6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 1 Maximum Marks: 100 Maximum Time: 3 hours 1. Part I has 5 multiple-choice questions from each of the four disciplines of the competition and all the candidates are expected to attempt this part. It carries 20 marks. The multiple-choice portion of the relevant section of Part II carries 50 Marks. Correct answer will carry +1 mark; 1/3 mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer. 2. To answer Part I, and the multiple-choice portion of the relevant section of Part II detach the pages entitled ‘Answer Sheet for Part I and Answer sheet for Part II’. Write your name on the space provided in these sheets. There are four choices (a, b, c, d) corresponding to each multiple-choice question. Color one of these choices as shown in the example, which in your opinion is correct. If you want to change the answer, you may do so after crossing out the previous answer. Rough work may be done in the Answer Booklet for Part II by clearly specifying ‘Rough Work’. 3. The descriptive question(s) of Part II should be solved in the Answer Booklet for Part II. This (these) question carries 30 Marks. 4. The last page will provide you the opportunity to give frank opinion about the test and is meant to motivate you to carefully read the question paper before attempting it. It will be used to discriminate between candidates having similar scores. Students will be short-listed for a one-week Training Camp in July, August or September on the basis of their performance in this screening test. Please make sure that we have your phone/fax number and/or e-mail address on which you can be informed about the result in about one month. 5. Recommended time for Part I is 30-40 minutes and for the multiple-choice portion of Part II and its descriptive portion is about one hour each. The rest of time is for reading and commenting. 6. No leaf from the question paper or Answer Booklet is to be torn out and these must be handed over to the examiner, even if no question has been attempted. Any one found using unfair means would be disqualified. 7. You may use scientific calculators. 8. No questions will be entertained and no clarification will be made during the test. In case of doubt, please write down your remarks along with your comments. 9. You must attempt Part I and only one of the relevant portions of Part II, because to qualify screening test one should pass both Part I and the portion of Part II that is relevant to the discipline in which you wish to compete. 10. The term ‘estimate’ if used in the descriptive portion of Part II means that only an approximate answer is expected from the students. Similarly the term ‘sketch’ in this Part means drawing a rough graph, which looks like what you might expect from more careful considerations. 11. Please put your pen down as soon as you hear stop writing. Check List: i) Paper contains 23 pages including this page and no page is torn or missing ii) Part I consists of 20 multiple choice questions and the first portion of the relevant section Part II contain 50 multiple choice and one or more descriptive questions iii) Answer Booklet for Part II 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 2 Part I: Multiple Choice Questions (This part is compulsory for all Candidates) A. Biology 1. The scientist most closely associated with the Theory of Evolution is a) Dalton, b) Einstein, c) Mendeleyev, d) Darwin 2. All of the following are mammals except a) Whale, b) shark, c) dolphin, d) seal 3. Zainab is expecting her 10th child. All of her other children are females. The probability that her 10th child will also be a girl is a) 0.9, b) 0.1, c) 0.5, d) none of these 4. In an area populated by the following species which of the following would most probably have the largest population? a) Foxes, b) rabbits, c) grass hoppers, d) field mice 5. A cell wall is present only in a) Bacteria, b) Protozoa, c) Algae, d) Virus B. Chemistry 1. The apparatus that is most suitable for accurately measuring 230 cm3 of liquid is a) Burette, b) Pipette, c) Cylinder, d) Beaker 2. The substance that conducts electricity by the movement of ions is a) Graphite, b) Mercury, c) molten Sodium Chloride, d) molten Lead 3. The gas that is industrially obtained using fractional distillation is a) Nitrogen, b) Chlorine, c) Ammonia, d) Hydrogen 4. Oxidation takes places on the following electrode a) Anode, b) cathode, c) both anode and cathode, d) none of these 5. The most effective means of corrosion is a) Air b) water c) CO2, d) N2 C. Mathematics 1. If n is a number such that n n n n + = × , then n is equal to a) 0 b) 1 c) 2 d) infinitely many 2. If x= 2-√3, then x + 1/x equals a) 4, b) 2 + √3, c) 4 -√3 , d) 1/(2 + √3) 3. The age of father is 40 years. 5 years earlier his age was seven times his son’s age. The present age of his son is a) 10 b) 5 c) 7 d) 12 4. The length of a rectangle is twice its width. If its perimeter is 60 m, then its area is (a) 600 m2, b) 400 m2 , c)150 m2, d) 200 m2 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 3 5. The base of a triangle is twice its hypotenuse, the sine of the angle opposite to its base is a) √3/2, b) 1, c) 1/2, d) √3 D. Physics 1. Which of the following situations is impossible (a) A body having velocity East and acceleration West, (b) a body having velocity East and acceleration East, (c) a body having zero velocity but non-zero acceleration, (d) a body having constant velocity but non-zero acceleration 2. If a fixed mass of water is cooled slowly from 100C to 00C, its volume a) Increases steadily, b) decreases steadily, c) first increases and then decreases d) first decreases and then increases 3. A block slides down a frictionless ramp and a sphere rolls without sliding down a ramp of the same angle ө. The block and sphere have the same mass, start from rest at point A, and descend through point B In that descent. The work done by the gravitational force on the block is a) Greater than, b) less than, c) the same as the work done by the gravitational force on the sphere. d) Need more information to answer this question 4. Which of the following properties of a solid would change if it were transported from the Earth to the Moon? a) Mass, b) volume, c) density, d) weight 5. A moth at about eye level is 10 cm in front of a plane mirror; you are behind the moth, 30 cm from the mirror. The distance between your eyes and the apparent position of the moth's image in the mirror is a) 50 cm, b) 30 cm c) 40 cm, d) 60 cm Part II (In this part, candidates are required to attempt only the one subject, for which they are competing.) Biology-Multiple Choice Questions 1. When two glucose (C6H12O6) molecules are combined to form a molecule of maltose (C12H22O11), the formula of the maltose molecule is not C12H24O12 because a) Hydrolysis takes place b) Dehydration synthesis takes place c) Transpiration takes place d) Water is added 2. Of the following terms, the one that includes all others is a) Oxidation b) Respiration c) Metabolism d) Polination 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 4 3. Auxin serve to increase rate of a) Digestion b) Circulation c) Reproduction d) Growth 4. Of the following terms, which one includes all the others a) Species b) Class c) Phylum d) Order 5. Ciliated epithelial cells in nasal passages are useful because they a) Keep out dust and bacteria b) Provide sense of smell c) Reduce the breathing rate when the air is impure d) Reduce the humidity in inhaled air 6. An independent organism is discovered that does not contain a nucleus. In all liklihood, it would be classified in the kingdom a) Monera b) Protista c) Fungi d) Animal 7. Why do legume plants enrich soil? a) They remove selenium a deadly poision b) They encourage breeding of earthworms c) Their roots contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria d) Their root system penetrate 2 meter below the surface 8. Messanger RNA is important in protein synthesis because it a) Contains the 20 essential amino acids b) Carries code from DNA to nucleus c) Carries the code from DNA to the ribosomes d) Is transmitted to the nucleotide 9. In which of the following life processes is ATP produced? I Photosynthesis II Aerobic respiration III Anaerobic respiration a) I only b) II only c) I and II only d) I, II and III 10. In ecological succession, since lichens grow on bare rock, they are considered to be a) Primary consumers b) Pioneer organisms c) Climax organisms d) Producers 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 5 11. A green plant cell contain all of the following structure except a) DNA b) Genes c) A cell wall d) A centriole 12. The innermost chamber of respiratory system into which air can be drawn is the a) Bronchiole b) Bronchus c) Air sac d) Bronchiole tube 13. In aerobic respiration, the final hydrogen acceptor is a) Molecular oxygen b) Carbon dioxide c) Water d) ATP 14. Antibodies are chemicals that are a) Non-specific b) Produced by the body in response to antigen c) Synthesized from glycogen d) Transported by red blood cells 15. Carbohydrates are organic compounds containing C, H, O in which the hydrogen and oxygen occur in the same ratio as in water. Of the following compounds, the carbohydrate is: a) Stearin (C57H110O6) b) Thiamin (C12H18N4O2S) c) Palmatin (C51H98O6) d) Cellulose (C6H10O5)n 16. The best description of an enzyme is that it a) Becomes hydrolyzed during chemical reactions b) Becomes dehydrated during chemical synthesis c) Speeds up the rate of chemical reactions d) Serves as an inorganic catalyst 17. In what way do valves in the vein aid in circulation? a) They prevent the spurting action from becoming too uneven b) They separate oxygenated from deoxygenated blood c) They filter out blood clots d) They keep the blood from flowing backwards 18. A person with insufficient iron in his diet may become anemic because a) The spleen removes too many leucocytes from the blood b) The clotting reaction time is reduced c) Iron is needed in making fibrinogen d) Iron is used in making hemoglobin 19. In which of the following parts of a cell is RNA found? I Nucleus II Cytoplasm III Ribosome 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 6 a) I only b) II only c) I and III only d) I, II and III 20. One similarity of DNA and RNA is that they both contain a) Nucleotide b) ATP c) Thymine d) Deoxyribose sugar 21. One of the characteristics of all living things is that they a) Require oxygen for respiration b) Originate from preexisting life c) Carry on heterotrophic nutrition d) Carry on autotrophic nutrition 22. From what part of plant does a seed develop? a) Hilum b) Anther c) Oviduct d) Ovule 23. Red corpuscles are to hemoglobin as chloroplasts are to a) Guard cells b) Palisade cells c) Chlorophyll d) Photosynthesis 24. Genetic information is transmitted from DNA to a) Amino acids b) Chromosomes c) Proteins d) The site of protein synthesis 25. By which of the following can movement of materials across animal cell membranes be accomplished? I Active transport II Diffusion III Pinocytosis a) I only b) II only c) I and II only d) All of the above 26. The structure that includes all others is a) Ovary b) Ovule c) Style d) Pistil 27. The position of a particular gene on a chromosome is called a) Allele b) Locus c) Homologue d) Chiasmata 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 7 28. The individual who has inherited two dominant alleles for a trait is a) Homozygous dominant b) Homozygous recessive c) Heterozygous d) None of the above 29. The term phenotype refers to traits like a) Structure b) Physiology c) Behavior d) All of above 30. The nucleus contains a) Mitochondria b) Cytosol c) Enzyme d) DNA 31. Another name for Golgi complex is a) Dictyosome b) Endoplasmic reticulum c) Cytomembrane system d) None of the above 32. Leucoplasts are a kind of a) Lysosomes b) Chloroplsts c) Plastids d) Grannum 33. Vacuole in plants are responsible for a) Photosynthesis b) Cellular excretion c) Turgor pressure d) Starch storage 34. Hydrogen peroxide degradation in a cell is a function of a) Lysosomes b) ribosomes c) Mitochondria d) Microbodies 35. Controlled degradation and material processing is a function of a) Lysosomes b) Amyloplast c) Cytoskeleton d) Nucleoid 36. Cell membranes are composed of a) Lipids and proteins b) Phospholipids c) Proteins and carbohydrates d) Lipids and terpenoids 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 8 37. Shrinkage of cytoplasm away from the cell walls is a) Explasmosis b) Imbibation c) Osmosis d) Plasmolysis 38. Stomata open when they are a) Flaccid b) Turgid c) Dormant d) Dividing 39. A waxy cuticle a) Retards water loss b) Speeds water loss c) Helps in respiration d) Attracts pollens 40. A seven celled structure with 8 nuclei is a) Stamen b) Ovary c) Embryo sac d) Seed 41. Nectar a) Provides nourishment to the plants b) Kills germs c) Attracts pollinators d) Is sweet 42. Cytokinins are examples of a) Auxins b) Enzymes c) Hormones d) Seeds 43. Pollen grain develops from haploid microspores then later develop into sperm bearing a) Gametophyte b) Sporophyte c) Megaspore d) Pollen sac 44. Double fertilization is characteristic of a) Fungi b) Flowering plant c) Roses d) Algae 45. Triploid endosperms nucleus is a result of a) Mitosis b) Cross pollination c) Self pollination d) Double fertilization 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 9 46. Mutually beneficial association is called a) Symbiosis b) Saprophytism c) Parasitism d) Commensalism 47. Root nodules harbor a) Saprophytic fungi b) Parasitic bacteria c) Nitrogen fixing bacteria d) Viruses 48. Bacteriophages are a) Parasitic bacteria b) Spore forming bacteria c) Virus attacking bacterai d) None of the above 49. Bacteriophage exhibit life cycle that are a) Lytic b) Lysogenic c) Neither A or B d) Both A & B 50. Cytosine and guanine are a) Purines b) Pyrimidines c) Glycols d) Glycerol Biology: Descriptive Question(s) Describe the key features of Virus and Bacteria and list a few diseases caused by them? Chemistry-Multiple Choice Questions 1. When 7 grams of phosphoric acid (Mol. Wt 98) is dissolved in 500 grams of water, the resulting solution is a) 0.16 molar b) 0.14 molar c) 0.14 normal d) 0.28 normal 2. Which of the following is the best conductor of electricity? a) water b) NaCl solution c) solid NaCl d) sugar solution 3. Which of the following is not normally considered to be an oxidizing agent? a) NaOH b) H2O2 c) Oxygen d) Chlorine 4. The regent used for testing a carbonate radical is a) H2S b) NaCl c) HCl d) CaCl2 5. In the reaction Ag + 4HNO3 AgNO3 + 2H2O + 2NO 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 10 Some of the nitrogen atoms a) Gain 3 electrons b) Gain 1 electron c) Lose 3 electrons d) Lose 1 electrons 6. Chlorous acid has the formula a) HCl b) HClO c) HClO2 d) HClO3 7. What is the atomic volume of lead? Given at wt = 207.2 and density = 11.4 g/cc a) 4.5 b) 9.1 c) 18.2 d) 27.3 8. Which one of the following acids find common use at home? a) HNO3 b) H2SO4 c) H4C2O2 d) H2C O3 9. Which one of the following oxide will be acidic in character? a) Na2O b) BaO c) P2O5 d) K2O 10) Given 2HI H2 +I2 ΔH=+10kJ The concentration of iodine in the equilibrium mixture can be increased by a) raising the temperature b) raising the pressure c) Lowing the pressure d) adding a catalyst 11) The gas produced when copper reacts with concentrated nitric acid is a) Oxygen b) dinitrogen oxide c) nitrogen dioxide d) nitrogen oxide 12) Nitric acid is a a) Week acid and week oxidizing agent b) Strong acid and week reducing agent c) Strong acid and strong reducing agent d) Week acid and strong oxidizing agent 14) Which of the following does not decompose on heating a) NaCl c) PbSO4 c) KNO3 d) AgNO3 15) In the sun hydrogen is converted into a) Uranium b) helium c) barium d) plutonium 16) How many grams of sulfur are present in 1 mole of H2SO4 a) 2 b) 98 c) 64 d) 32 18) If Ke is small, it indicates the equilibrium occurs A) At a low product concentration B) At a high product concentration C) After a considerable time D With no forward reaction 19) In which period is the most electronegative element found A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4 20) The first and simplest alkane is A) Ethane B) methane C) C2H2 D) methene 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 11 21) Slight oxidation of a primary alcohol gives A) a ketone B) an organic acid C) an ether D) an aldehyde 22) The characteristic functional group of organic ester is A) –CHO B)-CO-C)-COOH D)-COO-23) Fermentation of glucose gives A) CO2 and H2O B) CO and alcohol C) CO2 and CH3OH D) CO and C2H5OH 24) The organic acid that can be made from ethanol is A) formic acid B) acetic acid C) glutaric acid D) butanoic acid 25) An ester can be prepared by the reaction of A) two alcohols B) two acids C) an alcohol and aldehyde D) an alcohol and organic acid 26) Phenol is a derivative of A) alkene B) aliphatic hydrocarbon C) aromatic hydrocarbon D) alkyne 27) Sucrose is a A) reducing agent B) monosaccharide C) disaccharide D) sugar with an aldehyde 28) Compounds that have the same composition but different structural formula are called A) polymers B) isomers C) copolymers D) isotopes 29) Fehling’s solution gives a positive test with A) glucose B) sucrose C) copper(I)oxide D) starch 30) What is the structure associated with the sp2 hybrid A) triangle B) tetrahedron C) octahedron D) square planer 31) The bonding that explains the variation of the boiling point of water from the boiling points of similar structured molecules is A) hydrogen bonding B) van der Waals forces C) ionic bonding D) coordinate covalent bonding 32) Which formulae could represent the empirical formula and the molecular formula of a given compound A) CH2O and C4H6O4 B) CHO and C4H12O6 C) CH4 and C5 H12 D) CH2 and C3H6 35) A binary compound of sodium is A) sodium chromate B) sodium chloride C) sodium hypochlorite D) sodium perchlorate 36) How many molecules are there in 2 moles of water ? A) 36 B) 6.023 x 10 23 C) 2/18 D) none of these 37) The addition of a catalyst to a reaction A) changes the enthalpy B) changes the entropy C) changes the nature of product D) changes the activation energy 38) The extent of ionization depends upon the A) nature of the solvent B) nature of the solute C) temperature of the solution D) all of the above 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 12 39) At the beginning , the reaction rate for the reactions is A) largest then decreasing B) largest and then remains constant C) smallest then increasing D) smallest and remains constant 40) What is the oxidation number of Mn in KMnO4 A) +2 B) +4 C) -1 D) +7 41) Enthalpy is an expression for A) heat content B) energy state C) reaction rate D) activation energy 42) The emission of a beta particle results in a new element with atomic number A) increased by 1 B) increased by 2 C) decreased by 1 D) decreased by 2 44) A metallic oxide placed in water would most likely yield an A) acid B) base C)metallic anhydride D)basic anhydride 45) A 10 % solution of NaCl means that in 100 grams of solution there is A) 5.85 g NaCl B) 58.5 g NaCl, C) 23 g NaCl , D) 10 g of NaCl 46. Commercial hydrogen is frequently obtained from which one of the following? a) Water gas (b) Coal gas (c) Producer gas (d) Marsh gas 47. How many isotopes of hydrogen are known? a) 2 (b) 3 (c) 4 d) 5 48. What is the oxidation number of S in H2SO4? a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6 (d) 8 49. Which of the following substance when added in H2O will cause the bulb to light? a) Sugar (b) Ethanol (c) Lead (d) Na 50 Which of the following elements requires the two electrons for one mole of atoms to be liberated during electrolysis? a) Al (b) Ca (c) C (d) Na Chemistry -Descriptive Question How would you distinguish between aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon Mathematics-Multiple Choice Questions 1. If the radii of the circles in Figure 1 are 5 and 3, the centers are A and B and both ∠FAG and ∠DBC are right angles, what is the perimeter of ΔCEG? a) 32 b) 38.63 c) 30 d) Cannot be determined Figure 1 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 13 2. In Figure 2, if AD = 2 and DB = 3, then the ratio ABC area ADC areaΔΔ is a) 32 b) 23 c) 52 d) 53 Figure 2 3. If k+ 1 represents a given odd integer, which of the following must also be an odd integer? a) k( k+1) b) (k+1)(k+2) c) (k+1)(k−1) d) (k+1)2−1 4. In Figure 3, arc CD is a semicircle. AB ⊥ CD, BC = 3, BD = 4. Then the length of AB = a) 3.25 b) 4.56 c) 3.46 d) 7.00 Figure 3 5. For a real number x, √√-x is equal a) +x b) -x c) complex d) pure imaginary 6. What is the relationship between the areas of ΔABC and ΔDBC in Figure 4? a) Equal b) Area of ΔABC = 12 Area of ΔDBC c) Area of ΔABC > Area of ΔBDC d) Area of ΔABC + 1 = Area of ΔBDC Figure 4 7. If the right angles and sides are as marked in Figure 5, the area of trapezoid ABCD is 18, and a = 2b, then c = a) 4.47 b) 8.94 c) 5.125 d) 2 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 14 Figure 5 8. If the given angles have the measures indicated in Figure 6, the measures of x and y are a) x = 1000, y = 900 b) x = 1200, y = 850 c) x = 1200, y = 900 d) x = 1000, y = 850 Figure 6 9. If f(x) = − 3 1 x and x takes on successive values from −10 to − 10 1 , then a) f(x) increases throughout b) f(x) decreases throughout c) f(x) increases, then decreases d) f(x) decreases, then increases 10. A gold bar with dimensions 4 3 2 ′ × ′ × ′ has all of its faces rectangular. If it is melted and recast into three cubes of equal volumes, what is the length of an edge of each cube? a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4 11. The arithmetic mean of ten boys is 8 years, 6 months one of them is 13 years old. Then the arithmetic mean of remaining 9 boys is a) 9.5 b) 9 c) 8 d) 7 12. A gold bar with dimensions 4 3 2 ′ × ′ × ′ has all of its faces rectangular. If it is melted and recast into three cubes of equal spheres, what is the radius of each sphere? a) 1.24 b) 2.31 c) 2.92 d) 3.13 13. A gold bar with dimensions 4 3 2 ′ × ′ × ′ has all of its faces rectangular. If it is melted and recast into three cubes of equal volumes, the surface area is increased (decreased by a factor of about a) 2 b) 1.4 c) 3 d) 0.5 14. If set A={2, 3, 4, 5}, Set B ={0, 1, 6, 7, 5}, then these sets are a) Disjoint b) Supersets c) overlapping d) None 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 15 15.. 2×3=3×2 represents a) Associative property w.r.t. multiplication b) Commutative property w.r.t. multiplication c) Multiplicative inverse d) Distributive property of multiplication over addition 16. If p, m and n are prime numbers, none of which is equal to the other two, what is the highest common factor of 24pm2n2, 9pmn2, and 36p(mn)3? a) 3pmn b) 3p2m2n2 c) 3pmn2 d) 3pmn2n2 17. If the perpendicular bisector of the segment with endpoints A(1, 2) and B (2, 4) contains the point (4 , c) then the value of c is a) 7 b) 47 c) − 7 d) 4 18. If f(x) = x1 and f[ ] ) (x f = f(x), then x is a) 1 only b) −1 only c) 1 or −1 e) Any real number 19. The solution set of 9 3 < x is a) {3} b) {–3} c) -3 0 and cos x = − 0.8 , then tan x = (a) 0.75 (b) −0.6 (c) -1.33 (d) − 0.75 32. The volume of a rectangular box is 6480cm3, and the lengths of the sides are in the ratio 2:3:5. The length, in centimeter, of the shortest side of the box is (a) 6 (b) 8 (c) 10 (d) 12 33. If 41 3 2 = + y x , where x and y are natural numbers, then the value of x + y is 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 17 (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 8 (d) 9 34. The length of the sides of the acute angled triangle ABC are x-1, x and x+1. BD is perpendicular to AC. Then CD-DA equals (a) 8x (b) 9x (c) 2 (d) 4 35. In the figure C H B ˆ is equal to (a) Aˆ3 (b) Aˆ3600 − (c) Aˆ1800 − (d) Aˆ2 36. A circle touches the sides of the square ABCD. BEFG is a square of side 1. The length of AB is (a) 4 + 2√2 (b) π 2 (c) 2 5 (d) π 25 37. (d) z x log log 2 − B x -1 x + 1 A C D x 90 0 90 0 H A B C B C AD G O E F . z x c z x b z x a y then z and y x yz x If log log 2 ) ( log log ) ( ) ( log , 0 0 , 0 , 2 2 = > > > = 6th National Science Talent Contest (NSTC-6): Sample Paper 2008-2010 18 38. If one root of 18 2 + + bx x is the twice the other, then b is a) 9 b) 12 c) 6 d) none of these 39. If 0