Quick. What's the chemical formula of potassium periodate?

Stumped? So were four students from Jamestown High School. They couldn't remember the number of oxygen ions in periodate.

The chemical formula for potassium periodate is KIO4. For anyone who thought it was a no-brainer, try answering it in 15 seconds during a Jeopardy-style competition.

The Jamestown students were among 22 teams competing in a regional Science Bowl competition Saturday at Bismarck State College. During a double elimination round, the returning champions played Bismarck High School.

Questions ran the gamut of chemistry, physics, math, Earth science, biology and more to test the students' depth of scientific knowledge.

"What we do, is we get together and study old questions and tests," Bismarck High School Science Bowl Coach Valerie Smallbeck said.

They also bring in guest speakers on particular topics and use each others' special interests to learn more about various topics, she said.

Teams are invited to apply for the competition, but then it's the luck of the draw if they compete, she said.

Four players compete, with one alternate. The two teams sit at a table across from another table with three judges. A scorer stands near an easel at one end of the room tallying the score.

"Some of the teams have been pretty tough," Bismarck High senior James Allen said.

It's his second year on the team, while some of his teammates are participating for the first time.

"We were asked," Bismarck High senior Jacob Strombeck said.

It was likely because of the advanced math and science classes they took, Bismarck High senior Adam Horntvendt said.

One of their favorite events to prepare for the competition was playing against the teachers and winning, Allen and Strombeck said.

A team from Grand Forks Red River High School took first place in the regional Science Bowl competition, winning an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. for the National Science Bowl, April 27-May 1. The national competition is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The first-place team also received a plaque and $100 gift cards to Best Buy for each team member. A Red River team also won the state competition in 2004.

In second place was Jamestown High School, which received a plaque and $75 gift cards to Best Buy for each team member. In third place was Grand Forks High School, which received a plaque and $50 gift cards to Best Buy for each team member.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)