Science bee practice round 1 and two
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 1
Round 1
Before Round 1 - please use these Practice Questions for the students to practice with the
buzzers! These questions do NOT count towards scoring for the round.
Practice Question A - The Hylonomous was the earliest known member of this class,
which split off from birds around 65 million years ago. Members of this class of animal
are cold-blooded and usually covered in scutes or scales. For the point, name this class of
animals that includes turtles, lizards, and snakes.
ANSWER: Reptiles (or Reptilia)
Practice Question B - According to ancient Greek-Egyptian scientist Ptolomy, this object
was the center of the universe. This object’s only moon likely occurred when another
object, Theia, collided with this planet. For the point, name this third planet from the sun,
where we are right now.
ANSWER: Earth (prompt on “Geocentric Model” or “Geocentricity”)
Practice Question C - The pistil and stamen are found within this structure, which also
include sporangia for the distribution of spores. The only plants that possess these objects
are angiosperms. For the point, name these colorful reproductive structures of certain
plants, also called blossoms.
ANSWER: Flowers (accept Blooms; accept Blossoms before mentioned)
Once you have finished with the practice questions, make sure all of the students in the
room understand how the round will work and then proceed as usual. Remember, these
do NOT count towards any scores for the round!
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 1
Regulation Tossups
(1) It's not Aquarius, but a meteor shower named for this constellation is produced by
Halley’s comet. A feature in this constellation is formed by the stars Alnitak, Alnilam, and
Mintaka, and this constellation’s brightest stars are Rigel and Betelgeuse. A mythological
hunter names, for the point, what constellation with a famous belt?
ANSWER: Orion
(2) This molecule is rapidly copied in the lab technique PCR, and the enzyme helicase
splits this molecule before it is replicated by a polymerase. This molecule contains adenine,
cytosine, guanine, and thymine. For the point, name this double-helix structure that contains
genetic information.
ANSWER: DNA (accept Deoxyribonucleic Acid)
(3) The warming effect of this natural phenomenon has increased the biodiversity of
areas like Nantucket. The Antilles Current connects with this phenomenon at the intersection
of the Florida Strait. For the point, name this warm ocean current that originates in the
southern US and makes its way along the eastern coastline through the North Atlantic.
ANSWER: Gulf Stream
(4) These animals were hypothesized to be juvenile examples of the Torosaurus. These
animals' two species were the horridus and prorsus, and these animals were first thought to
be an extinct type of bison. The Tyrannosaurus rex was likely the primary predator of, for the
point, what dinosaurs that may have defended themselves with their three horns?
ANSWER: Triceratops
(5) Two of these particles behave as a boson in a Cooper pair, and these particles name
the most stable flavor of neutrino. These particles and stable leptons possess antiparticles
called positrons, and these particles are the quanta and force carrier of the electromagnetic
force. For the point, name these negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus of an atom.
ANSWER: Electrons
(6) This quantity is proportional to temperature, but inversely proportional to pressure
from the combined gas law. This quantity has a value of 22.4 for one mole of an ideal gas. For
the point, name this quantity describing the space occupied by a substance, usually expressed
in liters.
ANSWER: Volume
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 1
(7) Elevated levels of free fatty acids are a risk factor for resistance to this hormone. The
effect of this hormone is opposed by glucagon, and this hormone is released by beta cells in
the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas. For the point, name this hormone involved in blood
sugar modulation, which is often taken by people with type 1 diabetes.
ANSWER: Insulin
(8) AFFF and CAFS are compounds used for this task that are usually manifested as foam.
Portable devices used for this task most commonly contain compressed CO2 and dry ABC
powder. Extinguishers and water are used in, for the point, what task commonly performed
by first responders using a hose?
ANSWER: Fire Fighting (accept any answer regarding Putting Out or Extinguishing Fires)
(9) These devices can include a light-blocking component called a coronagraph, and
protesters on Mauna Kea are trying to prevent a Thirty-Meter one of these devices from being
built. NASA administrator James Webb is a namesake of, for the point, what type of devices,
the most famous of which is named for Edwin Hubble?
ANSWER: Telescopes (accept Space Telescopes)
(10) This desert is the alleged home of a "Death Worm," which may be the Tartar sand boa.
This desert was formed by the rain shadow of the Tibetan Plateau, and it is the native habitat
of the Bactrian camel. China constructed a "Green Wall" to contain, for the point, what large
Asian desert that covers southern Mongolia?
ANSWER: Gobi Desert
(11) A procedure known as CABG [["Cabbage"]] is used to remove blockages in these
structures. Most of these structures carry oxygenated blood, and the largest one of these
structures is the aorta. A person's pulse can be detected by feeling, for the point, what blood
vessels that carry blood away from the heart?
ANSWER: Arteries (or Artery)
(12) A specific class of these compounds is named for Gilbert Lewis. The Bronsted-Lowry
definition of these compounds involves the donation of hydrogen ions in solution. The acetic
form of these compounds is found in vinegar. For the point, name these compounds which
exhibit a pH below 7, contrasted with bases.
ANSWER: Acids (accept Superacid; accept Lewis Acid)
(13) The Bessemer process removes impurities from this element's "Pig" form. With cobalt
and nickel, this element is naturally ferromagnetic, and this element oxidizes to form a red
compound called rust. For the point, name this transition metal with symbol Fe [[F-E]] that
alloys with carbon to make steel.
ANSWER: Iron (or Fe)
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 1
(14) The genome of this organism was completely sequenced in 2000, and the white-eyed
mutation of this organism is often studied in introductory biology classes. This organism was
used by Thomas Hunt Morgan to study heredity and sex-linked traits. For the point, name this
common insect and model organism.
ANSWER: Fruit Fly (or Drosophila melanogaster)
(15) The strong form of this concept is refuted in the Chinese room argument. A test for
this concept evaluating indistinguishability from human conversation is named for Alan
Turing. For the point, name this concept that refers to a computer's ability to think like a
human brain.
ANSWER: Artificial Intelligence (or A.I.)
(16) Use of this material must be halved by 2030 to meet the criteria of the Paris
Agreement. Satellites like Sentinel-5P monitor this material's sulfur dioxide output, and
varieties of this material include lignite and anthracite. For the point, name this fuel source
composed mostly of solid carbon.
ANSWER: Coal (accept Lignite or Anthracite before mentioned; prompt on "Fossil Fuels")
(17) Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is a therapy developed for this
condition that was formerly known as shell shock. Flashbacks and recurring nightmares are
characteristic symptoms of this condition. For the point, name this psychological condition
caused by experiencing horrible events, commonly associated with soldiers.
ANSWER: PTSD (or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder; prompt on "Shell Shock" before
mentioned)
(18) Primary examples of these compounds are oxidized to aldehydes and carboxylic
acids, while secondary types are oxidized to ketones. These compounds are characterized by
the presence of a hydroxyl group. Methanol and ethanol are the simplest members of, for the
point, what class of compounds found in beer and liquor.
ANSWER: Alcohols (accept Primary Alcohol or Secondary Alcohol; prompt on specific
molecules like “Methanol” or “Ethanol;” prompt on “Hydroxyl”)
(19) These cells are coated with a myelin sheath, which allows them to quickly transmit
action potentials. These cells are split into "sensory" and "motor" types and separated from
each other by synapses. For the point, name these signal-transmitting nerve cells, the basic
units of the nervous system.
ANSWER: Neurons (accept Nerve Cells)
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 1
(20) The core collapse type of these events occurs when stars accumulate extremely
massive iron cores. Thermal runaways can be seen in the type 1a form of these events that
occur when a white dwarf surpasses the Chandrasekhar [[SHON-druh-say-karr]] limit. For
the point, name these extraordinary large stellar explosions.
ANSWER: Supernova (do not accept or prompt on just "Nova")
(21) These expressions are classified as analytic because they are a finite power series.
The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra states that every one of these expressions with degree
n and complex coefficients has n complex roots. For the point, name these expressions that
contain coefficients and variables, like x squared minus one.
ANSWER: Polynomials (prompt on “Quadratic” by asking “What larger class do quadratics
belong to?”)
(22) This entity “floats” on top of a lower layer when subject to isostasy [[EYE-soss-tuh-
see]]. This layer's most abundant elements by weight are oxygen and silicon. The boundary
between this layer of the Earth and the mantle is known as the Moho discontinuity. For the
point, name this outermost layer of the Earth.
ANSWER: Crust (accept Oceanic crust or Continental crust before mentioned; prompt on
“Lithosphere” by asking “What part?”)
(23) A paper by this scientist proposed a new calculation for mean squared displacement
of particles. That paper on Brownian motion and another on mass-energy equivalence were
half of this man's 1905 "Annus Mirabilis." For the point, name this scientist who, in that same
year, published explanations of the photoelectric effect and special relativity.
ANSWER: Albert Einstein
(24) Unlike addition, this operation is not commutative for matrices in general. The use of
numerous instances of this operation upon one number is called exponentiation. Often
thought of as a form of repeated addition, this is, for the point, what operation that when
applied to 2 and 3 yields 6?
ANSWER: Multiplication
(25) Fat is stored in the subcutaneous layer of this organ that makes up the integumentary
system. Exocrine glands secrete an oily substance called sebum to lubricate this organ, which
is the largest in the human body. Th dermis and epidermis are layers of, for the point, what
organ affected by eczema and acne?
ANSWER: Skin (accept Dermis before mentioned; accept Epidermis before mentioned)
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 1
(26) The rotary form of this process is used to purify substances. This process explains
why sweating cools the body, and salt deposits are created when it occurs in saline water.
When this process occurs at low pressures or high temperatures, it is called boiling. For the
point, name this process in which a liquid turns into a gas.
ANSWER: Evaporation (or Vaporization; accept Boiling before mentioned)
(27) One of these devices was codenamed D1, and was deployed at Flers-Courcelette
[[FLEHRS CORE-suh-lett]] in France. The Soviet T-34 type of these devices was first deployed
against the invading Germans in World War Two. The Battle of El Alamein debuted of one of
these devices with a fully rotating gun turret. The M4 Sherman was one type of, for the point,
what heavily armored military vehicles?
ANSWER: Tanks (accept British Mark I; or Male Tanks; or T-34 Tanks; or M4 Sherman
Tanks)
(28) One form of this element is named after Buckminster Fuller, while another form of
this element ranks at the top of the Mohs hardness scale. Graphite is a form of this element,
which together with oxygen and hydrogen forms molecules of glucose. For the point, name
this element, the fundamental basis of organic molecules and life.
ANSWER: Carbon (or C)
(29) Mary Anning collected these objects in Lyme Regis. Types of these objects include
coprolites, and an arrangement of these objects comprise "Sue" at Chicago’s Field Museum.
Iguanodon and Diplodocus were identified after discovering, for the point, what objects dug
up by paleontologists?
ANSWER: Fossils (accept Dinosaur Bones)
(30) An unnamed ring of this planet parallels the orbit of its moon Galatea. Objects in a 1:2
resonance with this planet are known as “twotinos,” and a spinning storm on this planet is
known as the Great Dark Spot. Triton is a moon of, for the point, what planet in the solar
system, located farthest from the Sun?
ANSWER: Neptune
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 1
Extra Questions
(1) The earliest estimate of this quantity depended on indirect estimates of the number
of particles of latex. Jean Perrin defined this constant, denoted capital N, as the number of
atoms in 16 grams of oxygen. For the point, name this constant, approximately 6 times 10 to
the 23rd power, that equals the number of particles in a mole.
ANSWER: Avogadro's Constant (or Avogadro's Number; prompt on "N" before mentioned)
(2) The product of the linear dimension and flow speed is divided by this quantity to give
the Reynolds number. This quantity's kinematic form is equal to its dynamic form divided by
the density of the fluid. For the point, name this quantity, a measure of a fluid's internal
resistance to flow.
ANSWER: Viscosity
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 2
Round 2
Regulation Tossups
(1) The second part of this process begins with a carbon dioxide molecule combining
with RuBP to make a high-energy intermediate. Deciduous trees such as birches and maples
perform this process using an organelle known as the chloroplast. Chlorophyll molecules
absorb light in, for the point, what process in which plants use light energy to produce sugars?
ANSWER: Photosynthesis (accept Light Reactions or Light-dependent Reactions before
“Second Part” is mentioned; prompt after mentioned; prompt on “Calvin Cycle” or “Calvin-
Benson Cycle” or “Dark Reaction”)
(2) These objects from from precursor stars that exceed the Tolman-Oppenheimer-
Volkoff limit. The Reissner-Nordstrom variety of these objects are non-rotating, and one of
these objects is predicted to vanish, as described by Hawking radiation. For the point, name
these regions of supermassive gravity from which light cannot escape.
ANSWER: Black Holes (accept Reissner-Nordstrom Black Holes)
(3) This man invented a mercury-fulminate-based blasting cap to reduce the need for
fuses. This owner of the arms manufacturer Bofors developed the use of nitroglycerin as an
active ingredient in explosives. For the point, name this Swedish chemist and inventor of
dynamite who lends his name to annual prizes awarded for literature, peace, and science.
ANSWER: Alfred Bernhard Nobel
(4) A volcano plot depicts how these substances bind according to the Sabatier principle.
The number of active sites in the heterogenous type of these substances are lowered by
"Poisoning," and these substances provide an alternate reaction pathway by stabilizing the
transition state and lowering the activation energy. For the point, name these substances that
speed up chemical reactions.
ANSWER: Catalysts (accept Heterogeneous Catalysts)
(5) When cooled to the lambda point, this element forms a superfluid Rollin film that
appears to creep out of its container. Alpha particles are the nuclei of this element, which is
the second-most abundant in the universe. Two hydrogen atoms combine to form, for the
point, what lightest noble gas that makes balloons float?
ANSWER: Helium or (He)
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 2
(6) This function appears three times in the formula for combinations, and it is estimated
by Stirling’s approximation. This function applied to 3 is 6, and when applied to 4 yields 24.
Defined as the product of all positive integers less than or equal to n, for the point, this is what
function denoted by an exclamation point?
ANSWER: Factorial
(7) This organelle’s semi-permeable structure allows smaller molecules to pass through
without assistance through either osmosis or diffusion. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
contain this organelle in a phospholipid bilayer form. For the point, name this organelle, the
cellular boundary that protects the inner organelles.
ANSWER: Cell Membrane (prompt on "Membrane" alone)
(8) A "tree" variant of this animal is native to New Guinea, and that variety is the only
true arboreal macropod. Osphranter is a genus containing these animals, and that genus
contains the red species of this large mammal. For the point, name this Australian marsupial
and relative of the smaller wallaby.
ANSWER: Kangaroo (accept Kangaroo Island; accept Tree-Kangaroo)
(9) This planet's atmosphere is composed of extremely thick clouds primarily made of
sulfuric acid. That thick atmosphere traps greenhouse gases, giving this planet the hottest
surface temperature in the solar system. For the point, identify this second planet from the
sun, sometimes called "Earth's Twin."
ANSWER: Venus
(10) The newly discovered element Oganesson is considered to be part of this group. This
group’s members are characterized by a full complement of valence electrons in their outer
shell, leading to their lower likelihood of taking part in a chemical reaction. For the point,
name this group of elements that contains helium, neon and argon.
ANSWER: Noble Gases (accept Inert Gases; accept Aerogens)
(11) The Quechua [[keh-CHWAH]] used the Cinchona [[SIN-chone-uh]] tree to fight this
disease. An outbreak of this disease led to the founding of the CDC, and this disease was
effectively ended in the U.S. by the introduction of DDT. American soldiers in the South Pacific
contracted, for the point, what disease that is spread by mosquitoes and named for the
Spanish for "Bad Air?"
ANSWER: Malaria
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 2
(12) Predecessors of these entities included Wingdings. A set of these entities would later
be introduced and constantly added using the Unicode standard, and a face with tears of joy
is the most popular one of these entities. For the point, name these pictograms often used in
text messages that include a host of facial expressions and objects.
ANSWER: Emojis
(13) William Jenney constructed some of these things using the "Chicago skeleton"
method, employing curtain walls over a steel frame. Early examples of these places include
one named for Equitable Life in New York and Louis Sullivan's example named for Ellis
Wainwright in St. Louis. The invention of the safety elevator enabled an 1890s boom in, for
the point, what very tall office buildings?
ANSWER: Skyscrapers
(14) One inequality named for this figure is reversed in Minkowski space. The intersection
of altitudes in this shape is known as its orthocenter, and its area can be computed using
Heron’s formula. The angles in any example of this polygon sum to 180 degrees in Euclidean
[[yoo-KLIH-dee-un]] space. For the point, name this polygon with three sides.
ANSWER: Triangle
(15) The deadliest instance of this phenomenon affected the cities of Daulatpua and
Saturia in Bangladesh. These phenomena that can form from supercells are measured by their
intensity on the Fujita scale. Waterspouts are aquatic versions of, for the point, what
devastating natural disasters of revolving air columns?
ANSWER: Tornado (accept equivalents such as Twisters; accept Cyclones)
(16) Pedology is the scientific field concerned with the formation of this material that is
grouped into layers called horizons. Along with water and gases, this material is primarily
composed of sand, silt, and clay. For the point, identify this nutrient-rich mixture of organic
material used to plant flowers and crops.
ANSWER: Soil (prompt on "Earth" or "Dirt")
(17) Algeria has constructed a dam named for this color to halt overgrazing, and engineers
in several African countries are constructing a Great Wall of this color to contain the Sahara
Desert. Along with red, this color names a type of colorblindness that is more prevalent in
males. For the point, name this color that identifies a type of beryl known as emerald.
ANSWER: Green
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 2
(18) This technique’s first description in Ancient India was found in the Bower Manuscript,
which also mentioned Sushruta [[SOO-shroo-tuh]], the “Father of [this procedure].” The
Edwin Smith Papyrus describes procedures for this practice in Ancient Egypt, including the
use of sutures. For the point, name this invasive medical technique that uses instruments to
treat a patient’s condition.
ANSWER: Surgery (accept descriptive answers regarding specific Surgical Procedures)
(19) This substance induces dysentery in its creators when produced from an aphid
byproduct. This substance's low moisture content makes it inhospitable to microorganisms,
which makes it the only known foodstuff to never spoil. Produced from stomach enzymes and
stored in hexagonal wax combs, this is, for the point, what natural sweetener produced from
nectar by bees?
ANSWER: Honey
(20) These biomes are the predominant environment in which the European chamois
[[sham-WAH]] goat-antelope is found. The pika is a close relative of the rabbit that can be
found in these biomes that also contain South American camelids such as guanacos and
vicuñas. Plant-life typically stops above the snow line in, for the point, what high-altitude
biomes that include the Himalayas?
ANSWER: Mountains (accept Alpine; accept Mountain Range; accept Highlands; accept
Himalayan Mountains)
(21) Plumes of this region are believed to cause volcanic hot spots. The highly ductile
upper portion of this region is known as the asthenosphere, and conductions in the semi-
liquid portions of this region cause the movement of tectonic plates. For the point, name this
region of the Earth located between the inner core and the crust.
ANSWER: Mantle
(22) Extant varieties of these animals include the screaming hairy and pink fairy types. In
the southern United States, the nine-banded variety of these animals always give birth to
identical quadruplets, and that species is the primary vector for leprosy. For the point, name
these armored mammals, some of which can roll into a ball when scared.
ANSWER: Armadillos
(23) Half of this object was first directly seen by Jim Lovell and two other crewmembers.
This site of the Sea of Tranquility was first visited when Michael Collins stayed in orbit while
his two colleagues used a module known as The Eagle. In 1969, Buzz Aldrin and Neal
Armstrong became the first two people to reach, for the point, what heavenly body?
ANSWER: The Moon (accept Luna)
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 2
(24) This compound can be artificially synthesized using dimethylurea and malonic acid.
With theophylline, this compound is often used as a treatment for sleep apnea, and this
stimulant is an alkaloid and adenosine antagonist commonly used to prevent drowsiness. For
the point, name this stimulant found in tea and coffee.
ANSWER: Caffeine (accept Guaranine; accept Methyltheobromine)
(25) A possible test of this technology was known as the Vela Incident. Tests of this
technology include Smiling Buddha and Castle Bravo, and the presence of these weapons in
Cuba triggered a 1962 diplomatic crisis. For the point, name this military weapon that uses a
fission reaction to create an explosion.
ANSWER: Nuclear Weapons (accept reasonable equivalents, like Nukes; accept equivalents
mentioning the Atom Bomb or A-Bomb; accept Nuclear Warheads; prompt on "Weapons
of Mass Destruction;")
(26) Kepler’s conjecture concerns the packing of these figures in three-dimensional space,
and the sum of angles of a triangle on this shape exceeds 180 degrees. The surface area of one
of these objects is 4 pi r squared. For the point, name this 3D shape with a volume of four
thirds pi r cubed, exemplified by structures such as marbles and globes.
ANSWER: Sphere (accept Spherical; accept Spherical Harmonics; accept Spherical
Triangle)
(27) The largest unit of this measurement is a yotta, although a bronto has been proposed.
This computer component is supported by secondary forms, including cards, external hard
drives, and the Cloud. For the point, identify this computer component that comes in Random
Access and Read-Only types.
ANSWER: Memory (accept Random Access Memory or Read-Only Memory before
mentioned)
(28) The largest unit of this measurement is a yotta, although a bronto has been proposed.
This computer component is supported by secondary forms, including cards, external hard
drives, and the Cloud. For the point, identify this computer component that comes in Random
Access and Read-Only types.
ANSWER: Memory (accept Random Access Memory or Read-Only Memory before
mentioned)
(29) Lichens consist of a fungus and one of these organisms living in a symbiotic
relationship. Ocean afforestation involves growing these organisms en masse, and rapid
oxygen-depletion in the population of these organisms are known as their namesake
“blooms.” Cyanobacteria and seaweed are types of, for the point, what often green marine
protist organisms that float on water?
ANSWER: Algae (accept Blue-Green Algae; accept Seaweed)
2021-22 MS Science Bee 1 V (7) - 2022-03-31 Round 2
(30) The Vaccinia virus is used to inoculate against this disease that was once harvested
from the hands of milkmaids. British and American forces used this disease as a bioweapon
via contaminated blankets, and the world's first vaccines were produced by Edward Jenner
to prevent this disease. For the point, name this disease caused by Variola viruses, which was
eradicated in the 1970s.
ANSWER: Smallpox (prompt on "Variola Major" or "Variola Minor" before mentioned)
Extra Questions
(1) This force can be found by taking the product of its direction with the dot product of
the unit vector and the Cauchy [[CO-chee]] stress tensor. For a ramp with an angle of
inclination theta, the magnitude of this force is equal to mg cosine theta. This force prevents
a book perched on a table from sinking through it. For the point, name this force produced by
a contact surface perpendicular to itself.
ANSWER: Normal Force
(2) This task commonly uses clay in the K-AR technique. Another technique for this task
uses zircon to calculate a uranium-thorium-lead decay chain, and another method for this
task uses the 12 and 14 isotopes of carbon. For the point, name this process that uses
radioactive decay to find the age of an object.
ANSWER: Radiometric Dating (accept Radiocarbon Dating; accept Carbon Dating; accept
Uranium-Lead Dating; accept descriptive terms referring to finding a Date or an Age of an
object)