Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

QFTCIMM16 Game 3, Rounds 2-3: Gillers and gravity

18 views
Skip to first unread message

Mark Brader

unread,
Dec 20, 2016, 12:44:36 AM12/20/16
to
These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2016-10-03,
and should be interpreted accordingly.

On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
both a right answer and a wrong answer, there is a small penalty.
Please post all your answers to the newsgroup in a single followup,
based only on your own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote
the questions and place your answer below each one.) I will reveal
the correct answers in about 3 days.

All questions were written by members of the Misplaced Modifiers
and are used here by permission, but have been reformatted and may
have been retyped and/or edited by me. For further information
see my 2016-11-26 companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian
Inquisition (QFTCI*)".


* Game 3, Round 2 - Canadiana Literature - Giller Prizewinners

The Scotiabank Giller Prize is a literary award given to a Canadian
author of a novel or a short-story collection published in English
the previous year. It has been awarded 22 times since 1994.
Although some years have seen two winners share the prize, there
have also been writers who won more than once, so there have been
only 21 people who have won so far, namely:

André Alexis | Esi Edugyan | Alice Munro
Margaret Atwood | Will Ferguson | Michael Ondaatje
David Bergen | Elizabeth Hay | David Adams Richards
Joseph Boyden | Vincent Lam | Mordecai Richler
Bonnie Burnard | Linden McIntyre | Johanna Skibsrud
Austin Clarke | Sean Michaels | M.G. Vassanji
Lynn Coady | Rohinton Mistry | Richard B. Wright

Given the title of a winning book (or two books by the same author)
and the date of the award, you name the author from the above list.

1. "The Sentimentalists", 2010.
2. "Through Black Spruce", 2008.
3. "The Polished Hoe", 2002.
4. "The Love of a Good Woman", 1998; "Runaway", 2004.
5. "Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures", 2006.
6. "Clara Callan", 2001.
7. "Fifteen Dogs", 2015.
8. "Barney's Version", 1997.
9. "The Bishop's Man", 2009.
10. "The Book of Secrets", 1994; "The In-Between World of Vikram
Lall", 2003.


* Game 3, Round 3 - Science - Gravity

1. Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces (or
interactions). Another one of the four is electromagnetism.
Name one of the other two.

2. In 2012, scientists determined that the speed of gravity is
the same as the speed of light. Therefore, if the Sun suddenly
disappeared, how long -- rounded to the nearest whole minute --
would it take for the Earth to start spinning out of orbit?

3. In a 2-body orbital system (such as the Earth and Moon), there
are 5 predictable points where the gravitational forces interact
in such a way that smaller objects such as asteroids and
spacecraft can remain in a relatively stable position relative
to the two bodies. What are these points called?

4. The formula to calculate the acceleration due to gravity at the
Earth's surface is Gm/r, where m is the mass of the Earth and
r is the radius of the Earth. What is G called?

5. Within 5% of the true number (which means that any of the
commonly quoted rounded values is acceptable), What is the
escape velocity from Earth? That is, the speed required to
escape the Earth's gravitational pull.

6. What is the term given to an object of such mass and gravity
that it can be observed to bend light?

7. What is the name given to the 84% of the universe which, although
not directly observable, is detected by gravitational effects?

8. This experiment has been conducted several times through history.
The earliest documented account was by Simon Stevin in 1586
at the Delft church tower in the Netherlands. He set out
to demonstrate what is now known as the "weak equivalency
principle". How did he do that?

9. After answering the last question, please decode the rot13.
Qnivq Fpbgg bs gur Ncbyyb 15 zvffvba pbaqhpgrq gur fnzr
rkcrevzrag ba gur zbba va 1971. Anzr *rvgure* bs gur gjb
bowrpgf gung ur qebccrq.

10. Geostationary satellites travel at an orbit 35,786 km above the
equator, at a speed that gives them the appearance of being
fixed in position. This orbit, or belt, is named after a
science-fiction writer who first recognized its importance in
a 1945 article. Who?

--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "Why, I make more money than Calvin Coolidge,
m...@vex.net | put together!" -- SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

My text in this article is in the public domain.

Marc Dashevsky

unread,
Dec 20, 2016, 1:08:37 AM12/20/16
to
In article <FK2dnQrKSvWiWMXF...@giganews.com>, m...@vex.net says...
> * Game 3, Round 3 - Science - Gravity
>
> 1. Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces (or
> interactions). Another one of the four is electromagnetism.
> Name one of the other two.
strong force

> 2. In 2012, scientists determined that the speed of gravity is
> the same as the speed of light. Therefore, if the Sun suddenly
> disappeared, how long -- rounded to the nearest whole minute --
> would it take for the Earth to start spinning out of orbit?
9

> 3. In a 2-body orbital system (such as the Earth and Moon), there
> are 5 predictable points where the gravitational forces interact
> in such a way that smaller objects such as asteroids and
> spacecraft can remain in a relatively stable position relative
> to the two bodies. What are these points called?
>
> 4. The formula to calculate the acceleration due to gravity at the
> Earth's surface is Gm/r, where m is the mass of the Earth and
> r is the radius of the Earth. What is G called?
gravitational constant

> 5. Within 5% of the true number (which means that any of the
> commonly quoted rounded values is acceptable), What is the
> escape velocity from Earth? That is, the speed required to
> escape the Earth's gravitational pull.
25,000 mi/hr

> 6. What is the term given to an object of such mass and gravity
> that it can be observed to bend light?
gravitational lens

> 7. What is the name given to the 84% of the universe which, although
> not directly observable, is detected by gravitational effects?
black matter

> 8. This experiment has been conducted several times through history.
> The earliest documented account was by Simon Stevin in 1586
> at the Delft church tower in the Netherlands. He set out
> to demonstrate what is now known as the "weak equivalency
> principle". How did he do that?
he dropped objects of different masses and noted they landed simultaneously

> 9. After answering the last question, please decode the rot13.
> Qnivq Fpbgg bs gur Ncbyyb 15 zvffvba pbaqhpgrq gur fnzr
> rkcrevzrag ba gur zbba va 1971. Anzr *rvgure* bs gur gjb
> bowrpgf gung ur qebccrq.
>
> 10. Geostationary satellites travel at an orbit 35,786 km above the
> equator, at a speed that gives them the appearance of being
> fixed in position. This orbit, or belt, is named after a
> science-fiction writer who first recognized its importance in
> a 1945 article. Who?
Arthur C. Clarke


--
Replace "usenet" with "marc" in the e-mail address.

Dan Tilque

unread,
Dec 20, 2016, 2:14:43 AM12/20/16
to
the weak nuclear force

>
> 2. In 2012, scientists determined that the speed of gravity is
> the same as the speed of light. Therefore, if the Sun suddenly
> disappeared, how long -- rounded to the nearest whole minute --
> would it take for the Earth to start spinning out of orbit?

8 minutes

>
> 3. In a 2-body orbital system (such as the Earth and Moon), there
> are 5 predictable points where the gravitational forces interact
> in such a way that smaller objects such as asteroids and
> spacecraft can remain in a relatively stable position relative
> to the two bodies. What are these points called?

Lagrange points

>
> 4. The formula to calculate the acceleration due to gravity at the
> Earth's surface is Gm/r, where m is the mass of the Earth and
> r is the radius of the Earth. What is G called?

the gravitational constant

>
> 5. Within 5% of the true number (which means that any of the
> commonly quoted rounded values is acceptable), What is the
> escape velocity from Earth? That is, the speed required to
> escape the Earth's gravitational pull.

11 km/sec

>
> 6. What is the term given to an object of such mass and gravity
> that it can be observed to bend light?

gravitational lense

>
> 7. What is the name given to the 84% of the universe which, although
> not directly observable, is detected by gravitational effects?

dark matter

>
> 8. This experiment has been conducted several times through history.
> The earliest documented account was by Simon Stevin in 1586
> at the Delft church tower in the Netherlands. He set out
> to demonstrate what is now known as the "weak equivalency
> principle". How did he do that?

dropped two different masses at the same time and compared when they hit
the ground

>
> 9. After answering the last question, please decode the rot13.
> Qnivq Fpbgg bs gur Ncbyyb 15 zvffvba pbaqhpgrq gur fnzr
> rkcrevzrag ba gur zbba va 1971. Anzr *rvgure* bs gur gjb
> bowrpgf gung ur qebccrq.

hammer

>
> 10. Geostationary satellites travel at an orbit 35,786 km above the
> equator, at a speed that gives them the appearance of being
> fixed in position. This orbit, or belt, is named after a
> science-fiction writer who first recognized its importance in
> a 1945 article. Who?

Arthur C Clarke



--
Dan Tilque

Peter Smyth

unread,
Dec 20, 2016, 6:07:24 AM12/20/16
to
Strong
> 2. In 2012, scientists determined that the speed of gravity is
> the same as the speed of light. Therefore, if the Sun suddenly
> disappeared, how long -- rounded to the nearest whole minute --
> would it take for the Earth to start spinning out of orbit?
8
> 3. In a 2-body orbital system (such as the Earth and Moon), there
> are 5 predictable points where the gravitational forces interact
> in such a way that smaller objects such as asteroids and
> spacecraft can remain in a relatively stable position relative
> to the two bodies. What are these points called?
Lagrangian points
> 4. The formula to calculate the acceleration due to gravity at the
> Earth's surface is Gm/r, where m is the mass of the Earth and
> r is the radius of the Earth. What is G called?
Gravitational constant
> 5. Within 5% of the true number (which means that any of the
> commonly quoted rounded values is acceptable), What is the
> escape velocity from Earth? That is, the speed required to
> escape the Earth's gravitational pull.
10000 miles per hour
> 6. What is the term given to an object of such mass and gravity
> that it can be observed to bend light?
Black hole
> 7. What is the name given to the 84% of the universe which, although
> not directly observable, is detected by gravitational effects?
Dark matter
> 8. This experiment has been conducted several times through history.
> The earliest documented account was by Simon Stevin in 1586
> at the Delft church tower in the Netherlands. He set out
> to demonstrate what is now known as the "weak equivalency
> principle". How did he do that?
Dropping items of different masses and seeing they took the same time
to fall
> 9. After answering the last question, please decode the rot13.
> David Scott of the Apollo 15 mission conducted the same
> experiment on the moon in 1971. Name either of the two
> objects that he dropped.
Hammer
> 10. Geostationary satellites travel at an orbit 35,786 km above the
> equator, at a speed that gives them the appearance of being
> fixed in position. This orbit, or belt, is named after a
> science-fiction writer who first recognized its importance in
> a 1945 article. Who?
Asimov

Peter Smyth

Don Piven

unread,
Dec 20, 2016, 6:55:08 AM12/20/16
to
Strong force; weak force.

> 2. In 2012, scientists determined that the speed of gravity is
> the same as the speed of light. Therefore, if the Sun suddenly
> disappeared, how long -- rounded to the nearest whole minute --
> would it take for the Earth to start spinning out of orbit?

Eight.

> 3. In a 2-body orbital system (such as the Earth and Moon), there
> are 5 predictable points where the gravitational forces interact
> in such a way that smaller objects such as asteroids and
> spacecraft can remain in a relatively stable position relative
> to the two bodies. What are these points called?

Lagrange points.

> 4. The formula to calculate the acceleration due to gravity at the
> Earth's surface is Gm/r, where m is the mass of the Earth and
> r is the radius of the Earth. What is G called?

Gravitational constant.

> 5. Within 5% of the true number (which means that any of the
> commonly quoted rounded values is acceptable), What is the
> escape velocity from Earth? That is, the speed required to
> escape the Earth's gravitational pull.

25,000 mph.

> 6. What is the term given to an object of such mass and gravity
> that it can be observed to bend light?
>
> 7. What is the name given to the 84% of the universe which, although
> not directly observable, is detected by gravitational effects?

Dark matter.

> 8. This experiment has been conducted several times through history.
> The earliest documented account was by Simon Stevin in 1586
> at the Delft church tower in the Netherlands. He set out
> to demonstrate what is now known as the "weak equivalency
> principle". How did he do that?
>
> 9. After answering the last question, please decode the rot13.
> Qnivq Fpbgg bs gur Ncbyyb 15 zvffvba pbaqhpgrq gur fnzr
> rkcrevzrag ba gur zbba va 1971. Anzr *rvgure* bs gur gjb
> bowrpgf gung ur qebccrq.
>
> 10. Geostationary satellites travel at an orbit 35,786 km above the
> equator, at a speed that gives them the appearance of being
> fixed in position. This orbit, or belt, is named after a
> science-fiction writer who first recognized its importance in
> a 1945 article. Who?

Arthur C. Clarke.


Dan Blum

unread,
Dec 20, 2016, 10:05:00 AM12/20/16
to
Mark Brader <m...@vex.net> wrote:

> * Game 3, Round 2 - Canadiana Literature - Giller Prizewinners

> 10. "The Book of Secrets", 1994; "The In-Between World of Vikram
> Lall", 2003.

M.G. Vassanji; Robinton Mistry

> * Game 3, Round 3 - Science - Gravity

> 1. Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces (or
> interactions). Another one of the four is electromagnetism.
> Name one of the other two.

strong nuclear force

> 2. In 2012, scientists determined that the speed of gravity is
> the same as the speed of light. Therefore, if the Sun suddenly
> disappeared, how long -- rounded to the nearest whole minute --
> would it take for the Earth to start spinning out of orbit?

8 minutes

> 3. In a 2-body orbital system (such as the Earth and Moon), there
> are 5 predictable points where the gravitational forces interact
> in such a way that smaller objects such as asteroids and
> spacecraft can remain in a relatively stable position relative
> to the two bodies. What are these points called?

Lagrange points

> 4. The formula to calculate the acceleration due to gravity at the
> Earth's surface is Gm/r, where m is the mass of the Earth and
> r is the radius of the Earth. What is G called?

gravitational constant

> 5. Within 5% of the true number (which means that any of the
> commonly quoted rounded values is acceptable), What is the
> escape velocity from Earth? That is, the speed required to
> escape the Earth's gravitational pull.

7 miles/second

> 6. What is the term given to an object of such mass and gravity
> that it can be observed to bend light?

gravitational lens

> 7. What is the name given to the 84% of the universe which, although
> not directly observable, is detected by gravitational effects?

dark matter

> 9. After answering the last question, please decode the rot13.
> Qnivq Fpbgg bs gur Ncbyyb 15 zvffvba pbaqhpgrq gur fnzr
> rkcrevzrag ba gur zbba va 1971. Anzr *rvgure* bs gur gjb
> bowrpgf gung ur qebccrq.

feather

> 10. Geostationary satellites travel at an orbit 35,786 km above the
> equator, at a speed that gives them the appearance of being
> fixed in position. This orbit, or belt, is named after a
> science-fiction writer who first recognized its importance in
> a 1945 article. Who?

Arthur C. Clarke

--
_______________________________________________________________________
Dan Blum to...@panix.com
"I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."

Erland Sommarskog

unread,
Dec 20, 2016, 3:38:23 PM12/20/16
to
Mark Brader (m...@vex.net) writes:
> * Game 3, Round 2 - Canadiana Literature - Giller Prizewinners

Does not sound like my round.

> * Game 3, Round 3 - Science - Gravity
>
> 1. Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces (or
> interactions). Another one of the four is electromagnetism.
> Name one of the other two.

Strong string force

(So I remember that there are two names, one strong and one weak, but
not really what the name in the middle was. Since I was asked to name
one, knowing strong and weak does not really help me.)

> 2. In 2012, scientists determined that the speed of gravity is
> the same as the speed of light. Therefore, if the Sun suddenly
> disappeared, how long -- rounded to the nearest whole minute --
> would it take for the Earth to start spinning out of orbit?

Eight minutes.

> 4. The formula to calculate the acceleration due to gravity at the
> Earth's surface is Gm/r, where m is the mass of the Earth and
> r is the radius of the Earth. What is G called?

Gravitional constant

> 5. Within 5% of the true number (which means that any of the
> commonly quoted rounded values is acceptable), What is the
> escape velocity from Earth? That is, the speed required to
> escape the Earth's gravitational pull.

11000 km/s

> 6. What is the term given to an object of such mass and gravity
> that it can be observed to bend light?

Neutron star

> 7. What is the name given to the 84% of the universe which, although
> not directly observable, is detected by gravitational effects?

Dark matter

> 10. Geostationary satellites travel at an orbit 35,786 km above the
> equator, at a speed that gives them the appearance of being
> fixed in position. This orbit, or belt, is named after a
> science-fiction writer who first recognized its importance in
> a 1945 article. Who?

Kuiper



--
Erland Sommarskog, Stockholm, esq...@sommarskog.se

Pete

unread,
Dec 20, 2016, 6:05:59 PM12/20/16
to
m...@vex.net (Mark Brader) wrote in news:FK2dnQrKSvWiWMXFnZ2dnUU7-
R_N...@giganews.com:

> These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2016-10-03,
> and should be interpreted accordingly.
>
> On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
> both a right answer and a wrong answer, there is a small penalty.
> Please post all your answers to the newsgroup in a single followup,
> based only on your own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote
> the questions and place your answer below each one.) I will reveal
> the correct answers in about 3 days.
>
> All questions were written by members of the Misplaced Modifiers
> and are used here by permission, but have been reformatted and may
> have been retyped and/or edited by me. For further information
> see my 2016-11-26 companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian
> Inquisition (QFTCI*)".
>
>

>
>
> * Game 3, Round 3 - Science - Gravity
>
> 1. Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces (or
> interactions). Another one of the four is electromagnetism.
> Name one of the other two.
>
> 2. In 2012, scientists determined that the speed of gravity is
> the same as the speed of light. Therefore, if the Sun suddenly
> disappeared, how long -- rounded to the nearest whole minute --
> would it take for the Earth to start spinning out of orbit?

7 minutes

>
> 3. In a 2-body orbital system (such as the Earth and Moon), there
> are 5 predictable points where the gravitational forces interact
> in such a way that smaller objects such as asteroids and
> spacecraft can remain in a relatively stable position relative
> to the two bodies. What are these points called?

Points of stasis

>
> 4. The formula to calculate the acceleration due to gravity at the
> Earth's surface is Gm/r, where m is the mass of the Earth and
> r is the radius of the Earth. What is G called?
>
> 5. Within 5% of the true number (which means that any of the
> commonly quoted rounded values is acceptable), What is the
> escape velocity from Earth? That is, the speed required to
> escape the Earth's gravitational pull.

1500 mph; 1800 mph

>
> 6. What is the term given to an object of such mass and gravity
> that it can be observed to bend light?
>
> 7. What is the name given to the 84% of the universe which, although
> not directly observable, is detected by gravitational effects?

Dark matter

>
> 8. This experiment has been conducted several times through history.
> The earliest documented account was by Simon Stevin in 1586
> at the Delft church tower in the Netherlands. He set out
> to demonstrate what is now known as the "weak equivalency
> principle". How did he do that?
>
> 9. After answering the last question, please decode the rot13.
> Qnivq Fpbgg bs gur Ncbyyb 15 zvffvba pbaqhpgrq gur fnzr
> rkcrevzrag ba gur zbba va 1971. Anzr *rvgure* bs gur gjb
> bowrpgf gung ur qebccrq.

Hammer

>
> 10. Geostationary satellites travel at an orbit 35,786 km above the
> equator, at a speed that gives them the appearance of being
> fixed in position. This orbit, or belt, is named after a
> science-fiction writer who first recognized its importance in
> a 1945 article. Who?

Heinlein; Asimov

>

Pete Gayde

Joshua Kreitzer

unread,
Dec 20, 2016, 9:50:03 PM12/20/16
to
m...@vex.net (Mark Brader) wrote in news:FK2dnQrKSvWiWMXFnZ2dnUU7-
R_N...@giganews.com:

> * Game 3, Round 2 - Canadiana Literature - Giller Prizewinners
>
> The Scotiabank Giller Prize is a literary award given to a Canadian
> author of a novel or a short-story collection published in English
> the previous year. It has been awarded 22 times since 1994.
>
> Given the title of a winning book (or two books by the same author)
> and the date of the award, you name the author from the above list.
>
> 1. "The Sentimentalists", 2010.

Joseph Boyden; Vincent Lam

> 2. "Through Black Spruce", 2008.

Bonnie Burnard; Linden McIntyre

> 3. "The Polished Hoe", 2002.

Johanna Skibsrud; Austin Clarke

> 4. "The Love of a Good Woman", 1998; "Runaway", 2004.

Sean Michaels; M.G. Vassanji

> 5. "Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures", 2006.

Lynn Coady; Rohinton Mistry

> 6. "Clara Callan", 2001.

Richard B. Wright; André Alexis

> 7. "Fifteen Dogs", 2015.

Esi Edugyan; Will Ferguson

> 8. "Barney's Version", 1997.

Mordecai Richler

> 9. "The Bishop's Man", 2009.

David Bergen; Elizabeth Hay

> 10. "The Book of Secrets", 1994; "The In-Between World of Vikram
> Lall", 2003.

Alice Munro; David Adams Richards

> * Game 3, Round 3 - Science - Gravity
>
> 1. Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces (or
> interactions). Another one of the four is electromagnetism.
> Name one of the other two.

strong force

> 2. In 2012, scientists determined that the speed of gravity is
> the same as the speed of light. Therefore, if the Sun suddenly
> disappeared, how long -- rounded to the nearest whole minute --
> would it take for the Earth to start spinning out of orbit?

8 minutes

> 3. In a 2-body orbital system (such as the Earth and Moon), there
> are 5 predictable points where the gravitational forces interact
> in such a way that smaller objects such as asteroids and
> spacecraft can remain in a relatively stable position relative
> to the two bodies. What are these points called?

Lagrange points

> 6. What is the term given to an object of such mass and gravity
> that it can be observed to bend light?

black hole

> 7. What is the name given to the 84% of the universe which, although
> not directly observable, is detected by gravitational effects?

dark matter

--
Joshua Kreitzer
grom...@hotmail.com

Calvin

unread,
Dec 20, 2016, 10:20:23 PM12/20/16
to
On Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at 3:44:36 PM UTC+10, Mark Brader wrote:

> * Game 3, Round 2 - Canadiana Literature - Giller Prizewinners

Pass

> * Game 3, Round 3 - Science - Gravity
>
> 1. Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces (or
> interactions). Another one of the four is electromagnetism.
> Name one of the other two.

Strong nucleic force

> 2. In 2012, scientists determined that the speed of gravity is
> the same as the speed of light. Therefore, if the Sun suddenly
> disappeared, how long -- rounded to the nearest whole minute --
> would it take for the Earth to start spinning out of orbit?

8, 9

> 3. In a 2-body orbital system (such as the Earth and Moon), there
> are 5 predictable points where the gravitational forces interact
> in such a way that smaller objects such as asteroids and
> spacecraft can remain in a relatively stable position relative
> to the two bodies. What are these points called?

Equilibrium pints

> 4. The formula to calculate the acceleration due to gravity at the
> Earth's surface is Gm/r, where m is the mass of the Earth and
> r is the radius of the Earth. What is G called?

Gravitational force

> 5. Within 5% of the true number (which means that any of the
> commonly quoted rounded values is acceptable), What is the
> escape velocity from Earth? That is, the speed required to
> escape the Earth's gravitational pull.

500 km/hr, 620 km/hr

> 6. What is the term given to an object of such mass and gravity
> that it can be observed to bend light?

Black hole?

> 7. What is the name given to the 84% of the universe which, although
> not directly observable, is detected by gravitational effects?

Dark matter

> 8. This experiment has been conducted several times through history.
> The earliest documented account was by Simon Stevin in 1586
> at the Delft church tower in the Netherlands. He set out
> to demonstrate what is now known as the "weak equivalency
> principle". How did he do that?

Dropped an object from the top to see where they would land in relation to the base

> 9. After answering the last question, please decode the rot13.
> Qnivq Fpbgg bs gur Ncbyyb 15 zvffvba pbaqhpgrq gur fnzr
> rkcrevzrag ba gur zbba va 1971. Anzr *rvgure* bs gur gjb
> bowrpgf gung ur qebccrq.

Golf ball, handkerchief

> 10. Geostationary satellites travel at an orbit 35,786 km above the
> equator, at a speed that gives them the appearance of being
> fixed in position. This orbit, or belt, is named after a
> science-fiction writer who first recognized its importance in
> a 1945 article. Who?

Asimov, Heinlein

cheers,
calvin




Mark Brader

unread,
Dec 20, 2016, 11:59:30 PM12/20/16
to
Mark Brader:
> > This orbit, or belt, is named after a
> > science-fiction writer who first recognized its importance in
> > a 1945 article. Who?

Pete Gayde:
> Heinlein; Asimov

If only you had *three* guesses...
--
Mark Brader "It is always dangerous to send authors to jail.
Toronto This removes their chief excuse for not writing."
m...@vex.net -- Arthur C. Clarke

Gareth Owen

unread,
Dec 21, 2016, 2:02:04 PM12/21/16
to
m...@vex.net (Mark Brader) writes:

> * Game 3, Round 3 - Science - Gravity
>
> 1. Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces (or
> interactions). Another one of the four is electromagnetism.
> Name one of the other two.

Weak Nuclear

> 2. In 2012, scientists determined that the speed of gravity is
> the same as the speed of light. Therefore, if the Sun suddenly
> disappeared, how long -- rounded to the nearest whole minute --
> would it take for the Earth to start spinning out of orbit?

6 minutes

> 3. In a 2-body orbital system (such as the Earth and Moon), there
> are 5 predictable points where the gravitational forces interact
> in such a way that smaller objects such as asteroids and
> spacecraft can remain in a relatively stable position relative
> to the two bodies. What are these points called?

Lagrange Points

> 4. The formula to calculate the acceleration due to gravity at the
> Earth's surface is Gm/r, where m is the mass of the Earth and
> r is the radius of the Earth. What is G called?

Universal Gravitational Constant

> 5. Within 5% of the true number (which means that any of the
> commonly quoted rounded values is acceptable), What is the
> escape velocity from Earth? That is, the speed required to
> escape the Earth's gravitational pull.

1/2 mv^2 = \int_{R}^\inf K/r^2 dr
where K/R^2 = 9.81, and R = 6500km

v^2 = 2*K/R = 19.62*R = 19.62 * 6500000 say

So with some handy rounding, call that 20 * 6,400,000 or 2 * 64,000,000
v = \sqrt{2} * \sqrt{8000*8000} = 1.4*8000 = 11,200 m/s

Do I get any marks for the working?

> 6. What is the term given to an object of such mass and gravity
> that it can be observed to bend light?

Gravitational Lens

> 7. What is the name given to the 84% of the universe which, although
> not directly observable, is detected by gravitational effects?

Dark Matter

> 8. This experiment has been conducted several times through history.
> The earliest documented account was by Simon Stevin in 1586
> at the Delft church tower in the Netherlands. He set out
> to demonstrate what is now known as the "weak equivalency
> principle". How did he do that?

Dropped objects of different mass from a high place.

> 9. After answering the last question, please decode the rot13.
> Qnivq Fpbgg bs gur Ncbyyb 15 zvffvba pbaqhpgrq gur fnzr
> rkcrevzrag ba gur zbba va 1971. Anzr *rvgure* bs gur gjb
> bowrpgf gung ur qebccrq.

Feather

> 10. Geostationary satellites travel at an orbit 35,786 km above the
> equator, at a speed that gives them the appearance of being
> fixed in position. This orbit, or belt, is named after a
> science-fiction writer who first recognized its importance in
> a 1945 article. Who?

Arthur C. Clarke

Mark Brader

unread,
Dec 23, 2016, 12:32:25 AM12/23/16
to
Mark Brader:
> These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2016-10-03,
> and should be interpreted accordingly... For further information
> see my 2016-11-26 companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian
> Inquisition (QFTCI*)".


> * Game 3, Round 2 - Canadiana Literature - Giller Prizewinners

> The Scotiabank Giller Prize is a literary award given to a Canadian
> author of a novel or a short-story collection published in English
> the previous year. It has been awarded 22 times since 1994.
> Although some years have seen two winners share the prize, there
> have also been writers who won more than once, so there have been
> only 21 people who have won so far, namely:

> André Alexis | Esi Edugyan | Alice Munro
> Margaret Atwood | Will Ferguson | Michael Ondaatje
> David Bergen | Elizabeth Hay | David Adams Richards
> Joseph Boyden | Vincent Lam | Mordecai Richler
> Bonnie Burnard | Linden McIntyre | Johanna Skibsrud
> Austin Clarke | Sean Michaels | M.G. Vassanji
> Lynn Coady | Rohinton Mistry | Richard B. Wright

> Given the title of a winning book (or two books by the same author)
> and the date of the award, you name the author from the above list.

> 1. "The Sentimentalists", 2010.

Johanna Skibsrud.

> 2. "Through Black Spruce", 2008.

Joseph Boyden.

> 3. "The Polished Hoe", 2002.

Austin Clarke. 2 for Joshua.

> 4. "The Love of a Good Woman", 1998; "Runaway", 2004.

Alice Munro.

> 5. "Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures", 2006.

Vincent Lam.

> 6. "Clara Callan", 2001.

Richard B. Wright. 3 for Joshua.

> 7. "Fifteen Dogs", 2015.

André Alexis.

> 8. "Barney's Version", 1997.

Mordecai Richler. 4 for Joshua.

> 9. "The Bishop's Man", 2009.

Linden McIntyre.

> 10. "The Book of Secrets", 1994; "The In-Between World of Vikram
> Lall", 2003.

M.G. Vassanji. 3 for Dan Blum.


> * Game 3, Round 3 - Science - Gravity

> 1. Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces (or
> interactions). Another one of the four is electromagnetism.
> Name one of the other two.

Strong (nuclear) force, weak (nuclear) force. 4 for Marc, Dan Tilque,
Peter, Don (the hard way), Dan Blum, Joshua, Calvin, and Gareth.
3 for Erland.

> 2. In 2012, scientists determined that the speed of gravity is
> the same as the speed of light. Therefore, if the Sun suddenly
> disappeared, how long -- rounded to the nearest whole minute --
> would it take for the Earth to start spinning out of orbit?

8 minutes. 4 for Dan Tilque, Peter, Don, Dan Blum, Erland,
and Joshua. 3 for Calvin.

More precisely, if I compute correctly, it's 8 minutes and anywhere
from 10.6 to 27.4 seconds, depending on the Earth's position in
its orbit at the time.

> 3. In a 2-body orbital system (such as the Earth and Moon), there
> are 5 predictable points where the gravitational forces interact
> in such a way that smaller objects such as asteroids and
> spacecraft can remain in a relatively stable position relative
> to the two bodies. What are these points called?

Lagrange or libration points. Also accepting L-points. 4 for
Dan Tilque, Peter, Don, Dan Blum, Joshua, and Gareth.

Three points are collinear with the two bodies, one near each side
of the smaller body (L1 and L2) and one 180° around its orbit (L3).
The other two points (L4 and L5), the only ones that are really
stable, are 60° each way around its orbit. More precisely, this is
true if the orbit is circular.

> 4. The formula to calculate the acceleration due to gravity at the
> Earth's surface is Gm/r, where m is the mass of the Earth and
> r is the radius of the Earth. What is G called?

The (universal) gravitational constant. 4 for Marc, Dan Tilque,
Peter, Don, Dan Blum, Erland, and Gareth.

> 5. Within 5% of the true number (which means that any of the
> commonly quoted rounded values is acceptable), What is the
> escape velocity from Earth? That is, the speed required to
> escape the Earth's gravitational pull.

11.2 km/s (accepting 10.64-11.76), 40,300 km/h (accepting
38,285-42,315), 6.95 mi/s (accepting 6.60-7.30), or 25,000 mph
(accepting 23,750-26,250). 4 for Marc, Dan Tilque, Don, Dan Blum,
and Gareth.

It is technically a speed, as the question indicates: the direction
doesn't matter, unless it means something gets in the way.
Even though "velocity" in physics normally means a speed *and*
direction, in astronautical usage it generally doesn't; hence the
common term "escape velocity". You can find it called "escape speed"
in some older books.

Sorry, no points for getting it wrong by a factor of 1,000. I am
curious what the entrant who was low by about a factor of 80 had in
mind, though.

> 6. What is the term given to an object of such mass and gravity
> that it can be observed to bend light?

Gravitational lens. 4 for Marc, Dan Tilque, Dan Blum, and Gareth.

Some entrants named specific bodies that might have that property,
but the key word in the question was *observed*.

> 7. What is the name given to the 84% of the universe which, although
> not directly observable, is detected by gravitational effects?

Dark matter. 4 for Dan Tilque, Peter, Don, Dan Blum, Erland, Pete,
Joshua, Calvin, and Gareth.

> 8. This experiment has been conducted several times through history.
> The earliest documented account was by Simon Stevin in 1586
> at the Delft church tower in the Netherlands. He set out
> to demonstrate what is now known as the "weak equivalency
> principle". How did he do that?

He dropped two different objects from the tower to show they fall at
the same rate. (See also last season's Game 6, Round 2.) 4 for Marc,
Dan Tilque, Peter, and Gareth.

> 9. After answering the last question, please decode the rot13.
> David Scott of the Apollo 15 mission conducted the same
> experiment on the moon in 1971. Name *either* of the two
> objects that he dropped.

Feather, hammer. 4 for Dan Tilque, Peter, Dan Blum, Pete, and Gareth.

> 10. Geostationary satellites travel at an orbit 35,786 km above the
> equator, at a speed that gives them the appearance of being
> fixed in position. This orbit, or belt, is named after a
> science-fiction writer who first recognized its importance in
> a 1945 article. Who?

Sir Arthur C. Clarke. 4 for Marc, Dan Tilque, Don, Dan Blum,
and Gareth.

In a 4-page non-fiction article in "Wireless World". Here's a copy:
http://www.tnmoc.org/sites/default/files/Extra-Terrestrial%20Relays2.pdf


Scores, if there are no errors:

GAME 3 ROUNDS-> 2 3 TOTALS
TOPICS-> Can Sci
Dan Tilque 0 40 40
Dan Blum 3 36 39
Gareth Owen 0 36 36
Peter Smyth 0 28 28
Don Piven 0 28 28
Joshua Kreitzer 9 16 25
Marc Dashevsky 0 24 24
Erland Sommarskog 0 15 15
"Calvin" 0 11 11
Pete Gayde 0 8 8

--
Mark Brader, Toronto, m...@vex.net
MARTIANS BUILD TWO IMMENSE CANALS IN TWO YEARS.
Vast Engineering Works Accomplished in an Incredibly Short Time
by Our Planetary Neighbors. --N.Y.Times headline, August 27, 1911

Mark Brader

unread,
Dec 23, 2016, 12:33:50 AM12/23/16
to
Gareth Owen:
> 1/2 mv^2 = \int_{R}^\inf K/r^2 dr
> where K/R^2 = 9.81, and R = 6500km
>
> v^2 = 2*K/R = 19.62*R = 19.62 * 6500000 say
>
> So with some handy rounding, call that 20 * 6,400,000 or 2 * 64,000,000
> v = \sqrt{2} * \sqrt{8000*8000} = 1.4*8000 = 11,200 m/s
>
> Do I get any marks for the working?

This is trivia -- you're supposed to *know* the answers, so I should
take marks away for that! (Yes, I am joking.)
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "(And then there were the mtimes.
m...@vex.net | Oh, the mtimes...)" --Steve Summit

Erland Sommarskog

unread,
Dec 23, 2016, 3:14:36 AM12/23/16
to
Mark Brader (m...@vex.net) writes:
> Sorry, no points for getting it wrong by a factor of 1,000.

What! Don't you permit any leeway at all!!??!?!?!

The whole story is embarrasing. I put down 11 at first, possibly in the
wrong unit. But at some point I thought it just wasn't realistic, and
thought that my memory was failing me and added three zeroes.
0 new messages