BMQ

After a gap of one year, BMQ is back. We are pleased to announce that BMQ-09 is now open for nominations.

It will be held on 22 August 2009 (Saturday) in the Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Each college or school can nominate a maximum of two teams of two members each. The nomination letter, on the school’s letterhead and signed by the Principal or one of the teachers, must reach us (by fax or post) on or before 10 August 2009 (Monday). Here’s the address: T. A. Abinandanan, Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012.

The nomination letter may also be faxed to me at (080) 2360 0472.

Due to constraints on our side, we will be able to accommodate only a limited number of teams. So, do please rush your nominations.

We look forward to yet another successful BMQ.

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If you don’t know what BMQ is, here’s a quick answer: it stands for the Bangalore Materials Quiz. Students of Classes XI and XII (or PU Courses) in schools and PU Colleges in and around Bangalore are eligible to participate in it. As the name suggests, the focus of BMQ will be on Materials Science and Materials Engineering.

For a longer answer, please read the FAQ from 2006.

The top two teams in BMQ-09 will represent Bangalore in the Prof. Brahm Prakash Memorial Materials Quiz (BPMMQ), an international event organized by the Kalpakkam Chapter of the Indian Institute of Metals. This year’s BPMMQ is scheduled for 18-19 September 2009.

The friendly folks who will be organizing the BPMMQ at Kalpakkam on 30 September 2006 have sent us some sample questions that are meant to give you some idea about the kinds of things that you might expect in BPMMQ as well as in the Bangalore Materials Quiz. This information has already been sent to all the schools that were invited to nominate their students for BMQ. I am giving a few of these questions here:

1. A variety of haematite [ Fe₂O₃ ] occurs as rhombohedral crystals. It is black in colour and has an attractive metallic lustre. What is its common name?
   Specular iron.
2. Indian weoponry was famous in history. What was the alloy used for this called?
   Wootz steel.
3. Name the element named after the Greek Goddess of moon and is today very essential to the process of reprography.
   Selenium.
4. Name the metal produced at the Zawar mines in Rajasthan.
   Zinc.
5. What is the common name for the chemical, CaSO₄.2H₂O?
   Plaster of Paris.
6. Which ionic compound is known as “Lunar caustic”?
   AgNO₃ (Silver nitrate).
7. What is the name given to the alloy of elements: gold, silver, copper, tin and zinc? This alloy was used in the making of temple idols.
   Panchaloha.
8. What is the name given to describe the phenomenon in which there are dimensional changes associated with the magnetization of a material such as Fe, Ni, Co, etc.
   Magnetostriction.
9. An effect whereby a conductor carrying an electric current perpendicular to an applied magnetic field develops a voltage gradient transverse to both current and magnetic field is known as:
   Hall effect.
10. What is the name given to the phenomenon when a material exhibits spontaneous electric polarization that changes with heating?
    Pyroelectricity.

The subject areas covered by BMQ span all of materials. An indicative ‘syllabus’ has been provided by the Kalpakkam folks who will organize the Big Event on 30 September 2006: Prof. Brahm Prakash Memorial Materials Quiz. Here it is:

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History and evolution of materials; Origin of names of minerals and metals; Use of metals in the early ages; Metal Extraction; Ores, extraction processes; Location of industries and availability of metals; Applications of common alloys; Iron and steel making; Types of steels and cast irons and their applications.

Atomic structure and the periodic table; Bonding; Crystalline materials; Metals, semiconductors, insulators; Crystal defects; Physical properties; Electronic, Optical, thermal and magnetic properties; Characterization of materials: X-ray, electron microscopy, etc.

Mechanical properties: elasticity, plasticity and fracture; Tensile, creep, impact and hardness tests; Processing of metals: cold and hot working, casting, powder metallurgy, metal joining.

Corrosion: Electrodeposition, batteries, oxidation of metals, corrosion protection methods.

Non-destructive testing: Radiography, ultrasonic, electrical and magnetic methods, laser methods.

Advanced materials: Amorphous materials, ceramics, polymers, composites, biomaterials, materials in energy production and transport, nuclear materials, electronic materials. Novel and exotic materials. Materials in news.

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Well, there you have it!