Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Earth Sciences
Fermi Questions
100
What is the powerhouse of the cell?
Mitochondria
100
What is an ionic bond?
A chemical bond that involves electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions, or two atoms with differing electronegativities.
100
Newton's 2nd law?
F=ma
100
What are the little sliding block thingies that make up the surface of our earth?
Tectonic Plates
100
How many pizza boxes would you have to stack to match the height of the Leaning Tower of Piza?
3
200
Which part of the heart receives oxygenated blood from the lungs?
Left Atrium
200
How many valence electrons do Alkaline Earth Metals have?
2
200
What is polarized light?
Polarized light waves are light waves in which the vibrations occur in a single plane.
200
What is the principle of superposition?
Strata are usually younger than the beds of rock they are deposited on.
200
How many pieces of paper would a package of pencil lead cover?
2, (175)
300
What is the surgical term for the removal of gallbladder?
Cholecystectomy
300
___ Li + ___ H2O —> ___ LiOH + ___ H2
2Li + 2H2O —> 2LiOH + 1H2
300
Define Betz's law and it's value.
The Betz limit is the theoretical maximum efficiency for a wind turbine, (59.3%)
300
Who proposed the theory of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener
300
Estimate the number of fish in the oceans.
12, (3,000,000,000,000)
400
On an EKG, the T wave represents which of the following cardiac events?
Ventricular repolarization
400
___ FeS2 + ___ O2 —> ___ Fe2O3 + ___ SO2
4FeS2 + 11O2 —> 2Fe2O3 + 8SO2
400
A coin of mass m is dropped straight down from the top of a very tall building. As the coin approaches terminal speed, which is true of the net force on the coin?
(A) The net force on the coin is upward.
(B) The net force on the coin is 0.
(C) The net force on the coin is downward, with a magnitude less than mg.
(D) The net force on the coin is downward, with a magnitude equal to mg.
(E) The net force on the coin is downward, with a magnitude greater than mg.
Snell's law is a formula used to describe the relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction, when referring to light or other waves passing through a boundary between two different isotropic media, such as water, glass, or air.
400
What is the bite force of a Dunkleosteus?
5,000 Newtons
400
If everyone on earth jumped at the same time, how much energy would be delivered to the ground? (Hint: in joules)
12, 2,000,000,000,000 Joules
500
Why do our muscles get tired after hitting the gym, or why does it get more difficult to lift the same weight? (Hint: Answer does not contain lactic acid.)
Following a signal from brain, motor neurons release acetylcholine, which triggers pores on the muscle cell membrane to open. Sodium flows in, and potassium flows out. The flux of these charged particles is a crucial step for muscle contraction: the change in charge creates an electrical signal called an action potential that spreads through the muscle cell, stimulating the release of calcium that’s stored inside it. This flood of calcium causes the muscle to contract by enabling proteins buried in the muscle fibers to lock together. The sodium and potassium ions become depleted, and the signal your brain sends needs to be stronger every time to lift the same weight.
500
What does Le Châtelier's principle state?
Le Chatelier's principle says that changes in the system that an equilibrium reaction occurs in will cause a change in the overall equilibrium.
500
What is Snell's law? (The formula) For bonus points, define what the formula means.
Snell's law is a formula used to describe the relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction, when referring to light or other waves passing through a boundary between two different isotropic media, such as water, glass, or air.
500
Solar radiation management (SRM), a type of geoengineering, is a controversial solution to mitigate the affects of climate change. Why might SRM, if enacted, prove to be a disastrous solution to our climate crisis?
Clouds created by ships sulfur pollution reflected more sunlight/increased albedo, slowing warming. Recent regulations cut the pollution, decreasing reflected sunlight/albedo resulted in the warmest summer ever in 2023. Might be a poor solution because SRM requires constant input into the atmosphere, letting us continue to increase GHGs without temperature rise, if stopped could result in a violent spike in global temperatures.
500
How many sheets of paper would it take to print the entirety of Wikipedia?
6, (1,133,500)