Q2. The feet move half a cycle out of phase with each other. First each
foot is on the ground for more than half the time, then each is on the
ground for less than half the time and there are times when both feet
are off the ground. In the last movement, both feet move simultaneously
and for much of the time, both feet are off the ground. What is being
described?
A. Walking, running and hopping of birds.
Q3. It is noticed that it is harder to swim in a pool which is over full
than one which is filled just to the level of the gutter. Why?
A. Waves hitting the gutter are dissipated when the level is right. Too
high or too low, means that the waves bounce causing turbulence.
Q4. The horshoe crab has blue blood. Explain, given that the reason is
the same as that which causes our blood to be red.
(I want a specific answer. 1 point only if you give me direction in
which to think)
A. Red pigment is caused because of iron based respiratory pigments.
Copper based ones cause it to be blue. Haemocyanin. Sea-cucumbers have
vanadium based blood pigments and their blood is green-yellow.
Q5. Clocks move clockwise, because they were preceeded by sundials. Now,
based on this, tell me in very general terms which part of the world the
first clock would have been developed. I am more interested in your
reason.
A. The nothern hemisphere. If in the southern hemisphere, the direction
would be what we today call anticlockwise.
Q6. When water boils in a kettle, tiny air bubbles form on the heating
coil. These are replaced by smaller superheated steam bubbles which soon
leave because of their bouyancy. Due to condensation, the bubble will
implode. If the kettle is covered with a lid, what effect do we see?
A. The lid defines a volume of air which can resonate to some of the
frequencies present in the shock waves sent out by those implosions.
Q7. Rats can direct 0.1 to 10% of their cardiac output to their tails.
What purpose could this possibly serve?
A. Heatloss. Rats have a very low surface area to volume ratio. Furless
tails help heatloss and they can lose up to 20% of metabolic heat this
way.
Q8. In a spontaneous conversation, when one speaker finishes, there
might be a silence. A second speaker will usually do something to show
that they wish to continue. What?
A. The umm/err sounds which are made. Infact, err is culturally
specific. Chinese would say "zenge senge" or some such.
Q9. Copper combines with conalbumin a protein in egg to form a stabler
complex. Using this, explain why eggs beaten in a copper bowl are less
likely to get overbeaten.
A. The complex is less likely to denature due to mechanical action and
stiffens the foam.
Q10. A battery which bas been in use for sometime, might not work at a
low temperature, but will work at a higher temperature. Why?
A. Chemical reactions in the battery will proceed at a lower rate at
lower temperature.
Q11. Stainless steel resists corrosion even after scratching in a normal
enviroment. This does not happen in a low oxygen or low circulation
environment. Why?
A. Oxidation of the chromium of other metals in the steel will give it a
protective layer. This cannot happen as effectively in a low oxygen
environment. The situation is worse when chlorides are present.
Q12. A person stands in front of a microwave for a short amount of time.
Which zone of the body would have to face the microwave to produce the
most adverse effect?
A. The microwaves will warm the body. Blood flow, will cause the heat to
be dissipated. Parts of the body will less bloody flow like the eyes etc
would be most damaged.
Audience:
Q. Car takes a right turn. You are thrown to left. Which direction will
a helium baloon in the car move?
A. Opposite direction. To the right.
Q. Why are planets spherical but flattened at the poles?
A. Gravity and centripetal acceleration. The equatior shifts outward
slightly.