SOF NSO case studies
SOF NSO · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The International Science Olympiad (SOF ISO) is an annual academic competition run by the Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) for students in classes 1 to 12, built to assess scientific reasoning and logical ability. It is aimed at school students enrolled in a school recognised by SOF, and each student sits the paper for their own class only. The SOF NSO case studies are 5 cases and about 4,121 words.
1Four Mystery Metals: Ranking Reactivity Without a Chart
A school laboratory issues four metal strips labelled A, B, C and D and forbids the use of any printed reactivity series. The students must rank the metals from their own observations.
818 words, about 4 min2The Kettle That Blew the 5 A Fuse
A small flat is wired on 220 V mains with a single 5 A fuse on one kitchen circuit; the cable used for that circuit is rated for a maximum of 10 A. The circuit already feeds three 60 W lamps and a 375 W mixer-grinder.
819 words, about 4 min3Forty Plants, Ten Fruits: Diagnosing a Bottle Gourd Crop
A farmer in Haryana grows bottle gourd on 0.4 hectare. By week six the vines are vigorous - dark green leaves, no wilting, no leaf spots, no stunting - and carry plenty of bright yellow flowers.
861 words, about 4 min4Five Slots, Four Rules: Scheduling the Science Exhibition
Five project teams - P, Q, R, S and T - must present in five consecutive 20-minute slots beginning at 9:00 a.m., that is, at 9:00, 9:20, 9:40, 10:00 and 10:20. The organising committee has fixed these rules, and no rule may be broken: 1.
844 words, about 4 min5Testing Liquids with a Bulb: Ions, Weak Acids and Electrolysis
A Class 10 science club builds a conductivity tester: a 6 V battery, a 6 V/0.3 A bulb, two carbon rods recovered from old dry cells, and 100 mL beakers. Each liquid is tested with the rods 2 cm apart, rinsed and dried between tests.
779 words, about 4 min