From the New Jersey Science League website:
The purpose of the Science League is to provide competitions between schools in selected science areas of study. All competitions are on two levels. One level is for the students. Students within any one testing area are ranked with each other based upon their scores on 3 of the 4 exams given. Any student completing 3 of the 4 exams receives a certificate from the Science League. The top ten percent (10%) of the students receiving a certificate also receive a student plaque. Last year the League awarded approximately 240 student plaques. The plaques are presented to the students in conjunction with your school’s awards program.
The next level of competition is with teams, which represent the schools. The students make up teams from each school. Each school only needs two members for each team, but as many as four may compete for each subject area. Schools may sign up for one to ten teams. Team scores which is sum of top 2 student scores are cumulative from January through April. Competition within each testing area is extremely keen. By the end of the season there can be as little as one question separating first place from second place. For each competition the results are posted on the web at www://entnet.com/~personal/njscil/html . The final team score for the season will be the sum of all four exams. Schools are ranked from #1 down to the last school. The top 10 schools (not 10%) are awarded plaques. Exceptions are those subject areas having less than 100 schools. Those subject areas will be awarded plaques for the top 10% of the schools in that subject area.
Topics of Study for each Subject:
CHEMISTRY 1 For Honor’s, Enriched or College Prep. Not for AP or Second year. 25 multiple choice questions.
January Test: scientific method, measurement, factor label conversions, properties, density, graphing, mixtures, compounds, formulas, mole, weight percent, chemical reactions, using the metal and non-metal activity series for writing chemical reactions, types of reactions, stoichiometry, atomic structure and history, but not electronic configuration.
February Test: Quantum Theory, Electronic structure, orbital notation, dot notation, periodic behavior, specific heat, heat of phase changes, molar heat of fusion, molar heat of vaporization, plus January topics.
March Test: Chemical bonding, molecular structure, simple isomers, intermolecular attractions, redox but not balancing redox equations, kinetic theory, solids, liquids, gases, gas laws, gas Stoichiometry, mole fraction as applied to gases, plus January and February topics.
April Test: solutions, solubility rules, reaction rates, chemical equilibrium, entropy, reaction spontaneity, Keq, acids, bases, salts, net ionic equations, thermo chemistry, DH, Hess’s law, plus January, February, and March topics.
JANUARY: matter and measurement, atomic theory (sub-atomic particles, atomic masses), spectroscopy (Beer’s Law) chemical formulas, chemical equations (precipitation reactions, ionic equations, solubility, acid-base reactions, gas forming reactions, oxidation reduction reactions, balancing redox reactions by oxidation state method, activity series, mole relationships, mass-mass problems¸ stoichiometry of redox solutions, solutions stoichiometry, electronic structure and periodic table/periodicity.
FEBRUARY: chemical bonding, photon-electron spectroscopy, doping and semiconductors, given molecular orbital diagram determine bond order, paramagnetism, and diamagnetism, electronegativity, Lewis structures, molecular geometry, polarity of molecules, hybridization(sp, sp2, sp3), liquids, solids, vapor pressure, intermolecular forces, thermo chemistry (enthalpy, Hess’s Law, heats of formation, bond energies, calorimetry), phase changes, gases, plus January topics.
MARCH: non-metals, metals(not unit cells), solutions, rates of reactions, reaction mechanisms, descriptive chemistry of the elements, plus Jan and Feb topics.
APRIL: chemical equilibrium, acids, bases, and salts, Ka, Kb, Ksp, buffers, redox, voltaic cells, DS, DH, DG, descriptive chemistry of the elements, plus Jan, Feb., and Mar topics.
JANUARY: scalars, vectors, kinematics, projectiles, mass, density, Newton’s laws, forces (mechanical, gravitational, frictional, centripetal), work, energy (potential, kinetic), and its conservation, power.
FEBRUARY: impulse, linear momentum and its conservation, elastic and inelastic collisions, angular measure and motion, the concept of angular momentum and its conservation, equilibrium of forces and torques, simple machines, plus Jan topics
MARCH: temperature and heat, thermal equilibrium, linear expansion and contraction, specific heat, calorimetry, modes of energy transfer, thermodynamic laws, and ideal gas laws, simple harmonic motion, wave propagation, standing waves, sound, plus Jan and Feb topics.
APRIL: electrical charges, fields and force, coulombs law, voltage sources and resistances, series/parallel networks, electricity and magnetism, light, index of refraction, color, optics, lenses, mirrors, interference phenomena, plus Jan, Feb, Mar topics.
FEBRUARY: Simple harmonic motion, Pendulae and spring-mass systems, impulse and linear momentum, work and energy, plus January topics.
MARCH: Rotational dynamics: torque, rotational kinematics and energy, rotational dynamics and conservation of angular momentum, electrostatics: electric charge and force, plus January and February topics.
APRIL: DC circuits (resistors only) and mechanical waves and sound, plus January, February, and March topics.
BIOLOGY I : No AP or second year students in this category. 60 multiple choice questions per exam.
JANUARY EXAM - Carbon Compounds and basic chemistry including the chemistry of water and pH,
Chemical Reactions, Enzymes, Cell structure and function, Levels of Cellular Organization, organelles,
Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic, Cellular and Intracellular transport, Homeostasis, Cellular Energy Flow,
Photosynthesis and Respiration, Cellular Division- mitosis, Cell Regulation.
FEBRUARY EXAM - Structure and function of nucleic acids; roles of DNA, protein synthesis, Meiosis, chromosomal analysis (pedigree, karyotyping, and DNA sequencing), Mendelian genetics, one and two factor crosses, mutations,
Genetic engineering, Gene regulation and expression, Mutation and causes, Exponential growth, DNA inheritance of traits, Variation of Traits, cause and effect, Bioinformatics.
MARCH EXAM - Evidence for evolution: Molecular evidence (nucleotide sequence analysis, amino acid sequence analysis), Comparative anatomy and comparative embryology, Fossil record; Hardy Weinberg;
Taxonomy: Cladograms and Phylogenetic Trees, Natural Selection, Genetic change in a population, Geologic Time scale, Patterns and causes of Evolution, Carrying capacity of a population, Evidence of diversity, Adaptation of organism to the environment.
APRIL EXAM - Interactions of autotrophs and heterotrophs; Flow of energy through an ecosystem;
Limiting factors in Biomes; Cycles of Matter; Symbiosis; Ecosystem models of energy flow; Social Interaction and group behavior of organism; Succession; Ecological experimentation and analysis; Factors affecting biodiversity in a population; Human Influence on ecosystems.
BIOLOGY II For all ap students and second year students. 60 Multiple choice Questions.
EXAM 1 January: Structure and function of Biological Molecules, Protein Folding, Bonding in Polymers, Enzymes, Coenzymes, Cofactors, Lipid and their Properties, Carbohydrates. Structure and function of Cells, Organelles and subcellular structures. Cell and tissue types, Germ layers and development. Free Energy and Gibbs Reactions, Enthalpy in Biological Systems, Biological Applications to the Laws of Thermodynamics, Endothermic/Exothermic Reactions, Coupled Reactions, Photosynthesis, Cellular Respiration, Endotherm/Exotherm in Body Temperature Regulation, Cell Types, Surface Area/Volume Ratios, Fluid Mosaic Model of the Membrane, Properties of Water, Osmoregulation, Membrane Transport, Cellular Feedback Mechanisms, Metabolic Processes and Metabolism, Communication; signaling, reception, transduction and response. Systems in plants and animals include Nervous, Endocrine, Immune and Excretory
EXAM 2 February DNA and replication, RNA and Protein Production, RNA Types, Cell Cycle and Controls, Mitosis, Meiosis, Application of Mendel’s Laws, Mendelian and NonMendieian Genetics, Genetic Disorders, Cancer, Genetic Engineering Techniques, Nonnuclear Inheritance, Transposons, Crossover, Gene Regulation, Apoptosis, Developmental Genes, Mutations, Biotechnology, Embryonic Development in Plants and Animals, Signaling Mechanisms, Transmission and Transduction Pathways, Polyploidy, Sex Inheritance, Mutation Effects, Viral Replication, Genetic Variation Processes, Mating Types, Behaviors and Parenting, Bacteria and Yeast Reproduction and use in Biotech, Systems in plants and animals include Reproduction and Development
EXAM 3 March Evolution, Natural Selection, Artificial Selection, Mechanisms for Evolution, Hardy Weinberg Principles, Genetic Drift, Gene flow, Evidences for Evolution, Blast Genomic Analysis, Cladogram , Evolutionary Trees, Evolution of the Domains, Adaptive Radiation, Island Biogeography Theory, Speciation, Prezygotic and Postzygotic Mechanisms, Energy in Reproductive Strategies Hypothesis on Origins of Life, Virus and Bacteria types and adaptations. Evolution of systems in plants and animals include Respiration, Excretion, Digestion, Circulation, Senses
EXAM 4 April Ecosystem Energy Pyramid Structure, Food Web Alterations, Organ and System Specialization, Interactions and Coordination in Plants and Animals, Organism Responses Adaptation to Environment, Ecosystem
Transformations, Components of a community, Transpiration, Population: Variation, Growth, Dynamics and Distribution, Exponential and Logistic Population Growth Models, Population Density, Limiting Factors, Species Richness, Species
Diversity, Competition, Bacteria, Fungi, Symbiotic Relationships, Food Webs, Productivity, Energy Dynamics, Keystone species, Exotic and Alien Species Biogeochemical Cycles, Energy of Reproductive Strategies, Behavioral and Physiological Response to Environmental Stress, Taxis and Kinesis, Tropisms, Biological Rhythms, Behavioral Biology.