth due to charged particles becoming trapped
by Earth’s magnetic field?

Answer 39

ANSWER: VAN ALLEN BELTS

Question 39

1) Earth and Space – Multiple Choice Which of the following is the most significant benefit of the Earth’s magnetic
field to life on Earth?
W) It deflects dangerous particles emitted by the sun
X) It is used by migrating birds to find their way
Y) It is the source of our electric power
Z) It helps us find mineral deposits

Answer 39

ANSWER: W) IT DEFLECTS DANGEROUS PARTICLES EMITTED BY THE SUN

Question 40

22) Math – Short Answer Express the fraction 11/8 as a decimal.

Answer 40

`ANSWER: 1.375

Question 41

22) Math – Short Answer What is the largest prime factor of 1035?

Answer 41

ANSWER: 23

Question 41

23) Earth and Space – Short Answer What is the term for the point at which an orbiting body is closest to the Sun?

Answer 41

ANSWER: PERIHELION

Question 42

23) Earth and Space – Short Answer Occultation of background stars was used to discover what feature of Uranus?

Answer 42

ANSWER: RINGS