QB

1.
ID: 153029 | Difficulty: National High School | Category: Science | Subcategory: Science
Physics
Tournament: 2018 IMSAnity 5 | Round: 12 | Number: 20
TOSSUP: A group of 8 three-by-three matrices named for Gell-Mann are used to model this
interaction. One property of this interaction can be derived by noting that n sub f in the beta
function for this interaction is less than 16. That property was discovered by Gross, Wilczek, and
Politzer. String-like flux tubes may occur between two particles that mediate this interaction. In
the equation for a screened Coulomb potential describing one version of this interaction, the
product of radius and (*) pion mass occur in the exponent. That potential was originally
formulated by Yukawa for the residual form of this interaction. A gauge theory with symmetry
group SU(3) that describes this interaction has the properties of asymptotic freedom and color
confinement. Gluons are the gauge bosons of this interaction, and their color charge is
described by quantum chromodynamics. For 10 points, name this force, which is much more
powerful than the weak force at short distances.
ANSWER: strong nuclear force/interaction <Hao> BONUSES
2.
ID: 152836 | Difficulty: National High School | Category: Science | Subcategory: Science Math
TOSSUP: John Pardon proved the 3-dimensional case of a conjecture named after this man
and Smith that asks if a locally compact topological group is a Lie group if it has faithful group
action on a manifold. A symbol named after this man returns 1 if a quadratic equation in 3
variables has a non-trivial solution over a local field. This man included a famous theorem 90 in
his Zahlbericht, and a topological product of the closed intervals 0 to 1/n for all positive integers
n is his namesake (*) “cube.” Inner products exist in possibly infinite-dimensional spaces named
after this man. Six primitive notions, such as point, line, and plane, form the basis of this man’s
20 axioms of geometry. In a thought experiment created by this man, infinitely many guests
must be accommodated into a hotel. The continuum hypothesis is the first entry of a list that this
man proposed at a mathematical conference in 1900. For 10 points, name this German
mathematician who proposed 23 namesake problems.
ANSWER: David Hilbert <Hao>
3.
Physics
TOSSUP: The thermal voltage factor is equal to this quantity times temperature divided by the
elementary charge; that factor is used to calculate current in the Shockley equation. This
quantity is multiplied by the number of moles in a gas in the Sackur-Tetrode equation. This
quantity is multiplied by temperature in the denominator of an exponent in Planck’s (*) black-
body law, and this quantity can also be found in a similar position in a modified version of the
Arrhenius equation. The average translational kinetic energy of a gas is given by temperature
times three-halves times this quantity, and entropy equals the number of microstates of a
system times this constant. This constant is defined by the gas constant divided by Avogadro’s
number. For 10 points, name this constant approximately equal to 1.38 times ten to the negative
23rd Joules per Kelvin, which is symbolized kB.
ANSWER: Boltzmann's constant (prompt on kB) <Hao>
4.
Physics
TOSSUP: This man argued that quantum mechanics acts like classical mechanics at large
quantum numbers; that is his correspondence principle. Magnetization equals the Brillouin
function multiplied by N, J, the g-factor, and a quantity named for this man. This man is the first
namesake of a theorem that determines that magnetism cannot be explained by classical
mechanics and is purely a quantum phenomenon; the second namesake of that theorem is van
Leeuwen. The magnetic moment of an electron is nearly (*) 1 when expressed in units of this
man’s magneton. Another constant named after this man is equal to h-bar over electron mass
times c times alpha, and is denoted a sub 0. This man derived the Rydberg formula using a
model he developed where electrons were most likely to be found at his namesake radius. For
10 points, name this Danish physicist who created a model of the atom where electrons move in
circular, quantized orbits.
ANSWER: Niels Bohr <Hao>
5.
Physics
TOSSUP: It’s not Gauss’s Law, but in one situation, applying this law can determine a
piecewise function that is linearly proportional to radius before a certain value, then inversely
proportional to the radius after that. Combining this law with the London equation allows one to
find the London penetration depth in superconductors. This law predicts that the divergence of J
is 0, even though in reality, it equals the negative partial derivative of rho with respect to time.
Therefore, a term involving the partial derivative of electric field with respect to time must be (*)
added to this law to correct it, which was first done using a displacement current. This law has
integral and differential forms that can be proved equal using the Kelvin-Stokes theorem. If
current density is not constant, then the Biot-Savart Law must be used instead of this one. For
10 points, name this member of the Maxwell equations that states that the line integral of a
magnetic field around a closed loop is proportional to the current.
ANSWER: Ampère’s Circuital Law (do not accept or prompt on “Ampère’s Force Law”)
<Hao>
6.
Physics
TOSSUP: Alfred Potier corrected a calculation made after this experiment that was too large by
a factor of two. A variant of this experiment run by Gale and Pearson measured the Sagnac
effect, and Hammar conducted a follow-up to this experiment that disproved the drag
hypothesis. A self-orienting parallel-plate capacitor and an apparatus with a shortened arm were
used in two follow-up experiments based on this experiment; those two experiments are the (*)
Trouton-Noble and Kennedy-Thorndike experiments. FitzGerald and Lorentz formulated an
explanation for the null result of zero fringe shift observed by this experiment. This experiment
utilized equipment such as a half-silvered mirror, a stone slab in a pool of mercury, and a
namesake interferometer. For 10 points, name this doubly-eponymous experiment conducted at
Case Western Reserve University that disproved the existence of a luminiferous ether.
ANSWER: Michelson-Morley experiment <Hao>
7.
ID: 152899 | Difficulty: National High School | Category: Science | Subcategory: Science Other
TOSSUP: Chinese archaeologists gave really nonscientific names such as Chaoyangsaurus
and Chungkingosaurus to dinosaurs that lived during the Oxfordian age of this period.
Tanzania’s Tendaguru Formation is home to rare fossils of dinosaurs that lived during this
period, such as Kentrosaurus. An orogeny that started in this period created the Klamath and
Sierra Nevada ranges, and the only anoxic event that took place during this period is the
Toarcian turnover. Both the Sundance Sea and (*) Tethys Sea disappeared during this period.
Perhaps the earliest bird, Archaeopteryx, lived during this period, and the Morrison Formation
contains many important fossil records form this period. Allosaurus dinosaurs frequently
attacked Stegosaurus during this period, and Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus are examples of
the sauropods that dominated this period. For 10 points, name this period of the Mesozoic era
that took place after the Triassic.
ANSWER: Jurassic period <Hao>
8.
Biology
TOSSUP: A much faster repetition of a sequence of cell activations during rest is called a type
of “replay” named after this structure; that phenomenon was observed by John O’Keefe. Sharp
waves and ripples might occur during sleep in this structure. A sclerosis of this structure was
first described by Wilhelm Sommer and occurs in the subiculum and CA1 region of this
structure. Neurogenesis occurs at high rates in the dentate gyrus in this structure, and this
structure was removed from a patient known as (*) H.M. to treat his epilepsy. Place cells in this
structure form a cognitive map used in spatial recognition, while degradation of this region
causes amnesia. For 10 points, name this part of the limbic system that stores long term
memories and is shaped like a seahorse.
ANSWER: hippocampus <Hao>
9.
Biology
TOSSUP: Autoimmune inflammation of this organ is associated with anti-smooth muscle
antibodies. Adenomas of this organ sometimes occur in women taking oral contraceptives, and
infection with Entameba histolytica can cause abscesses of this organ. When removing part of
this organ, a surgeon may refer to Cantlie’s line. Cells in this organ may undergo feathering or
ballooning degeneration. Peritoneum does not cover this organ’s bare area. Spaces of Disse in
this organ lie between (*) sinusoids and its namesake cells. Lactate is converted to glucose in
this organ for the gluconeogenesis portion of the Cori cycle. Blood is carried by the portal vein
into this organ. Macrophages called Kupffer cells are found in this organ that breaks down
bilirubin. For 10 points, name this organ affected by diseases like hepatitis and cirrhosis.
ANSWER: liver <Hao>
10.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: Reacting oleic acid with this compound yields nonanoic acid and azelaic acid.
Pyridine can buffer a reaction involving this compound. A spectrophotometer measuring
absorption at 305 and 325 nm is used to quantify this substance, whose vertical distribution is
determined by the Umkehr method. In one reaction, this compound is bubbled through a
solution of an alkene in methanol at negative seventy-eight degrees Celsius. That reaction
cleaves unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds. This compound completely decomposes (*) urea
into nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water. Dobson units measure the concentration of this
compound, whose smell is often detected after lightning. This pale blue compound exhibits a
bent molecular geometry and can be depleted by CFCs. For 10 points, name this allotrope of
oxygen with three atoms.
ANSWER: ozone (or O3) <Hao>
11.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: One of these compounds is produced as a byproduct when reacting aromatic rings
with hydrogen chloride and formaldehyde in the Blanc chloromethylation. An allyl vinyl type of
these compounds participates in a [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement in the Claisen
rearrangement. A silyl enol type of these compounds is attacked by a chloride in the Mukaiyama
aldol reaction. A common polar aprotic solvent, tetrahydrofuran, is a cyclic example of these
types of compounds. A synthesis of these compounds involves an (*) alkoxide ion and an alkyl
halide in a SN2 reaction, and the best known of these compounds, its diethyl type, was
commonly used as an anesthetic. For 10 points, name this class of organic compounds, which
are characterized by two alkyl or aryl groups singly bonded to the same oxygen.
ANSWER: ether <Hao>
12.
Physics
TOSSUP: In one type of system involving two of these objects, r theta double dot plus 2 r dot
theta dot plus g sine theta equals 0. Systems involving multiple of these objects can be
described as “rove to advantage” or “rove to disadvantage,” and the “Z-drag” is a specific
system involving two of these devices. In Weston’s “differential” type of these devices, 2 over
the quantity 1 minus little r over big R is the (*) mechanical advantage. In a system involving this
device, acceleration equals m sub 1 minus m sub 2 all over m sub 1 plus m sub two, all
multiplied by little g. The mechanical advantage of one of these devices is equal to the number
of ropes supporting the load, and the block and tackle, and Atwood’s machine uses these
devices. For 10 points, name these simple machines that consist of a wheel supporting
movement of a taut rope.
ANSWER: pulleys (anti-prompt on more specific answers such as “Atwood’s machine,” “block
and tackle,” etc. before mention with “Can you be less specific?”) <Hao>
13.
Physics
TOSSUP: Baker clamps are circuits that can reduce the storage time in one type of these
devices, while the creation of a low-impedance path may cause latchup in another type of these
devices. High current densities may cause the Kirk effect in these devices, and a variation in
width of the bases of these devices causes the Early effect. The Gummel-Poon model for these
devices can reduce to the simple Ebers-Moll model. Gold foil was put over the vertex of a
triangle in the earliest example of these devices called (*) point-contact. These devices may
operate in active, cutoff, or saturation modes, and one type of them can be classified as PNP or
NPN types. The base, collector, and emitter comprise the bipolar junction type of these devices,
which have been replaced with the MOSFET type. The number of these devices on a computer
chip doubles about every 2 years by Moore’s Law. For 10 points, name these devices that can
be used as amplifiers or switches.
ANSWER: transistors <Hao>
14.
Physics
TOSSUP: The Joback method for calculating this quantity includes a term where a sum of this
quantity for various groups is subtracted by 597.82. Models relating this quantity to temperature,
such as those named after Walther and Wright, often include double logarithms. This quantity is
directly proportional to temperature to the three-halves power in Sutherland’s formula. One form
of this quantity has units of kilograms over meters times seconds, while this quantity is
multiplied the Laplacian of velocity in the (*) Navier-Stokes Equations. The Greek letters nu, eta,
and mu are used for various forms of this quantity, which is found squared in the denominator of
the Grashof number. This quantity is multiplied by radius, velocity, and 6 pi to yield drag in
Stokes’ Law, and it is in the denominator of the Reynolds number. For 10 points, name this
quantity with dynamic and kinematic forms, a measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow.
ANSWER: viscosity (accept specific types such as dynamic viscosity, kinematic viscosity, or
eddy viscosity) <Hao>
15.
Biology
TOSSUP: A method of measuring quality in sausages uses 3-methylhistidine to identify this
protein. It’s not amyloid, but the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease often contain more
aggregates of this protein called Hirano bodies. Latrunculins prevent this 42-kilodalton protein
from polymerizing, while another poison found in the death cap mushroom prevents this
protein’s depolymerization. That poison is also used to stain this protein and is called (*)
phalloidin. The beta isoform of this protein can be used as a loading control in Western blotting.
Treadmilling occurs when molecules are added to polymers of this protein at the same rate that
they are removed; those polymers of these proteins are called thin filaments. For 10 points,
name this protein that is is also bound to myosin during muscle contraction.
ANSWER: actin <Hao>
16.
TOSSUP: These objects have an intensity proportional to e to the fourth root of their radii
according to Sersic’s law. These objects are classified as “boxy” if their shapes arise from
anisotropic random motion or “disky” if they flatten due to rotation. The firehose instability may
explain why these objects are classified into Hubble types no higher than 7. An example of
these objects is (*) M87, known for a one-sided jet originating from its central black hole. The
expected collision of the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy in 5 billion years will result in
one of these objects. Because of their age and lack of star formation, these galaxies, unlike
spiral galaxies, appear red. For 10 points, name these spherical or oval-shaped galaxies with no
spiral arms.
ANSWER: elliptical galaxies <Sivakumar>
17.
Biology
TOSSUP: Mouse models that may be used to study this disease include Q175 and R6/2 (“R 6
slash 2”). Austedo is a deuterated derivative of a drug used to treat this disease. Populations
around Lake Maracaibo have an abnormally high rate of this disease. This disease shows
caudate and putamen atrophy on MRI, and the mutated protein in this disease is SUMOylated
by Rhes. The first FDA-approved treatment for this disease is believed to act through VMAT2
inhibition and is called (*) tetrabenazine. This disease occurs with increasing frequency in
successive generations in a process known as anticipation. This disease is classified as “full
penetrance” if there are more than 40 CAG repeats, which cause excess glutamine in a polyQ
region of the protein Htt. For 10 points, name this autosomal dominant genetic disease that
causes its namesake jerky movements, called chorea.
ANSWER: Huntington’s disease or Huntington’s chorea <Hao>
18.
TOSSUP: The Risch algorithm is used to perform this operation in Mathematica, and Fatou’s
lemma is an inequality relating limit inferiors and two types of this operation. Richardson
extrapolation is used in Romberg’s method of performing this operation, and the discrete cosine
transform is applied in the Clenshaw-Curtis quadrature for performing this operation. One
multiplies by the Jacobian determinant to change (*) variables while performing this operation.
Certain types of this operation require the norm of the normal vector and a parameterized
function. One may change the order in which this operation is performed by Fubini’s theorem,
and Stokes’s theorem relates the surface and line types of this operation. One method of
approximating this operation uses quadratic equations and is named for Simpson. Often
approximated by Riemann sums, for 10 points, name this operation that can find the area under
a curve and is the counterpart of differentiation.
ANSWER: integral or integration <Hao>
19.
Physics
TOSSUP: Equations where the term (read slowly) this quantity squared minus 1 all over this
quantity squared plus 2 appear are often derived from the Clausius-Mossotti relation. Beta must
be greater than the 1 over this quantity for the Frank-Tamm formula to apply. A debate as to
whether momentum is directly or indirectly proportional to this quantity was known as the
Abraham-Minkowski controversy. The change in this quantity is proportional to the square of the
electric field strength in the (*) Kerr effect, and it is related to polarizability in the Lorentz-Lorenz
equation. This quantity, which can be negative in metamaterials, is subtracted by 1 in the
Lensmaker’s equation. A ratio of two values of this quantity is the tangent of Brewster’s angle
and is also related to a ratio of sines in Snell’s law. For 10 points, name this quantity equal to
the speed of light in a vacuum over the speed of light in a medium.
ANSWER: index of refraction (prompt on n) <Hao>
20.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: An equation relating polarization resistance and corrosion current, the Stern-Geary
equation, can be derived from a modification of this equation, and the Frumkin correction can be
applied to that same modification of this equation. One can use the statistical definition of
entropy or Boltzmann factors to derive this equation. Eta is the activation overpotential in one
modification of this equation, and when it is high, that modification becomes the Tafel equation.
This equation is used to draw the lines of a (*) Pourbaix diagram, and if reaction rate is 0, this
equation can be derived from the Butler-Volmer equation. A factor of 61.5 is multiplied in a
biochemical modification of this equation, which is the Goldman equation. RT over zF is
multiplied by the natural logarithm of the reaction quotient in, for 10 points, what equation that
finds the reduction potential of a half-cell?
ANSWER: Nernst equation <Hao>
21.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: One technique used to image these compounds displays field strength on the x-axis
and draws both absorbance and first-derivative curves; that technique commonly uses DMPO or
PBN to increase the lifetime of its samples. Sawamoto, Wang, and Matyjaszewski
independently discovered a living polymerization technique which uses these compounds,
ATRP. These compounds can be analyzed by ESR spectroscopy, and the first of these
compounds to be discovered (*), triphenylmethyl, was synthesized by Moses Gomberg. In
reactions involving these compounds, fishhook arrows are used. The superoxide one of these
compounds is generated in the mitochondria, and they’re neutralized in the body by Vitamins A,
C, and E, which are antioxidants. For 10 points, name these very reactive molecules with
unpaired electrons.
ANSWER: free radicals <Hao>
22.
Physics
TOSSUP: > In an x-ray tube, the intensity of this phenomenon can be calculated with
Kramer’s Law. The power produced by this phenomenon is proportional to the second power of
charge and the fourth power of the Lorentz factor, and when this phenomenon is emitted from
plasma, it is sometimes called free/free (“free slash free”) radiation. When this phenomenon is
non-relativistic, the (*) Larmor formula can be used. The Gaunt factor can be used in
calculations for the thermal type of this phenomenon, and this phenomenon causes power loss
during nuclear fusion. During this process, a photon is typically emitted. For 10 points, name this
phenomenon in which a decelerating charged particle, usually an electron, emits radiation,
which is German for “braking radiation.”
ANSWER: bremsstrahlung <Hao>
23.
TOSSUP: One piece of evidence for this phenomenon is the discovery of an observational scale
known as the “End of Greatness”. The difference between comoving and proper distance is that
comoving distance accounts for this phenomenon. The existence of this phenomenon is
supported by the isotropic distribution of distant gamma-ray bursts and supernovae. One
explanation for this phenomenon predicts adiabatic fluctuations and a lack of magnetic (*)
monopoles. Saul Perlmutter, Adam Riess, and Brian Schmidt won the 2011 Nobel Prize in
Physics for establishing the acceleration of this phenomenon. Mathematically, it results from the
cosmological constant, which may manifest itself as dark energy. Inflation is a theory of, for 10
points, what increase in distance in distant areas of our universe?
ANSWER: Expansion of the universe (accept equivalents like “expansion of space”; anti-prompt
on “inflation” before mention) <Sivakumar>
24.
TOSSUP: This planet shrinks by about 2 centimeters every year due to heat generated from the
Kelvin-Helmholtz mechanism. It’s not Earth, but it contains cloud-free bright spots in infrared
images known as “hot spots”. Satellites of this planet include Himalia and Sinope, and its largest
moons were named by Simon (*) Marius. This planet contains a weather system in its South
Temperate Belt known as Oval BA. This planet’s ring system includes an inner group of
particles called a “halo ring” and two bright and thin outer “gossamer rings”. This planet is
currently being studied by NASA’s Juno spacecraft and is home to the Great Red Spot. For 10
points, name this largest planet in the Solar System.
ANSWER: Jupiter <Sivakumar>
25.
TOSSUP: The “split sphere” or BARS apparatus is one type of press used in the “high pressure
high temperature” method to manufacture synthetic examples of these minerals, and another
process that creates these minerals involves detonating a mixture of TNT and RDX in a closed
chamber. The Udachny and Mir mines in Russia are for this mineral. Scanning thermal
microscopy can utilize a point defect in these minerals known as the (*) nitrogen-vacancy
center. A gum-like skin called nyf may cover these minerals that can be substituted for the less-
expensive silicon carbide crystal moissanite. Low-quality specimens of this mineral are called
“bort,” and the Big Hole mine found kimberlite pipes that contained this mineral. The De Beers
Group trades in this mineral, which is ranked above corundum on the Mohs scale. For 10 points,
name this allotrope of carbon with a rank of 10 on the Mohs scale.
ANSWER: diamond <Hao>
26.
Computer Science
TOSSUP: Techniques such as G-Free defend against an attack where these structures are
forced to execute gadgets. That attack is called “return-oriented programming,” which is similar
to the “return-to-libc” attack that can target the non-executable types of these structures. Both
an algorithm that finds the minimum value in a totally monotone matrix and another that finds
the convex hull of a set of points use these data structures. Those algorithms are called
SMAWK and (*) Graham’s scan. Canary values can prevent these structures from being
“smashed.” Tokens are added to these structures in the shunting-yard algorithm which converts
expressions into Reverse Polish Notation. One can “peek” at the top element of these data
structures, but more common operations include “push” and “pop.” For 10 points, name these
“last in, first out” data structures that may “overflow” in a common error.
ANSWER: stack <Hao>
27.
Biology
TOSSUP: Autoimmune inflammation of this organ is associated with anti-smooth muscle
antibodies. Adenomas of this organ sometimes occur in women taking oral contraceptives, and
infection with Entameba histolytica can cause abscesses of this organ. When removing part of
this organ, a surgeon may refer to Cantlie’s line. Cells in this organ may undergo feathering or
ballooning degeneration. Peritoneum does not cover this organ’s bare area. Spaces of Disse in
this organ lie between (*) sinusoids and its namesake cells. Lactate is converted to glucose in
this organ for the gluconeogenesis portion of the Cori cycle. Blood is carried by the portal vein
into this organ. Macrophages called Kupffer cells are found in this organ that breaks down
bilirubin. For 10 points, name this organ affected by diseases like hepatitis and cirrhosis.
ANSWER: liver <Hao>
28.
Physics
TOSSUP: An angle-preserving transform named after a scientist from this country sets z equal
to zeta plus one over zeta and is used in designing airfoils. The fact that liquid helium-3 will cool
if compressed below 0.3 Kelvin is a type of cooling named after another physicist from this
country. A law named after a physicist from this country concerns the evolution of the
distribution function of (*) plasmas, and another law named after a physicist from this country
explains the negative sign in Faraday’s Law. A device that confines plasma within a magnetic
field in the shape of a torus, called tokamaks, were first invented this this country. One physicist
from this country found that a blue glow was emitted when particles traveled faster than the
speed of light in a medium. For 10 points, name this country, home to scientists such as Lenz,
Pomeranchuk, Vlasov, and Cherenkov.
ANSWER: Russia or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (accept either) <Hao>
29.
Biology
TOSSUP: Signal pathways which primarily use this compound, salicylic acid, and jasmonate
provide disease resistance in Arabidopsis. In the last step of the biosynthesis of this compound,
hydrogen cyanide, carbon dioxide, and water are generated as waste products from an
oxidation, while in the first step, a molecule of ATP must be input to synthesize S-A-M (read
letters individually), or AdoMet, from methionine. SAM is then converted to ACC in the next step
of the (*) Yang Cycle. The hypocotyl is thickened and shortened in the “triple response” to this
compound, and Neljubow found that this compound from gas lamps caused plants to grow
horizontally. Because bananas are picked when green, this compound might be applied to them
in the supermarket to make them turn yellow. For 10 points, name this plant hormone that
regulates abscission and ripening, with formula C2H4.
ANSWER: ethylene or ethene <Hao>
30.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: High spin complexes with this many d electrons contain four unpaired electrons and
are therefore paramagnetic. The superacid with the lowest Hammett function has this many
fluorine atoms bound to antimony. Compounds containing chromium with this oxidation state
are highly carcinogenic. In nuclear reprocessing, uranium is reacted with chlorine trifluoride to
produce a uranium compound with this many (*) fluorine atoms. A molecule with “chair” and
“boat” conformations has this many carbon atoms. This is the number of ligands in an
octahedral complex. Benzene has this many hydrogen atoms and this many carbon atoms. For
10 points, give this number, the atomic number of carbon.
ANSWER: six or 6 <Hao>
31.
Biology
TOSSUP: Using two of these enzymes in the same reaction requires checking a buffer
compatibility chart. Type I of these enzymes require an AdoMet cofactor. Calf intestinal alkaline
phosphatase is commonly used after using these proteins to remove extra phosphates, and
these proteins often target a site called the MCS or polylinker. These proteins are named by
identifying a species, genus, strain, and a number, and high glycerol concentration may cause
star activity in them. Dam and Dcm (*) methylases causes resistance to these proteins. One
procedure involving these proteins can be used in paternity tests and is called RFLP. They can
create either blunt or sticky ends, recognize palindromic sequences, and notable examples of
include HindIII (“hin D three”) and EcoRI (“eco R one”). For 10 points, name these enzymes that
cut DNA at specific sites.
ANSWER: restriction enzymes or restriction endonucleases <Hao>
32.
Physics
TOSSUP: Loop integrals can be evaluated using this man’s namesake parameterization. Itô’s
lemma can be used to derive a statement relating stochastic processes and parabolic partial
differential equations named after this man and Kac, and he proposed the parton model of
hadrons. In one book by this man, he recounts an episode where he discovers that “You just
ask them?” and another story where he plays the frigideira in Brazil. This man later wrote of Six
(*) Easy Pieces and Six Not-So-Easy Pieces. This physicist demonstrated that the Brownian
Ratchet did not actually exhibit perpetual motion, and he used a “sum over histories” to create
his path integral formulation. This man’s undergraduate lectures at Caltech were later collected
into three volumes, and he also showed the effect of O-rings in cold water on national television.
For 10 points, name this American physicist who used wavy lines and arrows in his namesake
diagrams.
ANSWER: Richard Feynman <Hao>
33.
Biology
TOSSUP: One of these entities characteristically causes startle myoclonus. Two diseases
caused by these entities can be distinguished by the Pulvinar sign on FLAIR sequence. One
type of these entities, HET-S, is found in Podospora, while URE3 and PSI+ are types of these
agents found in S. cerevisiae. Conversion from the “C” isoform to an “Sc” isoform of (*) PrP
creates these agents. One disease caused by these agents causes elevated levels of 14-3-3
protein in cerebrospinal fluid. Stanley Prusiner won the Nobel Prize for researching these
entities that cause fatal familial insomnia, scrapie in sheep, and kuru among the cannibalistic
Fore people. For 10 points, name these infectious and misfolded proteins that cause diseases
such as Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and mad cow.
ANSWER: prions <Hao> BONUSES
34.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: The fulminate of this element is often used as a friction-sensitive explosive in
percussion caps. Minamata disease is caused by a compound containing this element bound to
a methyl group, and this element’s chloride is used as a catalyst to produce vinyl chloride from
acetylene. Potassium, iodine, and this element are found in a compound that turns yellow when
exposed to ammonia; that reagent is named after (*) Nessler. This element is found at the
bottom of the apparatus used in the Castner-Kellner process, and a dimethyl compound
containing this element killed Karen Wetterhahn when it seeped through her glove. The
alternative name for thiols indicates their affinity for this element, and the red pigment cinnabar
contains this element bound to sulfur. For 10 points, name this element, which can be found in
thermometers, with symbol Hg.
ANSWER: mercury (or Hg before end) <Hao> BONUSES
35.
Biology
TOSSUP: One version of this technique relies on a matrix whose creation is catalyzed by
TEMED and ammonium persulfate. Zymography and a form of digestion beginning with
reduction and alkylation are two procedures often used after this technique. Silver and zinc are
particularly sensitive stains in this method, a variant of which uses isoelectric focusing in its
second step. “Smiling” can occur in this process if excess (*) voltage is used. TAE and TBE are
common buffers used in this process, which uses ethidium bromide for visualization. Ladders
are used as standard markers this technique. In this technique, a comb is used to create wells
in a polyacrylamide or agarose matrix. For 10 points, name this technique that separates
proteins and DNA by applying an electric field.
ANSWER: gel electrophoresis (prompt on electrophoresis; accept protein gel electrophoresis,
DNA gel electrophoresis, agarose gel electrophoresis, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, SDS-
PAGE, 2D SDS-PAGE, 2D gel electrophoresis) <Hao>
36.
TOSSUP: Fang and Chen used Størmer's theorem on Pell’s equation to negatively answer
Sierpiński’s problem asking if 4 of these numbers could form a geometric sequence. An integer
n is this type of number if and only if 8 n plus 1 is a perfect square. Ramanujan-Nagell numbers
are simultaneously Mersenne primes and these numbers, and setting p equals 1 in Faulbaher’s
formula gives these numbers. Gauss’s “Eureka theorem” states that every positive integer can
be expressed as the sum of (*) 3 of these numbers, and the nth one of these numbers is equal
to the number of edges in the graph K sub n. Subtracting two consecutive ones yields a
trapezoidal number, while summing two consecutive ones yields a perfect square. In an n-team
round robin, the “n-1”th number of this type will be the number of rounds, and the nth one of
these numbers equals n times the quantity n+1 over 2. For 10 points, name these numbers that
include 1, 3, 6, and 10, and are named after the simplest polygon.
ANSWER: triangular numbers <Hao>
37.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: One method of calculating this quantity sets it proportional to the natural logarithm of
B sub i. This quantity is not electronegativity, but it is can be approximated by the negative of
the first ionization energy plus electron affinity all over two. This quantity can also be calculated
by an insertion method named for Widom. Temperature, volume, and this quantity are held
constant in the (*) grand canonical ensemble. Negative S dT plus V dP equals the sum of mole
number times this quantity over all components of a system; that relation is the Gibbs-Duhem
equation. It's not concentration, but diffusion can occur when particles move down a gradient of
this quantity, which is also equal to the partial derivative of free energy with respect to particle
number. For 10 points, name this quantity, which represents the change in energy when a
particle is added to a system.
ANSWER: chemical potential <Hao>
38.
Biology
TOSSUP: If these structures form parallel to the cuticle, then the pileipellis is classified as a
cutis. These structures can be described as gloeoplerous if they have a high refractive index
and seem to contain a granular substance under a microscope. These structures are flattened
to create infectious cells called appressorium, and they are tightly intertwined in an ascocarp.
Haustoria may be found at the tip of these structures in parasites, and microbodies which plug
holes between cells in these structures are called (*) Woronin bodies. To help these structures
grow, Spitzenkörper are found at their tips. Cells in these structures are divided by septa, and in
a symbiotic relationship, these structures may form Hartig nets with the roots of the host plant.
For 10 points, name these small threads that collectively make up the mycelium in fungi.
ANSWER: hyphae <Hao>
39.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: This was the first compound to be found in interstellar medium using only radio
interferometers; that discovery was made by David Mehringer. Ketene reacts with water to form
this compound, and carbon disulfide was chlorinated in the first inorganic synthesis of this
molecule, which was discovered by Hermann Kolbe. Four groups of this compound are found in
a chelating agent called (*) EDTA. Solid-phase peptide synthesis often uses a trifluorinated
version of this compound, and one process for producing this compound uses an iridium di-
iodide dicarbonyl catalyst. That process, which proceeds by the carbonylation of methanol, is
named for Cativa and replaced the earlier Monsanto process. At 16.6 degrees Celsius, the
anhydrous “glacial” version of this compound begins to form. This compound is the second
simplest carboxylic acid after formic acid. For 10 points, name this weak acid, which is found in
vinegar.
ANSWER: acetic acid or ethanoic acid or CH3COOH or HC2H3O2 <Hao>
40.
Biology
TOSSUP: Antibodies binding to these proteins are characteristic of drug-induced lupus. PAD4
citrullinates these proteins, one of which is replaced by CENP-C and CENP-A at a certain
location. Sodium butyrate inhibits enzymes that modify certain amino acids on these proteins.
Dimers of these proteins often form a motif that looks like a handshake. Trithroax and Polycomb
proteins can modify these proteins, which can form thirty-nanometer (*) fibers in a zigzag
pattern. These proteins contain lots of arginine and lysine residues, and they are methylated,
acetylated, and phosphorylated for epigenetic regulation. Families of these highly-conserved
proteins are labeled 1, 2A, 2B, 3, and 4. For 10 points, name these very alkaline proteins that
act as “beads” around which DNA winds to form chromatin.
ANSWER: histones [prompt on nucleosomes, chromatin, heterochromatin, euchromatin]
<Hao>
41.
Biology
TOSSUP: Parasitic organisms of this phylum may cause whirling disease or Proliferative Kidney
Disease in salmon, and organisms of the Haliclystus genus in this phylum are “stalked.” A class
in this phylum contains only one organism, the parasitic Polypodium hydriforme. Another
organism in this phylum uses a pneumatophore to stay afloat and is actually a colony of
specialized individual animals known as a siphonophore. Carukia barnesi and Malo kingi are
members of this phylum that cause (*) Irukandji syndrome, and organisms in this phylum are
defined by explosive venom containing nematocysts. The bodies of organisms in this phylum
are mainly composed of mesoglea, and they are classified into medusae or polyps depending
on whether they are swimming or sessile. For 10 points, name this phylum, composed of
organisms such as anemone, corals, and jellyfish.
ANSWER: Cnidaria <Hao>
42.
Physics
TOSSUP: The coefficient of restitution for an object is equal to this power of the ratio of the
initial potential energy to the final potential energy. In Planck units, electric charge equals
Planck charge times the fine-structure constant to this power, and the second of Mersenne’s
laws states that the fundamental frequency is proportional to this power of the stretching force.
After falling for a height h near the surface of the Earth, an object that fell from rest will have
velocity equal to this power of (*) 2gh. At constant inductance, the potential energy stored in an
inductor will be equal to this number times inductance times current squared; similarly, the
potential energy in a spring equals this number times the spring constant times displacement
squared. At small angles, the period of a pendulum is proportional to its length raised to this
power. A displacement of 3 meters in 6 seconds gives, for 10 points, what average velocity?
ANSWER: one-half <Hao>
43.
Physics
TOSSUP: A system that exceeds the Bekenstein limit can be shown to violate this statement by
considering it inside a black hole, and the similar Landauer’s principle can also be derived from
this statement. Due to this statement, a matrix of phenomenological coefficients named after
Onsager can be shown to be positive semi-definite. The concept of adiabatic accessibility was
created by Carathéodory in his axiomatic formulation of this statement, and apparent violations
of this statement occur in Poincaré’s (*) recurrence theorem and in Loschmidt’s paradox. The
probability that this statement is violated on a microscopic scale is given by the fluctuation
theorem. Szilard rebutted a thought experiment contradicting this statement by noting that a
certain being must expend energy to acquire information about the speeds of gas molecule; that
being is Maxwell’s demon. For 10 points, name this law that states that entropy can never
decrease in an isolated system over time.
ANSWER: second law of thermodynamics <Hao>
44.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: One of these compounds is produced as a byproduct when reacting aromatic rings
with hydrogen chloride and formaldehyde in the Blanc chloromethylation. An allyl vinyl type of
these compounds participates in a [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement in the Claisen
rearrangement. A silyl enol type of these compounds is attacked by a chloride in the Mukaiyama
aldol reaction. A common polar aprotic solvent, tetrahydrofuran, is a cyclic example of these
types of compounds. A synthesis of these compounds involves an (*) alkoxide ion and an alkyl
halide in a SN2 reaction, and the best known of these compounds, its diethyl type, was
commonly used as an anesthetic. For 10 points, name this class of organic compounds, which
are characterized by two alkyl or aryl groups singly bonded to the same oxygen.
ANSWER: ether <Hao>
45.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: These compounds can be transformed into alkyl chlorides using SOCl2 and pyridine
through inversion of configuration. The Dess-Martin periodinane is used to gently oxidize these
compounds, and reacting two equivalents of a Grignard reaction with an ester creates these
compounds. This compound and a carboxylic acid are produced in the Cannizzaro (*)
disproportionation, and the secondary type of these compounds can be oxidized to form
ketones. These compounds show a broad peak between 3200 and 3600 wavenumbers in IR
spectroscopy. Drinking the wood variety of these compounds will cause permanent blindness.
For 10 points, name this class of organic compounds characterized by a hydroxyl group, whose
ethyl type can be found in sake and vodka.
ANSWER: alcohol <Hao>
46.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: A compound with this color is the simplest of a class of compounds that react with
aldehydes or ketones to form homologated ketones in the Büchner–Curtius–Schlotterbeck
reaction. That gas, which is this color, also reacts with an acyl chloride in the first step of the
Arndt–Eistert synthesis. Besides diazomethane, which is this color, another compound with this
color is often used in pulp bleaching. That gas is chlorine dioxide. Despite being poisonous,
cadmium sulfide, lead iodide, and lead (*) chromate were all traditionally used as pigments of
this color. Bromophenol blue turns this color at pHs below 3, and sodium burns this color in a
flame test. The most common allotrope of an element with this color is an eight-atom ring, and
aqua regia notably dissolves an element with this color. For 10 points, name this color of
elements such as sulfur.
ANSWER: yellow <Hao>
47.
TOSSUP: Simon Lhuilier first studied the orthocentric variety of these figures, whose
orthocenter coincides with their Monge point. The square of the volume of these figures is
multiplied by 288 in a formula named for Tartaglia; that formula is basically a Cayley-Menger
determinant of dimension 3. The volume of one of these figures can also be calculated by “a dot
b cross c all over six.” A stellated octahedron consists of two of these figures (*) overlapping,
and a twelve-point sphere can always be found for this figure. The sums of the squares of the
areas of the faces of this figure are related in De Gua’s Theorem, and this figure has Schläfli
symbol “3 comma 3.” This figure is also called the 3-simplex, and it is the only Platonic solid that
is a self-dual. For 10 points, name this polyhedron with six edges, four vertices, and four
triangular faces.
ANSWER: tetrahedron <Hao>
48.
Biology
TOSSUP: Deficiencies in this compound are diagnosed using either a Thiochrome assay or an
erythrocyte transketolase activity assay. In this compound, a methylene bridge connects
thiazole and pyrimidine rings. A derivative of this compound is a common cofactor in enzymes
catalyzing reversible decarboxylations. With folic acid and magnesium, this compound is found
in “banana bags” given to alcoholics. Ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and confusion are the classic
triad of (*) Wernicke's encephalopathy, which is caused by a deficiency in this compound. High-
output heart failure and difficulty breathing are characteristic of the ‘wet’ form of a disease
caused by the deficiency of this vitamin, which in some populations is caused by a diet of too
much white rice. For 10 points, name this vitamin, whose deficiency causes beriberi.
ANSWER: thiamine or Vitamin B1 (prompt on Vitamin B alone) <Hao>
49.
TOSSUP: One algorithm for doing this task generates a sequence using iterated polynomials
and investigates the cyclic part of that sequence. Another algorithm for doing this process tries
to find smooth perfect squares. Besides Pollard’s rho algorithm and Dixon’s method, another
algorithm for doing this process includes a subroutine to find the period of an exponential
function using (*) Hadamard gates and a quantum Fourier transform. That algorithm, with
complexity class BQP, would theoretically break RSA encryption and is named after Shor.
Fermat’s method for doing this process writes odd numbers as a difference of two squares. The
most basic algorithm for doing this process can be stopped at the square root of n and basically
divides numbers through trial-and-error. For 10 points, name this process that decomposes an
integer into a product and ends when there are no composite numbers left.
ANSWER: prime factorization or integer factorization <Hao>
50.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: A device named SHRIMP performs this technique using a geometry named for
Matsuda consisting of quadrupole lenses and an 72.5° magnetic sector. One variant of this
technique uses a Penning trap and then performs a Fourier transform to obtain the final data,
and sinapinic acid is often used as a matrix material in another variant of this technique that
uses a (*) laser to fragment molecules. A ketone group may undergo beta cleavage in the
McLafferty rearrangement in this technique, whose “tandem” version is used to sequence
proteins. The M+2 peak is one-third as high as the M peak when this technique is applied to
chlorine-containing compounds. The base peak is the highest peak in the spectrum obtained
from this technique. The m-to-z ratio is commonly used in reporting data from, for 10 points,
what technique that gives information relating charge to its namesake property?
ANSWER: Mass spectrometry (or mass spectroscopy)
51.
TOSSUP: These objects have an intensity proportional to e to the fourth root of their radii
according to Sersic’s law. These objects are classified as “boxy” if their shapes arise from
anisotropic random motion or “disky” if they flatten due to rotation. The firehose instability may
explain why these objects are classified into Hubble types no higher than 7. An example of
these objects is (*) M87, known for a one-sided jet originating from its central black hole. The
expected collision of the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy in 5 billion years will result in
one of these objects. Because of their age and lack of star formation, these galaxies, unlike
spiral galaxies, appear red. For 10 points, name these spherical or oval-shaped galaxies with no
spiral arms.
ANSWER: elliptical galaxies <Sivakumar>
52.
TOSSUP: Seleucus of Seleucia was the first person to correctly theorize the cause of these
phenomena. The M2 constituent is the largest constituent of these phenomena, and these
phenomena are maximized at the antipodal point. The forces associated with these phenomena
have an inverse cubic relationship with distance. Terms such as the partial derivative of g zeta
plus U with respect to lambda appear in a set of (*) three partial differential equations to model
these phenomena; those equations were formulated by Laplace. At amphidromic points, these
phenomena have zero amplitude. These phenomena occur in semi-diurnal and diurnal forms,
the former of which occurs two times in its high type and two times in its low type per day. When
these phenomena are at their weakest, they are called “neap.” For 10 points, name these rises
and falls in the sea level, which on Earth, are caused by the gravitational forces of the Moon and
the Sun.
ANSWER: tides <Tummarakota>
53.
Physics
TOSSUP: Sakurai developed the theory of vector meson dominance to explain the interaction
between hadrons and these particles. Negative i times the metric over momentum squared is
this particle’s propagator, and if these particles travel in a straight line through a turbid medium,
they are called “ballistic.” 1.5 times the Schwarzschild radius is the radius of a “sphere” named
for these particles. These particles must be near a neutron and have energy greater than twice
the rest mass energy of an electron for (*) pair production to occur. BKS theory concerns the
interaction of matter with these particles, which interact in a U(1) gauge symmetry. These
particles, along with W and Z bosons and gluons, constitute the gauge bosons. Electrons
interact with these compounds in Compton scattering. For 10 points, name these massless
quanta of light.
ANSWER: photons <Hao>
54.
Biology
TOSSUP: This disease’s causative agent has an unusual Asn-154 glycosylation site in its
envelope glycoprotein. AXL is a potential receptor for this disease’s causative agent. The A.
hensili species was the primary reservoir for a 2007 outbreak of this disease that occurred in the
Yap Islands. In 2013 and 2014, an outbreak of this virus occurred along with dengue and
chikungunya in (*) French Polynesia. This virus was first isolated in 1947 from a rhesus monkey
in Uganda. Bob and Mike Bryan, Rory McIlroy, and Jordan Spieth notably missed a sporting
event over fears of this virus, and fetuses may develop microcephaly if infected with this virus.
Mosquitoes are the primary carrier of, for 10 points, what virus that caused concerns around the
2016 Rio Olympics?
ANSWER: Zika virus <Hao>
55.
Biology
TOSSUP: In Selenomonas, these structures characteristically arrange themselves in a fascicle.
Opisthokonts have these structures on the posterior rather than the anterior side.
Chytridiomycota are the only members of their kingdom to possess these structures, and the
arrangement of these structures can be described as lophotrichous or monotrichous. These
structures are driven by a Mot complex and can use the protein FliG to (*) change direction.
These structures have L, P, and MS rings in Gram-negative bacteria, and they contain a hook,
rod, filament, and basal body. The axonemes of these structures have microtubules in a nine
plus two arrangement, and they use dynein and ATP to power their whipping motion. For 10
points, name these locomotive structures found in sperm cells that beat differently from cilia.
ANSWER: flagellum or flagella <Hao>
56.
TOSSUP: A formula named after this man can be expressed in 2 parts as g equals f star 1 and f
equals mu star g, where “star” is the Dirichlet convolution. Applying that namesake formula
repeatedly on the totient function will yield the identity function, then the sum-of-divisors
function. A set of transformations named after this man form the projective linear group
PGL(2,C) and are defined as a plus z b all over the quantity c plus z d for complex z. This man’s
inversion formula uses his namesake function, which returns 0 if n is not (*) square-free and 1 if
n is square-free with an even number of prime factors. The real projective plane can be
constructed by gluing a disk to an object named after this man, and the Euler characteristic of
that object is zero. Two of those non-orientable surfaces named after this man can be glued to
create a Klein bottle. For 10 points, name this German mathematician, whose namesake one-
sided “strip” can be made by twisting a strip of paper and gluing the ends.
ANSWER: August Ferdinand Möbius <Hao>
57.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: Hydrogen is represented as a circle with a dot and helium as a circle with a line in a
weird notation created by this man. This man discovered that adding certain salts to water did
not increase his volume, and he also independently rediscovered the Hadley cell. This man
included a definition of the dew point along with the observation that rain occurs when
temperature decreases in his (*) Meteorological Observations. This scientist thought that
discoloration of the liquid in his eye led to his colorblindness, and he proposed an incorrect “law
of greatest simplicity.” This scientist postulated that atoms combine in whole-number ratios to
form compounds, and he also found that the total pressure of a mixture of gases is equal to the
sum of its partial pressures. For 10 points, name this English chemist who names a law of
“multiple proportions” and also pioneered the atomic theory.
ANSWER: John Dalton <Hao>
58.
Computer Science
TOSSUP: This language was the first to introduce the BCPL single-line style of commenting.
Other new features this language created included virtual functions and operator overloading
which allowed the user to determine the effect of an operator in user-defined classes.
Templates of this language let the user implement function parameters with generic types. The
second edition of this language created namespaces, the most common of which is the (*)
standard namespace. This programming language is also home to the standard library and the
input and output operators, cin (pronounced SEE-in) and cout (pronounced SEE-out). Bjarne
Stroustrup invented this language during his time at AT&T Bell Labs. For 10 points, name
this programming language whose name suggests that it is an improvement on its predecessor,
“C”.
ANSWER: C++ (Do not accept or prompt on “C” or “C With Classes”) <Tummarakota>
59.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: Vaska’s complex contains two atoms of this element bonded to iridium, and the
nucleophilic addition of this element to a carbonyl carbon begins the Perkow reaction. This
element is bonded to three alkyl groups in one of the reactants in the Michaelis-Arbuzov
reaction, and this element binds to an azide in the Staudinger reaction. This element is found
double-bonded to an oxygen in the nerve agent sarin, and overexposure to this element can
cause necrosis of the (*) jaw. The radioactive 32-isotope of this element is used in a Northern
blot, and a ylide of this element is reacted to form an alkene in the Wittig reaction. An acid of
named for this element has three Ka values, because the polyatomic ion containing this element
and oxygen has a -3 charge. This element comes in black, violet, red, and white allotropes. For
10 points, name this element with atomic number 15 and symbol P.
ANSWER: phosphorus <Hao>
60.
Biology
Tournament: 2018 PACE NSC | Round: 15 | Number: 3
TOSSUP: Mikhail Chailakhyan first proposed a hormone that controls these organs' formation,
but which has still not been isolated. Connation and adnation can result from the fusion of
different parts of these organs. AGAMOUS (ag-ah-mus) is one of the MADS-Box genes that are
important for controlling the development of these organs, which involves the differential
expression of three different homeotic genes. The ABC model describes the formation of four
different (*) whorls (whirls) in these organs. The perigonium of these structures is made of the
calyx and corolla. Shoot apical meristem can develop into these organs, which contain a pistil in
their center. For 10 points, name these reproductive organs that have petals.
ANSWER: flowers [accept petals, sepals, stamens, carpels, or corollas until read]
<Ramaswami, Science - Biology>
61.
Computer Science
TOSSUP: Developers in the .NET (dot-net) framework can use this language's "Iron"
implementation for easy interfacing. A solution stack using this language might use
SQLAlchemy (S-Q-L-alchemy) to manipulate a database and Flask as a microframework. The
IDLE (idol) development environment is used to write source code for this language. The web
framework Django (jango) was written in this language. Data scientists often use this language's
namesake (*) "Num" library. This language uses indentation, rather than curly braces, to delimit
blocks, and its creator supports the practice of using "spam" and "eggs" to illustrate examples.
Guido van Rossum invented, for 10 points, what dynamically-typed language named in
reference to a British comedy show?
ANSWER: Python [accept Iron Python or NumPy (NUM-py)] <Jose, Science - Computer
Science>
62.
TOSSUP: This man recalled that he and his sister Elizabeth stayed at Avrion Mitchison's frigid
Scottish country house one Christmas in a memoir that described how his rival ridiculed his
proposal about the placement of magnesium ions in a model he created. This author of the
memoir Avoid Boring People sold his Nobel Prize after resigning as director of Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratory due to his controversial claims about the (*) intelligence of African people. At
the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge, this American and his British colleague beat Linus
Pauling to a major discovery using molecular models and the X-ray images of Maurice Wilkins
and Rosalind Franklin. The Double Helix was a memoir by, for 10 points, what colleague of
Francis Crick?
ANSWER: James Watson [or James Dewey Watson] <Kothari, Mixed/Other/General
Knowledge>
63.
Biology
TOSSUP: Bryngelson and Wolynes used spin glass theory to create a model of this
phenomenon that predicts a low-temperature phase in which the system is "frozen" in one
microstate. The compound beta-mercaptoethanol (beta-mer-CAP-toh-ethanol) can break bonds
to undo the result of this process. The energy landscape theory of this process involves a
system passing through a series of local minima to reach a principle of minimum frustration.
According to (*) Anfinsen's dogma, the result of this process depends only on primary structure.
In many instances, this process is aided by chaperonins (shap-er-OH-nins) and other
chaperones found in the endoplasmic reticulum. For 10 points, name this process in which a
protein is assembled into its three-dimensional conformation.
ANSWER: protein folding [accept word forms; prompt on anything about forming bonds]
<Ramaswami, Science - Biology>
64.
Biology
Tournament: 2018 PACE NSC | Round: 22 - Finals 1 | Number: 12
TOSSUP: This process produces "junction complexes" known as EJCs which can trigger
nonsense-mediated decay. The Group I and Group II types of a certain molecule can self-
catalytically perform this process, without requiring enzymes. The polypyrimidine tract is an
important cis-acting element that regulates this process. This process requires a branch point
and often follows the GU-AG rule. In this process, the U2 and U6 (*) snRNPs (snurps) bind to a
lariat structure. The alternative type of this process, which allows for a single gene to code for
multiple proteins, can occur through exon skipping. After this process, exons are ligated and exit
the nucleus. For 10 points, name this post-translational modification in which introns are
removed from pre-mRNA.
ANSWER: mRNA splicing <Wang, Science - Biology>
65.
Biology
TOSSUP: The NINCDS-ADRDA criteria are used to diagnose this disease. The first
person diagnosed with this disease was a woman named "Auguste D." Screens for
this disease led to the discovery of presenilins, the catalytic subunits of gamma-secretase. The
drug donepezil, sold under the brand name Aricept, is used to treat symptoms of this disease.
Sufferers of this disease can exhibit neurofibrillary (*) tangles due to hyper-
phosphorylation of tau proteins. This disease can be caused by a mutation in the APP protein,
which leads to the buildup of plaques of amyloid beta. This disease causes progressive
cognitive impairment, shown by language and memory problems. For 10 points, name this
neurodegenerative disease, the most common cause of dementia.
ANSWER: Alzheimer's disease [prompt on
dementia until read]
66.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: The metallochaperones Atx1 (A-T-X-one) and Ccc2 (C-C-C-two) regulate intracellular
levels of this metal. For eukaryotes, zinc and this metal are contained in the enzyme superoxide
dismutase (dis-MYOO-tase). An alloy of this element, indium, gallium, and selenium comprises
a thin film layer in a type of second-generation solar cell. After chromium, this is the lightest
element that violates the (*) aufbau (OWFF-bough) principle, due to the transfer of a 4s (four-S)
electron to complete the 3d shell. Aldoses turn brick red in a solution containing this metal's
sulfate, Benedict's reagent, although it produces a blue-green color in flame tests. For 10 points,
identify this element found above silver and gold on the periodic table, whose symbol is Cu.
ANSWER: copper [or Cu until read] <Prieto, Science - Chemistry>
67.
Physics
TOSSUP: Exposing one part of these devices to a periodic UV laser creates a spectral filtering
device called a namesake type of Bragg grating. A parabolic spatial profile characterizes the
graded-index type of these devices. The resistance of these devices to bend losses depends on
their numerical aperture. Whether or not these devices possess one or multiple transverse
modes depends on the relative (*) diameters of the core and cladding. These specialized
waveguides utilize repeated total internal reflection to allow light, and thus information, to
efficiently travel large distances. For 10 points, name these devices which Google is using to
provide high-speed internet around the country.
ANSWER: optical fibers [accept fiber optic devices; prompt on fibers or waveguides] <Busse,
Science - Physics>
68.
Tournament: 2018 PACE NSC | Round: 20 - TB2 | Number: 4
TOSSUP: The title of a textbook in this field by Sheldon Axler refers to is as being "Done Right."
In this field of mathematics, certain properties of self-adjoint operators are given by the spectral
theorem. Objects in this field are similar if they have the same characteristic polynomial. A
theorem in this field relates the rank and nullity of certain objects that can be factored using (*)
LU decomposition. In this field, a set of independent vectors known as a basis is used to
construct coordinate systems. In this field, systems of equations are represented using objects
that are invertible if they have a non-zero determinant. For 10 points, name this field of
mathematics in which equations of degree one are represented with matrices.
ANSWER: linear algebra [prompt on partial answers; prompt on matrix algebra or matrix theory]
<Minarik, Science - Math>
69.
Computer Science
TOSSUP: Along with the assembler and the shell, Ken Thompson developed the first one of
these programs for the UNIX operating system. Bram Moolenaar created an "improved" version
of one of these programs. One of these programs is implemented using its own namesake
dialect of Lisp. Proponents of one of these programs often mock another's non-intuitive exit
sequence, which is colon, Q, exclamation point. These programs are often packaged alongside
a (*) debugger and build automation tools as primary components of an IDE (I-D-E). A "war"
between programmers concerns two of these programs named vi (vee-eye) and Emacs. For 10
points, name these programs for writing and manipulating source code, a basic example of
which is Microsoft Notepad.
ANSWER: plain text editors [accept source code editors until the end; prompt on notepad or IDE
or integrated development environment until read; do not accept or prompt on "rich text editors"
or "word processors"] <Minarik, Science - Computer Science>
70.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: Ions of this metal coordinate with the substrate of the first enzyme to be crystallized.
An isotope of this metal slightly beats two isotopes of iron for the highest nuclear binding
energy. An alloy of it with iron has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion, named Invar.
Urease (YUR-ee-ace) contains this metal. It is alloyed with aluminum in a hydrogenation
catalyst named for (*) Raney (RAIN-ee). Cadmium and this metal's oxide comprise a popular
class of rechargeable batteries. It is purified by complexation with carbon monoxide in the Mond
process. The three ferromagnetic elements at room temperature are iron, copper and this
element, all right next to one another on the periodic table. For 10 points, identify this element
symbolized Ni.
ANSWER: nickel [or Ni until read] <Prieto, Science - Chemistry>
71.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: In addition to his work on polymers, Nobel Laureate Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (Pierre-
ZHEEL duh ZHEN) wrote a pioneering 1974 textbook about the physics of these materials,
which can be affected by an external electric field in the Fréedericksz (FREE-durr-icks)
transition. Classes of these materials include thermotropic and lyotropic. They were discovered
when Friedrich Reinitzer (RYE-nit-ser) observed two distinct melting points in cholesteryl (ko-
LESS-tuh-RILL) benzoate, and possess short-range but not long-range (*) order. A tilt order
parameter is necessary when modeling layers present in the smectic phase, while the simplest
phase of these materials is the nematic. They are named for having characteristics of both fluids
and ordered solids. For 10 points, identify these materials used in electronic displays.
ANSWER: liquid crystals [prompt on partial answer] <Prieto, Science - Chemistry>
72.
TOSSUP: Near the equator, this structure's namesake "dip angle" is approximately zero since
its individual components are parallel to the surface. During the Pleistocene, this phenomenon
underwent an "excursion" known as the Laschamp event. Walter Elsasser proposed that this
phenomenon was generated from the mechanical motion of a fluid interacting with a (*)
conductor. Dynamo theory explains the origins of this phenomenon, which generates the
patterns in mid-ocean ridges that confirmed the Vine–Matthews–Morley hypothesis. "Stripes" in
mid-ocean ridges that are used for geologic dating are caused by "reversals" of this structure's
polarity. For 10 points, name this field which has a strength of around .65 Gauss, and affects
compasses used on Earth.
ANSWER: geomagnetic field [accept Earth's magnetic field; prompt on magnetic field] <Jose,
Science - Earth Science>
73.
Computer Science
TOSSUP: Thomas Cormen wrote a book in which these concepts are "Unlocked" for the
general public, and Cormen is one of the four authors of the CLRS textbook, which is an
"Introduction to" these things. Edmund Landau suggested that the lower-order terms describing
the complexity of these things should be neglected when analyzing their (*) asymptotic
behavior. Providing a tight-bound on the resource usage of these things in the average case is
often done using the symbol "theta." These procedures have a finite number of steps, and big-O
notation is often used to express the amount of time and space these procedures use. For 10
points, name these step-by-step methods of solving problems, often studied in computer
science.
ANSWER: algorithms [accept Algorithms Unlocked or Introduction to Algorithms] <Jose,
Science - Computer Science>
74.
Physics
TOSSUP: Electroosmotic (electro-oz-MOT-ik) flow occurs during a form of electrophoresis
(electro-for-EE-siss) named for these objects. The length scale at which a drop of liquid begins
to flatten due to gravity is named for this object. The time needed for a liquid to flow between
two points in one of them is used in certain forms of viscometry (viss-KOM-uh-tree). An analyte
is placed in one of them before being heated in a (*) MEL-TEMP (mel-temp) device to determine
melting point. Due to the shape of these objects, surface tension and adhesive forces cause a
namesake effect to form a meniscus. These items name an effect in which liquids may flow into
them opposing the force of gravity, which is their namesake "action." For 10 points, name these
extremely narrow tubes that share their name with very thin blood vessels.
ANSWER: capillary (CAP-ill-airy) tubes [or capillaries; or capillary electrophoresis; or capillary
action; prompt on tubes] <Wang, Science - Chemistry>
75.
Physics
TOSSUP: NMR samples with this property have significant anisotropic effects, while in samples
without this property, the anisotropies cancel out. Hermann–Mauguin (mo-GAN) notation may
be used to characterize samples with this property into one of 230 space groups. Objects with
this property were modeled as a network of quantum harmonic oscillators by Albert Einstein.
The Laue (LAO-uh) method analyzes samples with this property which have been ground to a
powder, after which their (*) Bragg scattering is analyzed. Dislocations and vacancies are
defects that may be found in materials with this property. X-ray diffraction analyzes materials
with this property that possess long-range order, unlike amorphous materials. For 10 points,
name these solids that form a repeating lattice structure.
ANSWER: crystalline [prompt on solid state] <Wang, Science - Physics>
76.
Physics
TOSSUP: Lev Landau showed that, under certain conditions, the cyclotron motions of charged
particles have this property, a fact which allows resistance to be written in terms of the von
Klitzing constant. A sharp peak at 254 nanometers corresponding to 4.9 electron-volts implied
this result in an experiment that fired electrons through a vapor of mercury and was run by
Franck and Hertz. When deriving his law of blackbody radiation, (*) Max Planck arbitrarily
assumed that energy has this property. Einstein explained the photoelectric effect by proposing
that light is a particle, and thus has this property. For 10 points, name this property where at
small scales, quantities become discretized, which names a subfield of physics involving
wavefunctions and randomness.
ANSWER: quantization [accept word forms indicating things are quantized or in quanta or are
quantum; accept anything suggesting things are discrete or discretized until "discretized" is
read] <Wang, Science - Physics>
77.
Physics
TOSSUP: The probability of transitions that lack this property are given by the Landau–Zener
formula. This adjective describes properties of a system that remain approximately constant
when the system is changed slowly; specifically, the change must be so slow that the system
remains in the same eigenstate of the Hamiltonian. The ratio of the constant-pressure and
constant-volume heat capacities, denoted gamma, is named for this kind of (*) process, in which
pressure times volume raised to gamma remains constant. Reversible processes of this type
alternate with isothermal processes in a Carnot cycle. In these processes, the work done equals
the change in internal energy. For 10 points, name this kind of process that occurs with zero
heat transfer.
ANSWER: adiabatic processes [prompt on isentropic] <Mukherjee, Science - Physics>
78.
Biology
TOSSUP: This molecule forms a complex with a protein that is recognized by cubilin and
amnionless, known as the "Cubam" receptor, which leads to endocytosis of this molecule. The
R-protein in saliva strongly binds to this compound, protecting it from degradation until it
reaches the duodenum. This molecule, and its analogue cobinamide, are effective in treating
cyanide poisoning. This molecule is made of a substituted macrocycle known as a (*) corrin
ring. When this vitamin is deficient in the body, folate supplementation can prevent
megaloblastic anemia. This molecule, which is usually absorbed by intrinsic factor, is deficient in
pernicious anemia. For 10 points, name this B vitamin, also known as cobalamin, which has a
central cobalt ion.
ANSWER: vitamin B12 [accept hydroxycobalamin or hydroxocobalamin or cyanocobalamin or
methylcobalamin before "cobalamin" is read; prompt on vitamin B] <Ramaswami, Science -
Biology>
79.
TOSSUP: Maurice Mignotte (meen-YUT) used this result to develop a scheme to solve the
secret sharing problem. The Good–Thomas algorithm uses this result to break down one
Fourier transform into two smaller ones. The application of this result to polynomials is used in
an interpolation technique named after Lagrange. Computer arithmetic with extremely large
integers can take advantage of this result by conversion from a set of least positive residues.
Carl Friedrich Gauss was the first person to illustrate this theorem, which requires that its inputs
be (*) relatively prime, using a system of modular congruences. For 10 points, name this
theorem from number theory, first stated by Sunzi and often illustrated using groupings of
soldiers.
ANSWER: Chinese remainder theorem <Minarik, Science - Math>
80.
Physics
TOSSUP: A condition named for this quantity is also called the admissibility condition for the
Rankine–Hugoniot (RANK-in-oo-gohn-YOH) equations and is violated by rarefaction (rair-uh-
faction) shock waves. The rate of production of this quantity per unit volume times absolute
temperature is called the dissipation, whose non-zero value results in "lost work." While this
quantity is macroscopically a monotonic function, it does not change in a microscopically (*)
reversible process. It is equal to Boltzmann's constant times the natural log of the number of
microstates. For 10 points, name this quantity that always increases in a closed system
according to the second law of thermodynamics, the measure of disorder in a system.
ANSWER: entropy <Mukherjee, Science - Physics>
81.
Physics
TOSSUP: The hot spot that created the Hawaiian Islands is the largest discovered example of
the zones of the core-mantle boundary named for having "ultra low" values of this quantity. In
the ocean, the depth at which one form of this quantity is minimized is known as the SOFAR
channel. Andrija Mohorovičić (MOH-hoh-roh-VEE-cheech) used the discrepancy in two different
measures of this quantity to provide evidence for the existence of his namesake discontinuity.
For an (*) S-wave, this quantity is equal to the square root of the bulk modulus divided by the
density. Because this quantity is higher for P-waves than S-waves, P-waves are always
measured first on a seismograph. For 10 points, name this quantity which, for a sound wave in
the air, is around 343 meters per second.
ANSWER: velocity [or speed; or speed of sound; prompt on Mach 1] <Minarik, Science - Earth
Science>
82.
Physics
TOSSUP: This phenomenon produces an exotic state of matter, characterized by jet quenching,
studied in the ALICE experiment. The symmetry group of this phenomenon is generated by the
Gell-Mann (ghell-MAHN) matrices. By coincidence, not definition, this interaction's coupling
constant approximately equals one. Feynman's parton (PAR-tawn) model was an early model of
this interaction, which is mediated by a gauge boson that comes in (*) eight different types. The
magnitude of this force increases with distance, a phenomenon called confinement, since it
implies that one cannot isolate a particle with non-zero color charge. Gluons mediate, for 10
points, what fundamental force which holds protons and neutrons together?
ANSWER: strong nuclear force [prompt on asymptotic freedom before "interaction"] <Busse,
Science - Physics>
83.
Computer Science
TOSSUP: The C# (C-sharp) programming language has a "unified" variety of this concept,
allowing for all of these things to inherit the ToString (too-string) method. Anders Hejlsberg
(HYLES-berg) developed a widely-used version of JavaScript named for this concept that
handles interface classes using this concept's "duck" form. In general, polymorphism allows for
a single interface to conform to (*) different forms of this concept. Languages like Java use the
"static" form of this concept, in which the safety guaranteed by this concept is checked at
compile time. In the language C, examples of this concept include "void," "char," and "long."
"Integer" and "boolean" are other examples of, for 10 points, what concept or classification that
describes how a language should consider a variable or data?
ANSWER: data types [accept primitive types, duck typing, or static typing; accept TypeScript;
do NOT accept "objects"] <Jose, Science - Computer Science>
84.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: Dual oxidase proteins were first discovered to produce hydrogen peroxide to help an
enzyme oxidize ions of this element. A post-translational modification that adds this element to
tyrosine rings initiates a process blocked by drugs such as propylthiouracil (propyl-thio-uracil)
and methimazole (meth-imazole). Organification refers to the process of incorporating this
element into the body. A solution containing lots of this element traps crystal (*) violet inside
cells during Gram staining. TPO adds atoms of this element to thyroglobulin (thy-ro-globulin) in
the process of producing T3 and T4. A deficiency of this element can be treated by Lugol's
solution and can lead to an enlargement of the thyroid gland. For 10 points, name this halogen
whose deficiency can lead to goiter.
ANSWER: iodine [or I; accept iodide or I– or I-minus] <Ramaswami, Science - Biology>
85.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: In the Goldschmidt classification, species are grouped by whether their preferred host
is rock, ores, gas, or this element. This element and a more dense one "rained out" of molten
material during the "catastrophe" named for it, a key step in planetary differentiation.
Siderophiles are named for their preference for this element, which is said to be (*) "telluric" if it
is found on Earth as not part of an ore. This element bonded to sulfur forms galena (guh-LEE-
nuh). Ores of this element include a specimen historically called lodestone and the reddish-
brown hematite. Fool's gold, or pyrite, is an ore of this metal, which along with nickel is a major
element of the Earth's core. For 10 points, name this magnetic chemical element abbreviated
Fe.
ANSWER: iron [or Fe until read] <Jose, Science - Earth Science>
86.
Physics
TOSSUP: Von Weizsäcker (VYTE-secker) developed a functional to describe this quantity that
is commonly used in Thomas–Fermi DFT. This quantity is transferred from large-scale to small-
scale eddies in a Kolmogorov (kull-ma-GOR-uff) cascade. In time-of-flight mass spectrometry,
all ions with the same charge will also have the same value of this quantity. By measuring this
quantity for an emitted photoelectron, one can calculate the work function of a metal. This
quantity equals "gamma minus one times (*) m c-squared" in special relativity, and "p-squared
divided by 2m" in Newtonian mechanics. This quantity is conserved in elastic collisions but not
inelastic collisions. For 10 points, name this quantity which equals one-half times mass times
velocity squared and represents the energy of motion.
ANSWER: kinetic energy [prompt on K or T; prompt on energy] <Mukherjee, Science -
Physics>
87.
Biology
TOSSUP: This scientist names a family of matrix proteins that include CASPs and stacking
proteins known as GRASPs. The most common interneurons of the granular layer of the
cerebellum are named after this scientist. Brefeldin A inhibits the transport of molecules to a
structure named for this man. This scientist names a lab technique in which potassium
dichromate and silver nitrate are used in a (*) "black reaction"; that staining technique was used
by Santiago Ramón y Cajal to discover neurons. Vesicles can transport proteins between the
endoplasmic reticulum and a structure named for this man, which is comprised of flattened
membrane discs known as cisternae. For 10 points, identify this scientist who names a cellular
"apparatus" that packages proteins.
ANSWER: Camillo Golgi <Ramaswami, Science - Biology>
88.
Physics
TOSSUP: Devices used to measure this quantity include one based on high-density alkali vapor
that isn't undergoing spin-exchange relaxation, (pause) and one that contains a sense
component around a drive component around a core of mu metal. Another device for measuring
this quantity arranges two Josephson junctions in a superconducting loop and is called a
SQUID. This quantity equals the curl of the vector (*) potential, and changes in it can be
detected by a Hall effect sensor. It is proportional to the line integral of "I times the differential
length cross r-prime over the magnitude of r cubed" according to the Biot–Savart (byoh-sah-
VARR) law, which gives the value of this quantity created by a current-carrying wire. For 10
points, name this vector field measured in teslas.
ANSWER: magnetic field [accept magnetic flux density or B-field; prompt on B; prompt on
magnetic flux until "vector potential" is read, but not afterwards] <Mukherjee, Science -
Physics>
89.
Physics
Tournament: 2018 PACE NSC | Round: 24 - Emergency | Number: 20
TOSSUP: The stability of these systems can be characterized by the ratio of two forms of
pressure; that ratio is symbolized beta. The product of Boltzmann's constant, temperature, and
number density gives these systems' namesake pressure. When these systems are subject to a
tension force proportional to "B dot grad B," they can be compressed into "pinches," according
to ideal (*) MHD. These substances are confined at very high temperatures and densities in a
torus-shaped device called a tokamak to perform nuclear fusion. Natural examples of these
substances include the aurora borealis, the ionosphere, and lightning. For 10 points, name
these ionized gases usually considered the fourth state of matter.
ANSWER: plasmas [prompt on tokamaks or stellerators until "namesake pressure" is read]
<Wang, Science - Physics>
90.
Chemistry
Tournament: 2018 PACE NSC | Round: 24 - Emergency | Number: 21
TOSSUP: An enzyme that oxidizes this compound switches between particulate and soluble
forms based on the presence of copper and is this compound's namesake "mono-oxygenase."
This molecule is produced when coenzyme B reacts with a modified version of coenzyme M.
Frank Keppler controversially proposed that plants directly emit this molecule into the
atmosphere to contribute to the greenhouse effect. Members of a group of archaea named for
producing this gas are commonly found in (*) wetlands. This compound, which is formed by the
reduction of carbon dioxide, is the principal component of biogas. This compound significantly
contributes to greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. For 10 points, name this simplest
hydrocarbon with formula CH4.
ANSWER: methane [accept CH4 until read] <Ramaswami, Science - Biology> NSC 2018 -
Round 24 - Bonuses
91.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: A class of compounds named for this element consists of a combination of a group-
one metal sulfate salt and this element's sulfate salt. Either silicon dioxide or this element's
oxide are the most common materials used for the stationary phase in column chromatography
(chrome-uh-TAH-graphy). A very strong reducing agent consists of lithium, this element and
four atoms of (*) hydrogen. A mineral containing this element, three atoms of sodium and six
atoms of fluorine, called cryolite (CRY-oh-light), is used as a solvent in the purification process
of this element. That process reduces this element's oxide using electrolysis, and was
discovered by Charles Hall and Paul Héroult (ay-ROO). For 10 points, identify this element
obtained from bauxite, which has symbol Al.
ANSWER: aluminum [or Al until read; or lithium aluminum hydride; do not accept or prompt on
"alumina"] (The lead-in refers to the alum class of compounds.) <Prieto, Science -
Chemistry>
92.
TOSSUP: David Schindler showed that microorganisms mediate the distribution of phosphorus
in these systems. Research on these systems is done in a namesake "experimental area" in
Ontario. Chronic nutrient addition to these ecosystems can cause a regime shift to an anoxic
state. African cichlids (SICK-lids) underwent a dramatic parallel adaptive radiation in these
ecosystems. Terms such as holomictic and meromictic describe the frequency of (*) mixing of
layers in these ecosystems. These lentic ecosystems, which may become thermally stratified
into an epilimnion and a hypolimnion, are especially susceptible to eutrophication (yoo-troh-
fication) when shallow. For 10 points, name these ecosystems that usually comprise freshwater
filling a basin, and are often larger than ponds.
ANSWER: lakes [accept ponds or pools until "ponds" is read] <Kothari, Science - Biology>
93.
Biology
TOSSUP: Michael Ghiselin published a paper explaining evolutionary strategies for this
phenomenon, such as the low-density model. In Charnov's explanation, a convex fitness set
curve favors this phenomenon while a concave curve favors dioecy (DIE-ee-see). The California
sheephead fish exhibits the protogynous form of this phenomenon, which is favored by
territoriality and mate selection. Clownfish possess the sequential form of this feature, while (*)
earthworms exhibit its simultaneous form. Plants that exhibit this phenomenon have perfect
flowers that have both carpels and stamens. Monoecious (muh-NE-shiss) plants exhibiting this
strategy can vary flowering times to prevent self-fertilization. For 10 points, name this strategy in
which animals produce gametes of both sexes.
ANSWER: hermaphroditism [accept word forms like hermaphrodite; accept monoecy until
"monoecious" is read] <Grames, Science - Biology>
94.
Chemistry
TOSSUP: This chemist opened his Nobel lecture by citing Wilhelm Pfeffer's (FEFF-er’s) studies
into tree sap as a key motivation. Plotting the natural log of a reaction's equilibrium constant vs.
one over temperature yields a line according to this scientist's equation. A quantity named for
this scientist will always be a positive integer for strong acids, strong bases, and salts, but not
(*) weak acids and weak bases. That quantity, for potassium chloride and calcium chloride,
equals two and three respectively, because they dissociate (diss-OH-see-ate) into two and three
ions. For 10 points, identify this Dutch scientist, the namesake of a factor used to describe
colligative properties and the first Nobel laureate in chemistry.
ANSWER: Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff [or van 't Hoff equation; or van 't Hoff factor] <Prieto,
Science - Chemistry>
95.
Physics
TOSSUP: The binding energy of one type of these systems has a "quantum defect" term in the
denominator. Replacing a particle in these systems with another particle with the same charge
yields their "exotic" type. Using first-order perturbation theory to model relativistic effects and
spin–orbit coupling in these systems yields their "fine structure." The simplest example of these
systems is modeled by solving the Schrödinger equation with a (*) Coulomb potential; that
example of these systems has an emission spectrum with Paschen and Balmer lines. J. J.
Thomson analogized the distribution of "corpuscles" in these systems to plum pudding.
Democritus theorized the existence of, for 10 points, what systems which possess a nucleus
and an electron cloud?
ANSWER: atoms [accept Rydberg atoms or exotic atoms or hydrogen atoms] <Busse,
Science - Physics>
96.
Biology
TOSSUP: A protein in the HSP70 family that is localized to the ER is named for "binding" to
these molecules. The kinetoplast of Crithidia luciliae is used to detect examples of these entities
that bind to dsDNA. The binding of these proteins to their substrates can produce C3
convertase and trigger the classical complement pathway. These proteins are used to visualize
indirect fluorescence, in which (*) secondary types of these proteins bind primary ones in a
technique commonly used with Western blots. One of these proteins, rheumatoid factor, binds
to the Fc region of another of these proteins. These proteins, made of two heavy chains and two
light chains, are secreted by B cells. For 10 points, name these Y-shaped proteins which bind to
antigens.
ANSWER: antibodies [or immunoglobulins; accept autoantibodies; accept anti-nuclear
antibodies] <Wang, Science - Biology>
97.
Physics
TOSSUP: On the mass shell, the self-energy has a component proportional to this quantity,
which can be inverted to find the lifetime of a particle. One over kT is replaced by time times this
quantity over h-bar when performing a Wick rotation from Euclidean space to Minkowski space.
The commutator of two conjugate variables equals this quantity times h-bar. This quantity is
multiplied by h-bar and the time derivative of the wavefunction in the (*) time-dependent
Schrödinger equation. The reactance is multiplied by this quantity in the formula for impedance.
The sine function is multiplied by this quantity in Euler's formula. For 10 points, name this
quantity equal to the square root of negative one.
ANSWER: i [or j; or the imaginary unit; accept equivalents like the square root of negative one
until read] <Mukherjee, Science - Physics>
98.
TOSSUP: Differences in this quantity among red dwarfs, red giants, and red supergiants results
in spectral broadening that allows scientists to distinguish between those stars. A form of this
quantity responsible for "stripping" gases from a galaxy cluster is thought to drive the formation
of protostars. Another form of this quantity is overcome by self-gravity at the (*) Chandrasekhar
limit. A form of this quantity caused by the Sun's radiation could theoretically power a solar sail.
White dwarfs support themselves against collapse by a form of this quantity caused by electron
degeneracy. This quantity is higher in stellar cores, which increases the rate of fusion. For 10
points, name this quantity that is often measured in pascals.
ANSWER: pressure [accept pressure broadening or ramjet pressure stripping or radiation
pressure or electron degeneracy pressure] <Jose, Science - Astronomy>
99.
Physics
TOSSUP: Maria Goeppert-Meyer names a unit for the cross-section for absorption of two of
these particles at once. Transition-edge sensors were used to close these particles' "detection
loophole," which arose when using these particles to test Bell's theorem. The rates of processes
which produce or emit these particles are measured by the Einstein coefficients. In quantum
electrodynamics, the exchange of (*) "virtual" examples of these particles mediates the
electromagnetic force. A population inversion of electrons inside a gain medium inside a cavity
resonator enables the stimulated emission of these particles at a single frequency by a laser.
For 10 points, name these quanta of light.
ANSWER: photons <Mukherjee, Science - Physics>
100.
Biology
TOSSUP: One of these organisms known as "EHUX" (EE-hux) produces alkenones that are
used to measure historical temperatures. The production of dimethyl sulfide by these organisms
has a balancing effect on Earth's climate, according to the CLAW hypothesis. Iron fertilization
aims to directly stimulate the growth of these organisms. The Redfield ratio measures the ratio
of carbon-to-nitrogen-to-phosphorus in these organisms. Some of these organisms that produce
plates of calcium carbonate are known as (*) coccolithophores. These organisms include
diatoms (DYE-uh-toms), which produce a cell wall made of silica, and dinoflagellates. These
primary producers are the major source of food for krill. For 10 points, name these
microorganisms, a photoautotrophic type of plankton.
ANSWER: phytoplankton [prompt on plankton or coccolithophores or dinoflagellates or diatoms
until read] <Ramaswami, Science - Biology>

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