Physics
What would happen to the trajectory of a photon if it passed within the event horizon of a black hole?
The photon’s trajectory would curve inward and eventually spiral into the singularity due to the extreme curvature of spacetime
In this type of redox reaction, a substance loses electrons, often involving the addition of oxygen or removal of hydrogen.
Oxidation
What would happen to an animal cell placed in a hypertonic solution?
Plasmolysis/Osmosis
Which researcher is called the father of nuclear physics for his contributions in radiation and atomic structure. Also known for the gold foil experiment
Rutherford
What is the theoretical temperature at which all molecular motion stops, and why is it unattainable in practice?
Absolute zero (0 Kelvin) is the temperature where molecular motion theoretically stops. It is unattainable because of the Third Law of Thermodynamics, which states entropy never reaches zero.
This green-colored ion is formed when chromium(III) chloride is dissolved in water and is commonly observed in chromium-based compounds.
Chromium(III) ion (Cr³⁺)
Doubling this gas in the atmosphere would likely increase photosynthesis rates in many plants, but could also lead to water stress, altered nutrient availability, and potential disruptions in plant-pollinator relationships.
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
What observation led to the hypothesis of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener noted the matching coastlines of continents and similar fossils across distant landmasses.
Design a hypothetical experiment to measure the gravitational constant GGG without modern technology.
Use a torsion balance, similar to Cavendish’s experiment. Suspend a horizontal bar with small lead spheres on either end and measure the angular displacement caused by gravitational attraction to nearby larger masses
Replacing water with this isotope of water in a biochemical reaction typically slows down the reaction rate due to the heavier bonds, affecting the rate of proton transfer.
Heavy water (D₂O)
This pigment is responsible for capturing light energy in plants and is primarily responsible for their green color.
Chlorophyll
What was the original purpose of the Large Hadron Collider, and what has it achieved?
The LHC was built to study fundamental particles and confirmed the existence of the Higgs boson, validating the Standard Model.
What would happen to the speed of sound on a planet with twice the atmospheric density of Earth but the same atmospheric composition?
The speed of sound would increase because it depends on the square root of the medium’s bulk modulus and density. A denser atmosphere (with equal composition) has a higher bulk modulus, leading to faster sound.
This theory explains the formation of molecular shapes based on the repulsion between electron pairs, often used to predict the geometry of molecules like methane (CH₄).
VSEPR theory (Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion theory)
This type of infectious agent is made up of misfolded proteins that adopt an abnormal conformation, causing the protein to form aggregates and disrupt normal cellular functions, unlike typical proteins that are in their functional, folded state.
Prion
This physicist’s 1905 paper on Brownian motion provided key evidence for the existence of atoms, helping to end the debate over atomic theory in the early 20th century.
Albert Einstein
If you were to travel at 90% the speed of light, how much would time dilate relative to a stationary observer?
Time dilation is calculated using the formula Y=1/(sqrt(1-(v^2/c^2))At 90% the speed of light, time dilates by a factor of approximately 2.29.
This concept describes the situation where a molecule or ion can be represented by multiple valid Lewis structures, each differing in the placement of electrons, but none representing the true structure alone.
Resonance structure
This technique, used to modify enzymes to enhance their stability or efficiency, often involves directed evolution to select for proteins with improved catalytic abilities or altered substrate specificity.
Directed evolution
This polymath translated ancient Greek scientific texts into Latin and Arabic, preserving classical knowledge during the Islamic Golden Age and influencing European science centuries later.
Al-Khwarizmi