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Science Trivia 2019
Science Trivia 2019
What is the end cause of human death? Cerebral hypoxia – lack of oxygen to the brain is
the final cause of death regardless of what initiates it.
What is the only rock that floats? Pumice – it has an average porosity of 90%, and initially
floats on water.
What is the only bone in the human body that isn’t attached to any other bone? Hyoid bone
– located in the throat.
Which planet will you find between Jupiter and Uranus? Saturn
What is the study of fungi called? Mycology
Pascal is the measure of what? Pressure
What is the best-selling personal computer model of all time? Commodore 64 – 17 million
units with a 1MHz processor and 64KB RAM.
What is the longest muscle in the human body? Sartorius – from the pelvis to just below
the inside of the knee.
How many orbits has the Sun made around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy in its life?
About 20
Who first proposed the concept of contact lenses? Leonardo da Vinci
What planet in our solar system has the shortest day? Jupiter – 10 hours
What is the equivalent megapixels of the human eye? 576 megapixels
Approximately 2% of all people have what eye color? Green. Brown is 55%; hazel and
blue are 8% each.
How many constellations are in the night sky? 88
What are the four states of matter observable in everyday life? Solid, liquid, gas and
plasma
What is the largest two-digit prime number? 97
Marble is formed by the metamorphosis of what rock? Limestone
What is the densest naturally occurring element? Osmium – about 25 times denser than
water
In its natural form, aspirin comes from the bark of what tree? White willow tree
What metal has the highest melting point? Tungsten – 6, 192 degrees Fahrenheit
What is the smallest organ in the human body? Pineal gland – in the center of the brain
What is the largest 3-digit prime number? 997
The European organization for nuclear research is known by what four letters? CERN –
from the French “Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire”
What planet in our solar system has the longest day? Venus – 243 Earth days
What are metals not considered precious called? Base metals
What is the only planet in our solar system less dense than water? Saturn
An astronomical unit defined by what distance? Earth to Sun – 93 million miles
Located near the root of human hair follicles, the arrector pili muscles are responsible for
what phenomenon? Goosebumps
What figure has four sides all the same length but no right angles? Rhombus
What was the name of the first electronic general-purpose computer? ENIAC – 1946
What blood type qualifies as a universal donor? Type O negative
What year was the first email sent? 1971
What is the only tree that grows in saltwater? Mangrove
Most of the world’s supply comes from what type of tree? Oak – cork oak trees
predominatly in Portugal and Spain
Due to its unique chemical qualities, what natural food can remain in an edible form for
centuries? Honey – 3000-year-old edible honey has been found in tombs.
What is the smallest named time interval? Planck time – 5.39 x 10-43 seconds
What is the effect of the Earth’s rotation on the wind called? Coriolis effect
What is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust? Aluminum
What name is given to a chemical reaction that takes in heat? Endothermic
Who formulated the laws which first explained the movements of the planets properly?
Johannes Kepler
What color is at the top of a rainbow? Red
What gives onions their distinctive smell? Sulfur – when cut or crushed, a chemical
reaction changes an amino acid to a sulfur compound.
What is the brightest star in the night sky? Sirius – dog star
What standard international unit of power is equal to 1.341 horsepower? Kilowatt
What is the number 10 to the power of 100 called? Googol
What element is named after the Greek word for green? Chlorine
What name is given to the socket in the human skull that holds the eye? Orbit
How many vertebrae in the human spine? 33
The atomic mass in the periodic table is stated relative to the weight of what element?
Carbon – more specifically Carbon-12
What is the standard international unit of force? Newton – one newton equals the force
needed to accelerate one kilogram of mass at the rate of one meter per second squared.
From what plant is the heart drug digitalis obtained? Foxglove
The phenomenon where hot water may freeze faster than cold is known as what? Mpemba
effect
What is the most abundant element in the universe? Hydrogen – about 75% of the
universe’s mass
What is the opposite of nocturnal? Diurnal
Stonehenge is made of what two main types of rock? Bluestone and sandstone
The Saffir-Simpson scale measures the intensity of what? Hurricanes
How long is an eon? 1 billion years
What is the name for the point in a planet’s orbit when it is nearest the sun? Perihelion
What is the name of the process where plants lose water into the atmosphere?
Transpiration
What part of the human body is the axilla? Armpit
In the electromagnetic spectrum, what comes between X-rays and visible light? Ultraviolet
light
What is the practice of concealing a file, message, or video within another file, message,
image or video called? Steganography
After calcium, what is the second most abundant mineral in the human body? Phosphorus
What are the Magellanic Cluds? Galaxies
Lateral epicondylitis is the medical name for what common medical condition? Tennis
elbow
Who is the author of “Coming of Age in Samoa”? The mostly widely read book in the field
of anthropology? Margaret Mead
From what plant is the poison rich obtained? Castor oil plant
What is an apparatus that converts molecules into ions and separates the ions according to
their mass-to-charge ratio called? Mass spectrometer
What is rayon made for? Wood pulp
On the periodic table, what is the first element alphabetically? Actinium
What does AM stand for on radios? Amplitude modulation
How much longer is a day on Mars than a day on Earth? 40 minutes
Where on the human body are the most sweat glands? Bottom of the feet
The chemical formula H2O2 refers to what? Hydrogen peroxide
What is the point in the Moon’s orbit that is farthest from the Earth called? Apogee
After nitrogen and oxygen, what is the third most abundant gas in the atmosphere? Argon
What species is the oldest living individual tree? Bristlecone pine – 5,000 years
What metal is the best conductor of electricity? Silver – it is slightly more conductive than
copper but much more expensive.
Who discovered X-rays? Wilhelm Roentgen
What is the only part of the human body that cannot repair itself? Teeth
Thomas Edison was involved in a rivalry over which form of electricity would be
commercialized; Edison supported direct current; who was his rival that supported
alternating current? Nikola Tesla
The Big Dipper is part of what constellation? Ursa Major of Great Bear
Who invented carbonated soda water? Joseph Priestley – also discovered oxygen
What is the male part of a flower called? Stamen
what are the four types of adult human teeth? Incisors, canines, premolars, molars
Where does Earth rank in size among the planets in our solar system? Fifth
Syncope is the medical name for what condition? Fainting
What element has the lowest boiling point? Helium – (-452.1ᵒF)
What is the heaviest naturally occurring element? Uranium
Who invented the exploding shell? Henry Shrapnel
During hot or dry periods, what is the equivalent of hibernation? Estivation
The process where food browns during cooking is known as what? Maillard reaction
What number on the Richter scale does an earthquake have to be considered major? Seven
What scale is used to measure the hardness of minerals? Mohs scale
On what planet, other than Earth, did a man-made object first land? Mars
What color has the longest wavelength in the visible spectrum? Red
Where in the human body is labyrinth? Ear
What is the largest nerve in the human body? Sciatic
What does the human lacrimal gland produce? Tears
The Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales are the same at what temperature? 40
degrees below zero
What device converts alternating current into direct current? Rectifier
The small intestine is made up of jejunum, ileum, and what? Duodenum
What scale is used to measure wind speed? Beaufort
What planet is often called the Earth’s twin because it is nearly the same size and mass and
has similar composition? Venus
A positive number that equals the sum of its divisors excluding itself is called what?
Perfect number
What is saffron made from? Crocus flower – only the stigma part of the flower is used;
it takes 70, 000 to 250, 000 flowers to make one pound of saffron.
What is the second largest planet in our solar system? Saturn
The heat of chili peppers is measured in what? Scoville Heat Units
The density of what is measured on the Ringelmann Scale? Smoke
What two planets in our solar system don’t have moons? Mercury and Venus
What is the lightest known solid element? Lithium
The Fields Medal is awarded for achievement in what field? Mathematics
What is extracted from the ore cinnabar? Mercury
Who is the Bluetooth wireless technology named after? King Harald “Bluetooth”
Gormsson – he ruled Denmark in the 10th century.
What medical condition is detected using the Ishihara test? Color blindness
What condition is singultus? Hiccups
In computing, what is the half of a byte called? Nibble
What sense is most closely linked to memory? Smell
What are the only two elements that are liquid at room temperature? Mercury and
Bromine
Hansen’s disease is more commonly known as what? Leprosy
What is the second hardest gem after diamond? Sapphire
Au si the chemical symbol for what metal? Gold
Which planet of the Solar System orbits closest to the sun? Mercury
The ulna and humerus are bones in which part of the body? The arm
What is the branch of medicine that deals with the manufacture of artificial body parts?
Prosthetics
The patella is the scientific name for which bone of the human body? Kneecap
What is measured using the decibel scale? The loudness of sound
The thalamus, cerebrum, and cerebellum are found in which organ of the body? The brain
True or false – alkalis have pH below 7? False
By what is ethanol more commonly known? Alcohol
Botany is the scientific study of what? Plants
NaCl is the chemical formula of which common substance? Salt
What is the fourth planet from the sun? Mars
Solar energy is made from heat or light from what? The sun
Which travels faster, light or sound? Light
At what temperature in Celsius does water boil? 100ᵒC