Science Contest Instructions

The field of biology that classifies organisms into groups based on their characteristics.

DNA replication in bacteria occurs immediately before cell division, ensuring each daughter cell receives a complete copy of the bacterial genome.

A change in the DNA sequence where one base is replaced by another.

The process by which water is transported through plants and released as vapor into the atmosphere.

The study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment.

Organisms living in the same geographic area that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

The process by which natural selection favors traits that increase an organism's chance of survival and reproduction.

A disease that mimics the symptoms of another disease.

A measure of how much the boiling point of a solvent is raised when a non-volatile solute is added to it.

The rate law for the reaction is the mathematical expression showing the relationship between the rate of reaction and the concentrations of the reactants.

The number of moles of a substance per liter of solution.

A substance that when dissolved in water, produces hydrogen ions (H+) and increases the pH.

A substance that when dissolved in water, produces hydroxide ions (OH-) and decreases the pH.

A group of elements that share similar chemical properties.

The order of a reaction with respect to a reactant is the exponent of its concentration term in the rate law.

A chemical reaction in which the rate of the forward reaction is equal to the rate of the reverse reaction.

A celestial object that exhibits retrograde motion, appearing to move backward in the sky for a period of time. The Babylonians observed this motion and recorded it, using the term "retrograde motion" to describe this phenomenon.

A type of star that pulsates in brightness, with a period that is directly related to its luminosity. This relationship allows astronomers to measure distances in space.

A powerful explosion of a star that releases a huge amount of energy and light. These are bright enough to be visible across vast distances, making them useful "standard candles" for measuring cosmological distances.

The average rate of change in velocity over a period of time. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

A force that opposes the motion of an object in contact with a surface. It acts in the direction opposite to the motion.

The force with which an object is attracted towards the center of the Earth. It depends on the object's mass and the acceleration due to gravity.

The tendency of an object to resist changes in its motion. It is a measure of an object's inertia.

A push or pull that can cause an object to accelerate. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

Potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) is a compound formed from potassium (K), chromium (Cr), and oxygen (O). Counting the atoms in each element, we get 2 potassium, 2 chromium, and 7 oxygen atoms, totaling 11 atoms.

The rate law of a reaction is an equation that describes the relationship between the rate of the reaction and the concentration of reactants. It is determined experimentally, not from the balanced chemical equation.

An electrolytic cell uses electrical energy to drive a non-spontaneous chemical reaction, meaning it requires energy to proceed. A galvanic cell, on the other hand, is a spontaneous electrochemical cell, meaning it generates electrical energy from a chemical reaction.

Empirical formula is the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound. It represents the basic building block for a molecule.

The periodic table is a systematic arrangement of elements, but it's not set in stone. There could be undiscovered elements, potentially with unique properties, residing in gaps or beyond the current table's boundaries.

Specific heat is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius. Water has a relatively high specific heat, meaning it takes a lot of energy to change its temperature.

Heat energy is required to raise the temperature of water. As water gets hotter, its kinetic energy increases, causing more collisions and a greater demand for energy to further increase the temperature. This is why it takes more heat to increase the temperature of hotter water.

The boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure is 100°C. Adding more heat beyond this point will cause water to boil and eventually evaporate, not increase its temperature.

The magnetic field strength required to cause an electron moving at a certain velocity to follow a circular path with a specific radius.

A meson is a subatomic particle composed of a quark and an antiquark.

The graph of final velocity versus initial height for an object in freefall will have a positive slope, indicating that the final velocity increases as the initial height increases. The shape of the graph will resemble a square root function because the final velocity is proportional to the square root of the height.

The resistance of a wire is directly proportional to its length and inversely proportional to its cross-sectional area.

Resistivity is a material property indicating how strongly a material resists the flow of electric current. It is calculated by multiplying the resistance of the wire by its cross-sectional area and dividing by its length.

The ability of a substance to conduct electricity. Measured in ohm meters (Ωm).

The force exerted on a unit charge in an electric field. Measured in Newtons per Coulomb (N/C).

The ratio of the electric field strength (E) to the permittivity of free space (ε0). Measured in Coulombs per square meter (C/m²).

The ability of a material to store electrical energy. Measured in Farads (F).

The rate at which energy is transferred. Measured in Watts (W).

The ratio of the potential difference (V) across a device to the current (I) flowing through it. Measured in Ohms (Ω).

The flow of electrical charge. Measured in Amperes (A).

The potential difference (V) between two points in an electric circuit. Measured in Volts (V).

The work done to move a unit charge between two points. Measured in Joules per Coulomb (J/C).

The ratio of magnetic flux density (B) to the electric field strength (E). Measured in seconds per meter (s/m).