sci oly 2025-2026 entrance test study guide

Which ocean zone extends from 200 m to 1000 m depth and receives very little light?

Mesopelagic zone

In aerial photos, what effect creates depth?

Stereoscopic effect

What is the unit of torque?

Newton-meter

Which DNA base always pairs with thymine?

Adenine

How many sigma bonds are in propane (C₃H₈)?

10

Another name for azurite?

Peacock ore

In a titration, what point is reached when the moles of acid equal the moles of base?

Equivalence point

Which is a characteristic of ideal machines?

Friction and elasticity can be ignored

Know how this location looks

Santorini, Greece

Which Greek island is associated with the eruption that may have inspired the Atlantis myth?

Santorini

What technique separates DNA fragments by size using an electric field?

Gel electrophoresis

What is inaccurate about molecular clouds?

Their star formation rates can increase due to radiation pressure

Which canyon was carved by the Colorado River in Arizona?

Grand Canyon

How many grams of glucose are needed to prepare 1 L of a 0.5 M solution?

90 g

Which type of transmission occurs when pathogens are carried by blood-feeding insects?

Vector-borne transmission

On what continent is the Hubbard Glacier located?

North America

At what temperature range do intermediate minerals crystallize?

~800-1000 °C

What sensory structure allows grasshoppers to detect sound on their legs?

Tympanal organ

What element produces a bright orange flame test result?

Calcium

What are the products of the neutralization reaction between H₂SO₄ and 2 NaOH?

Na₂SO₄ and H₂O

Learn the definition of

nadir,Albedo,diffraction,refraction,spatial resolution,temporal resolution,radiometric resolution,panchromatic, specular reflection, and diffuse reflection

Which type of radiation can pass through human skin most easily?

X-rays

Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?

Stratosphere

Which U.S. national park contains the largest cave system in the world?

Mammoth Cave National Park

When ablation exceeds accumulation, the glacier front begins to advance. (True/False)

False

Which region of the electromagnetic spectrum is useful in night-vision imaging?

Infrared

Which scientist developed the principle of electromagnetic induction?

Michael Faraday

How many hybrid orbitals are formed with sp³ hybridization?

4

Name one major discovery: Hertz

Hertz - Electromagnetic waves

What isn't Contact Transmission?

Airborne Transmission

Learn how to do the math for this:Friedrich Bessel's parallax measurement of 0.3136 arcsec for 61 Cygni gives what distance in light years?

10.4 ly

What type of bond involves the sharing of electrons equally between atoms?

Nonpolar covalent bond

What is the main evidence astronomers use to detect exoplanets by the transit method?

A periodic dimming of the star's brightness

Which property allows elastomers to be stretched to many times their length?

High extensibility

What term describes a scientist who studies the cause and spread of diseases in populations?

Epidemiologist

Learn the characteristics of infralittoral,mesopelagic,bathypelagic,and abyssal ocean zones

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What type of experiment lacks random assignment but uses natural groupings of subjects?

Quasi-experiment

Which ancient civilization built Machu Picchu?

Inca

Which region of the electromagnetic spectrum is not used in remote sensing because it is absorbed by the atmosphere?

Ultraviolet

Which adhesive is widely used in woodworking and comes from plant resins?

Polyurethane glue

Learn how to do the stoich: How many grams of hydrogen peroxide are required to make 1 L of 0.3 M solution?

10.2 g

What is the IUPAC name for CH₃CH₂COOH?

Propanoic acid

What method is sometimes used for DNA analysis?

Gel electrophoresis

Which type of electric current flows in both directions, reversing periodically?

Alternating current

What type of chemical bond holds sodium and chloride ions together in table salt?

Ionic bond

Which enzyme unwinds the DNA double helix during replication?

Helicase

Which ancient city in Jordan is famous for its rock-cut architecture?

Petra

What connective tissue surrounds a bundle of muscle fibers (fascicle)?

Perimysium

How many grams of NaOH are needed to prepare 500 mL of a 0.4 M solution?

8.0 g

Which island nation was devastated by the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883?

Indonesia

What element gives a green color in a flame test?

Barium

Which scientist is credited with discovering the double helix model of DNA with Watson?

Francis Crick

At what temperature do minerals have the most calcium (Bowen's Series)?

1400 °C

What is torque equal to mathematically?

Force × lever arm distance

Yellow-red flame indicates what element?

Calcium

What is the term for transmission of pathogens by living carriers like mosquitoes?

Vector transmission

Which type of radiation can penetrate deeply into the body and requires dense shielding?

Gamma rays

What method besides parallax is used to estimate stellar distances for very faraway stars?

Standard candles (Cepheid variables, Type Ia supernovae)

Know how this location looks

Hadrian's Wall, England

Which is not an adhesive?

Polymethacrylate

What is the formula for calculating electric force between two point charges?

F = k(q₁q₂)/r²

Which adhesive is also known as "super glue"?

Cyanoacrylate

A ramp is an example of what type of simple machine?

Inclined plane

What is the name for CH₄ (methane)?

Simple alkane

What order do butterflies belong to?

Lepidoptera

Which fingerprint pattern resembles a spiral or circle?

Whorl

Louis Agassiz proposed the astronomical theory of Ice Age climactic fluctuations. (True/False)

True

Learn how to Decode the porta cipher

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One characteristic of bee antennae

Used for communication, taste, hearing, detecting temperature

Why do glaciers need fresh snow to survive?

Insulates them from warmer air

What type of snow accumulation helps glaciers survive warm summers?

Fresh snow insulation

What is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's mantle after olivine?

Pyroxene

The Serengeti in Africa is an example of what type of grassland?

Temperate savanna

How do bees communicate?

Dances; Pheromones; Vibrations

What evolutionary process results when two unrelated species evolve similar traits due to similar niches?

Convergent evolution

What type of compound is CH₃CH₂OH (ethanol)?

Alcohol

Label the muscle structures: 67-74

tendon; epimysium; Endomysium; muscle fiber; endomysium; fascicle; Perimysium; bone

Which polymer is the main component of synthetic rubber?

Polybutadiene

Which enzyme synthesizes new DNA strands by adding nucleotides?

DNA polymerase

Which property makes elastomers useful for rubber bands?

High elasticity

What is assumed in the model of an ideal machine?

No energy is lost to friction

At which temperature range do felsic minerals crystallize?

~600-800 °C

What type of nebula shines due to ionized gas emitting light?

Emission nebula

What is the SI unit of electric current?

Ampere

What do crickets use to produce sounds for communication?

Stridulation (rubbing wings together)

The Hubbard Glacier is the largest glacier in the world. (True/False)

False

Which current carries warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to northern Europe?

Gulf Stream

Which molecule is used to identify DNA fragments in gel electrophoresis?

DNA ladder (marker)

Be able to Label the ocean currents

North Pacific; South Pacific Gyre; North Atlantic Gyre; South Atlantic Gyre

Which connective tissue directly attaches muscle to bone?

Tendon

Which type of transmission involves an insect carrying a pathogen on its body surface?

Mechanical vector transmission

Name one major discovery: Volta

Volta - Electrical Battery

Most abundant mineral in Earth's mantle?

Olivine

Bright red flame indicates what element?

Lithium

What vitamin is essential for blood clotting?

Vitamin K

A wheelbarrow is an example of what type of simple machine?

Second-class lever

Why does accumulation of reflective snow help glaciers survive?

It increases albedo and reduces melting

How does dusting for fingerprints work?

Powder sticks to fatty acids and lipids

Learn how to do the stoich: NaHCO₃ is titrated with HCl. What is the limiting reagent?

HCl

What type of glacier covers Greenland and Antarctica?

Ice sheet