What is the acceleration of an object moving at a constant speed of 20 m/s if it comes to a complete stop within 5 seconds?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: To find the acceleration, we use the formula: acceleration = (final velocity - initial velocity) / time. Given that the final velocity is 0 m/s (as the object stops), the initial velocity is 20 m/s, and the time taken is 5 seconds. Substituting these values into the formula, we get acceleration = (0 m/s - 20 m/s) / 5 s = -20 m/s / 5 s = -4 m/s². Therefore, the acceleration is -4 m/s², indicating that the object decelerated at a rate of 4 m/s² to come to a complete stop. Choice A is incorrect because the object does experience acceleration as it changes its speed from 20 m/s to 0 m/s. Choice B is incorrect as it represents acceleration in the wrong direction, considering the object is decelerating. Choice D is incorrect as there is sufficient information provided to calculate the acceleration based on the given data.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The high surface tension of water is primarily due to the strong hydrogen bonding between water molecules. Hydrogen bonding is a specific type of intermolecular force that occurs between a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom, like oxygen in water, and another electronegative atom nearby. This unique interaction results in a strong attraction between water molecules at the surface, leading to the cohesive forces responsible for the high surface tension of water. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because London dispersion forces, ionic bonding, and metallic bonding do not account for the high surface tension observed in water. London dispersion forces are relatively weaker intermolecular forces, while ionic and metallic bonding are types of intramolecular forces that do not directly contribute to the surface tension of water.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another of different density. In deserts, the temperature gradient causes light to bend, creating the mirage effect where distant objects appear distorted or displaced. Diffraction refers to the bending of light around obstacles or apertures, not the cause of mirages. Interference involves the superposition of two or more waves, which is not the mechanism behind mirages. Polarization refers to the orientation of light waves in a specific plane and is not responsible for the mirage effect in deserts. Therefore, the correct answer is refraction.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The main obstacle to achieving controlled nuclear fusion on Earth for energy production involves a combination of factors. A) Lack of suitable materials to handle high temperatures and pressures is a significant challenge due to the extreme conditions required for fusion reactions. B) Limited availability of fusion fuels like deuterium and tritium can pose a constraint on the scalability and sustainability of fusion energy. C) Difficulty in containing the plasma where fusion occurs is another critical issue as plasma instabilities and heat losses can hinder the efficiency of fusion reactions. Therefore, all of the options (A, B, and C) contribute to the challenges in achieving controlled nuclear fusion for energy production on Earth.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: - Polygenic inheritance refers to the situation where a trait is influenced by multiple genes, each contributing a small effect to the phenotype. These traits often show continuous variation and are not easily categorized into discrete categories. - Pleiotropy, on the other hand, occurs when a single gene influences multiple, seemingly unrelated traits. This means that a mutation in one gene can lead to multiple phenotypic effects across different traits or characteristics. - Therefore, the key difference between polygenic inheritance and pleiotropy lies in the number of genes involved in influencing a trait (multiple genes in polygenic inheritance vs. one gene in pleiotropy) and the direction of influence (one trait affected by multiple genes in polygenic inheritance vs. multiple traits affected by one gene in pleiotropy).