118 science trivia questions and answers
Science questions in eight rounds, from the human body to space, each marked easy, medium or hard. Pick one round for a quiz night or mix the levels for kids and adults; every answer links to its source.
Updated
The human body
How many bones are in an adult human skeleton?
easy
206
The adult skeleton usually has 206 named bones: 80 in the skull, spine and rib cage, and 126 in the limbs, shoulders and hips.
Source: National Cancer Institute (SEER) https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/skeletal/divisions/
What is the biggest organ of the human body?
easy
The skin
Skin covers the whole outside of the body, which makes it the biggest organ.
Source: NIAMS (National Institutes of Health) https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/kids/healthy-skin
How many chambers does the human heart have?
easy
Four
Two upper chambers collect blood and two lower chambers pump it out.
Source: NHLBI (National Institutes of Health) https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart/anatomy
Which blood vessels carry blood away from the heart?
easy
Arteries
Arteries carry blood out from the heart and veins bring it back.
Source: National Cancer Institute (SEER) https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/cardiovascular/blood/classification.html
What are the smallest blood vessels in the body called?
medium
Capillaries
Capillaries link arteries to veins, and oxygen and nutrients pass through their thin walls into the tissues.
Source: National Cancer Institute (SEER) https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/cardiovascular/blood/classification.html
About how much blood does an adult heart pump every minute?
medium
About 5 liters
A normal adult heart moves about 5 liters of blood a minute, for life.
Source: National Cancer Institute (SEER) https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/cardiovascular/heart/
Up to what share of an adult's body is water?
easy
Up to 60 percent
Water is the largest part of the body by weight.
Source: USGS https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body
Where in the body are most blood cells made?
medium
In the red marrow inside bones
Red marrow makes red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Source: National Cancer Institute (SEER) https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/skeletal/
What are the tiny air sacs in the lungs called?
medium
Alveoli
Oxygen passes from the alveoli into the blood, and carbon dioxide moves the other way.
Source: NHLBI (National Institutes of Health) https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/lungs/respiratory-system
Which organ absorbs most of the nutrients from the food you eat?
medium
The small intestine
Nutrients pass through the wall of the small intestine into the blood.
Source: NIDDK (National Institutes of Health) https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works
What is the name for the waves of muscle contraction that push food through the digestive tract?
hard
Peristalsis
Rhythmic squeezes of the gut wall move food along from the esophagus onward.
Source: National Cancer Institute (SEER) https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/digestive/
Which two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist, filter the blood to make urine?
easy
The kidneys
The kidneys remove wastes and extra water from the blood.
Source: NIDDK (National Institutes of Health) https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidneys-how-they-work
Which part of the brain is busy when you play the piano or hit a tennis ball?
medium
The cerebellum
The cerebellum coordinates movement, including movements you have learned.
Source: NINDS (National Institutes of Health) https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-know-your-brain
What is the snail-shaped, fluid-filled part of the inner ear called?
medium
The cochlea
Sound vibrations ripple the fluid in the cochlea, and tiny hair cells turn them into nerve signals.
Source: NIDCD (National Institutes of Health) https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/how-do-we-hear
Name the three tiny bones of the middle ear.
hard
The malleus, incus and stapes
These bones pass sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear and make them stronger.
Source: NIDCD (National Institutes of Health) https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/how-do-we-hear
What is the colored part of the eye called?
easy
The iris
The iris controls how much light gets in through the pupil.
Source: National Eye Institute https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/healthy-vision/how-eyes-work
What hard substance covers the outside of a tooth's crown?
easy
Enamel
The crown is the part of the tooth you can see, and its outer surface is enamel.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002214.htm
Nearly what share of the heat your body makes comes from muscle contraction?
hard
Nearly 85 percent
Working muscles give off heat, which helps keep body temperature steady.
Source: National Cancer Institute (SEER) https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/muscular/
Which blood type is the universal red cell donor, safe to give to patients of any blood type?
medium
O negative
Hospitals use O negative blood most in emergencies, when there is no time to test a patient's type.
Source: American Red Cross https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types.html
Biology and genetics
What is the basic building block of all living things?
easy
The cell
Every living thing is made of one or more cells.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/basics/cell/
What does DNA stand for?
easy
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA is the molecule that carries hereditary information in almost all living things.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/basics/dna/
What is the name for the twisted-ladder shape of a DNA molecule?
medium
A double helix
Two linked strands wind around each other like a twisted ladder.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Deoxyribonucleic-Acid
In DNA, which base always pairs with adenine?
hard
Thymine
Adenine pairs with thymine, and cytosine pairs with guanine.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Deoxyribonucleic-Acid
Which parts of a cell make most of the energy it needs to work?
medium
Mitochondria
Mitochondria store the energy they make in a small molecule called ATP.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Mitochondria
From which parent do people usually inherit their mitochondrial DNA?
hard
The mother
Mitochondria have their own small chromosomes, which normally come only from the mother.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Mitochondria
Which part of a cell builds proteins?
medium
The ribosome
Ribosomes read genetic instructions and link amino acids into proteins.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Ribosome
How many different amino acids are the standard building blocks of proteins?
medium
20
Chains of these 20 building blocks fold into every protein.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Amino-Acids
How many chromosomes are in most human cells?
medium
46 (23 pairs)
People have 22 numbered pairs plus one pair of sex chromosomes, one of each pair from each parent.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Chromosome
How many pairs of chromosomes does a dog have?
hard
39
Each species has a set number: a fruit fly has 4 pairs and a rice plant 12.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Chromosome
If the DNA in one human cell were unwound and laid end to end, about how long would it be?
hard
About 6 feet
DNA is wound tightly around spool-like proteins, which is how it fits inside a cell.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Chromosome
The DNA of any two people is about what percent identical?
medium
99.9 percent
The remaining 0.1 percent holds the variations that make each person different.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Deoxyribonucleic-Acid
What substance makes plants green?
easy
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll also captures the sunlight plants use to make food.
Source: NASA Earthdata https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/topics/biosphere/chlorophyll
In photosynthesis, which gas do plants take in from the air to make their food?
easy
Carbon dioxide
Plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into sugar (glucose) and oxygen.
Source: NASA Earthdata https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/topics/biosphere/chlorophyll
Can a virus make copies of itself without infecting a cell?
medium
No
A virus has to get inside a host cell and use its parts to copy itself.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Virus
Chemistry
Which element is the most abundant in the universe?
easy
Hydrogen
Hydrogen makes up more than 90 percent of all atoms and fuels the stars.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/1.shtml
Which element's name comes from the Greek word for the Sun?
medium
Helium
Helios is Greek for sun.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/2.shtml
Which is the only common metal that is liquid at room temperature?
easy
Mercury
Mercury stays liquid at ordinary temperatures, unlike other everyday metals.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/80.shtml
Which metal has the highest melting point?
hard
Tungsten
Tungsten melts at 3,422 degrees Celsius, higher than any other metal.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/74.shtml
The chemical symbol Ag comes from argentum, the Latin name of which metal?
medium
Silver
Argentum is Latin for silver.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/47.shtml
Which element has the chemical symbol Fe?
easy
Iron
Fe comes from ferrum, the Latin word for iron.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/26.shtml
Which element is the most reactive of all?
hard
Fluorine
Fluorine pulls electrons harder than any other element, so it reacts with almost everything.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/9.shtml
What is the most abundant metal in Earth's crust?
medium
Aluminum
Aluminum makes up about 8 percent of the crust but is never found pure in nature.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/13.shtml
The Latin name of which metal comes from the island of Cyprus?
hard
Copper
Its Latin name, cuprum, gives copper the symbol Cu.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/29.shtml
In 1669, which element was discovered by preparing it from urine?
hard
Phosphorus
Its name comes from the Greek for light bearing, because the white form glows.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/15.shtml
What is a chicken's eggshell mainly made of?
medium
Calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate is the same compound found in limestone and chalk.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/20.shtml
On the pH scale, which number means neutral?
easy
7
The scale runs from 0 to 14: below 7 is acidic and above 7 is basic.
Source: USGS https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/ph-and-water
Which element's name comes from Greek words meaning acid former?
hard
Oxygen
Oxys means acid and genes means forming, because early chemists thought oxygen was in every acid.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/8.shtml
Which gas from the air is used to protect the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution?
hard
Argon
Argon does not react with other substances, so it helps preserve old documents and museum objects.
Source: NOAA https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/atmosphere
Physics and energy
What happens to white light when it shines through a prism?
easy
It splits into all the colors of the rainbow
White light is a mix of all colors, and the prism bends each color by a different amount.
Source: NASA Space Place https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/blue-sky/en/
Why does the sky look blue on a clear day?
medium
Air scatters blue light more than other colors
Blue light travels in shorter waves, which the gases in the air scatter in all directions.
Source: NASA Space Place https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/blue-sky/en/
Which color of visible light has the longest wavelength?
medium
Red
Red light waves are about 700 nanometers long; violet waves are the shortest, at about 380.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/ems/09_visiblelight/
Exactly how many meters per second does light travel in a vacuum?
hard
299,792,458 meters per second
The speed of light is a fixed constant, and the meter is defined from it.
Source: NIST https://www.nist.gov/si-redefinition/meet-constants
What is the energy of motion called?
easy
Kinetic energy
Anything that moves, from a molecule to a car, has kinetic energy.
Source: US Energy Information Administration https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/what-is-energy/forms-of-energy.php
What is stored energy, or the energy of position, called?
easy
Potential energy
Water held behind a dam or a stretched spring holds potential energy until it is released.
Source: US Energy Information Administration https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/what-is-energy/forms-of-energy.php
Which of Newton's laws of motion says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction?
medium
The third law
When one object pushes on another, the second pushes back just as hard.
Source: NASA Glenn Research Center https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/newtons-laws-of-motion/
According to Newton's first law, what makes an object at rest start moving, or a moving object change course?
medium
An outside force
Without an external force, an object stays still or keeps moving in a straight line.
Source: NASA Glenn Research Center https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/newtons-laws-of-motion/
Which temperature scale starts at absolute zero?
medium
The Kelvin scale
Zero kelvin is absolute zero, the coldest possible temperature.
Source: NIST https://www.nist.gov/si-redefinition/kelvin-introduction
What is the SI unit of electric current?
medium
The ampere (amp)
The ampere is one of the seven base units of the International System of Units.
Source: NIST https://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/units.html
Earth science
What is Earth's outermost layer called?
easy
The crust
The crust is about 19 miles thick on average under land and about 3 miles under the ocean.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
Which of Earth's layers is the thickest?
medium
The mantle
The mantle, between the crust and the outer core, is about 1,800 miles thick.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
About what share of all Earth's water is in the ocean?
medium
About 97 percent
Most of the rest is frozen in glaciers and ice caps.
Source: NOAA https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanwater.html
What is the deepest known point in the ocean called?
easy
The Challenger Deep
It lies in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific, about 35,876 feet down.
Source: NOAA https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceandepth.html
Which of Earth's five named oceans is the newest to be named?
medium
The Southern Ocean
It surrounds Antarctica, and most countries, including the United States, now count it as the fifth ocean.
Source: NOAA https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/howmanyoceans.html
Which Hawaiian volcano is taller than Mount Everest when measured from base to summit?
hard
Mauna Kea
Most of Mauna Kea is hidden below the sea, so its peak is lower than Everest's above sea level.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
What is molten rock called once it erupts from a volcano?
easy
Lava
Underground it is called magma; after it erupts it is called lava.
Source: USGS https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/about-volcanoes
Which type of rock forms when magma cools and hardens?
easy
Igneous rock
Granite and basalt are both igneous rocks.
Source: USGS https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/about-volcanoes
Which type of rock forms when layers of sediment are buried, pressed and cemented together?
easy
Sedimentary rock
Sandstone, shale and limestone are common sedimentary rocks.
Source: USGS https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-are-sedimentary-rocks
Is marble an igneous, a sedimentary or a metamorphic rock?
medium
Metamorphic
Marble forms when limestone is changed by heat and pressure.
Source: USGS https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-are-metamorphic-rocks
What is the nickname for the belt of volcanoes and earthquakes around the Pacific Ocean?
easy
The Ring of Fire
Many of the world's active volcanoes sit around the edge of the Pacific.
Source: USGS https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/about-volcanoes
What was the name of the supercontinent that began breaking apart about 200 million years ago?
medium
Pangaea
Its pieces slowly drifted apart to form today's continents.
Source: USGS https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/historical.html
Which German scientist proposed in 1912 that the continents move, an idea called continental drift?
hard
Alfred Wegener
Few scientists accepted it at the time; plate tectonics later showed that the continents do move.
Source: USGS https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/historical.html
Where did the most powerful earthquake ever recorded strike, in 1960?
hard
Chile (the magnitude 9.5 Valdivia earthquake)
It tops the US Geological Survey's list of the largest earthquakes in the world.
Source: USGS https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/science/20-largest-earthquakes-world
In an earthquake, which waves arrive first: P waves or S waves?
hard
P waves
P waves travel faster, so they shake the ground first; the gap before the S waves shows how far away the quake is.
Source: USGS https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/science-earthquakes
Which pulls harder on Earth's ocean tides: the Sun or the Moon?
medium
The Moon
The Sun is far more massive but much farther away, so its tidal pull is about half the Moon's.
Source: NOAA https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_tides/tides02_cause.html
Which famous geyser helped inspire the creation of Yellowstone, the world's first national park, in 1872?
medium
Old Faithful
Yellowstone's thermal features, above all Old Faithful, led to its protection as a park.
Source: National Park Service https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/exploreoldfaithful.htm
Weather and atmosphere
Which gas makes up about 78 percent of Earth's atmosphere?
easy
Nitrogen
Air is about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and 1 percent other gases.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
In which layer of the atmosphere does almost all weather happen?
medium
The troposphere
The troposphere is the lowest layer, starting at the ground.
Source: NOAA https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/atmosphere/layers-of-atmosphere
In which layer of the atmosphere do most meteors burn up?
hard
The mesosphere
The air there, about 31 to 53 miles up, is thick enough to slow meteors until they burn.
Source: NOAA https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/atmosphere/layers-of-atmosphere
About how hot can lightning make the air it passes through?
medium
About 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit
That is about five times hotter than the surface of the Sun.
Source: National Weather Service https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-overview
You see a flash of lightning and count 10 seconds before you hear the thunder. About how far away was the strike?
medium
About 2 miles
Divide the seconds by 5 to get the distance in miles: 10 divided by 5 is 2.
Source: National Weather Service https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-overview
About how many times a year is the Empire State Building struck by lightning?
medium
About 23 times
Lightning often hits the same tall, pointed object again and again.
Source: National Weather Service https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-myths
What is hail made of?
easy
Solid ice
Hailstones form when thunderstorm updrafts carry raindrops up into freezing air.
Source: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/hail/
Which US state has the most thunderstorms?
medium
Florida
Florida gets the most thunderstorms, although Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming usually get the most hail.
Source: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/hail/
What is a funnel cloud called once it touches the ground?
easy
A tornado
A funnel that reaches the ground is a tornado; one that does not is a funnel cloud.
Source: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/tornadoes/
Which scale rates hurricanes from Category 1 to Category 5 by wind speed?
medium
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
Category 3 and higher are called major hurricanes.
Source: National Hurricane Center https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php
Which scale do US forecasters use to rate tornadoes by the damage they cause?
medium
The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale
Experts study the damage to estimate the wind speeds, then give an EF rating.
Source: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/tornadoes/
About how many tornadoes hit the United States each year?
hard
About 1,200
Tornadoes have been reported in all 50 states.
Source: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/tornadoes/
High, wispy cirrus clouds take their name from a Latin word meaning what?
medium
Curl of hair
Cirrus clouds are made of ice crystals and look like white, hair-like wisps.
Source: NOAA https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/clouds/four-core-types-of-clouds
Who sorted clouds into cirrus, cumulus and stratus in 1803?
hard
Luke Howard
His essay also named a fourth, rain-bearing type: nimbus.
Source: NOAA https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/clouds/four-core-types-of-clouds
Where was the world's highest air temperature, 134°F, recorded in 1913?
medium
Furnace Creek, in Death Valley, California
The record was set on July 10, 1913.
Source: National Park Service https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/nature/weather-and-climate.htm
Space
Which is the smallest planet in our solar system?
easy
Mercury
Mercury is also the planet nearest the Sun.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/mercury/facts/
How many days does Earth take to travel once around the Sun?
easy
About 365.25 days
The extra quarter day is why a leap day is added every four years.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
How strong is gravity on the Moon compared with gravity on Earth?
easy
About one-sixth as strong
That is why astronauts seem to bounce when they walk on the Moon.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/moon/facts/
Why does Mars look red?
medium
Iron in its rocks and dust has rusted
Rusted iron minerals give the Martian surface its red color.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/mars/facts/
What are the names of the two moons of Mars?
medium
Phobos and Deimos
Both are small, and they may be captured asteroids.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/mars/facts/
What is the largest volcano in the solar system?
medium
Olympus Mons, on Mars
It rises more than 25 miles from base to summit, and its base covers an area about the size of Arizona.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/mars/facts/
Which planet has the shortest day?
medium
Jupiter
Jupiter spins once in about 10 hours, faster than any other planet.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/jupiter/facts/
Which planet is so light for its size that it would float in a big enough bathtub?
medium
On which planet would the Sun rise in the west and set in the east?
hard
The moons of which planet are named after characters from the works of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope?
hard
Uranus
Most other moons take their names from Greek or Roman mythology.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/uranus/facts/
Which is the only planet whose English name does not come from Greek or Roman mythology?
medium
Earth
The name comes from Old English and Germanic words meaning the ground.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
Is a light-year a measure of time or of distance?
medium
Distance
It is how far light travels in one year, about 6 trillion miles.
Source: NASA Space Place https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/
What is the nearest large galaxy to our Milky Way?
medium
The Andromeda galaxy
It is about 2.5 million light-years away, so we see it as it was 2.5 million years ago.
Source: NASA Space Place https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/
What are the large dark patches on the Moon called?
hard
Maria (Latin for seas)
They are old impact basins that filled with lava billions of years ago.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/moon/facts/
What color does the sky around the setting Sun turn on Mars?
hard
Blue-gray
Fine Martian dust scatters light differently from Earth's air, so Mars has an orange-red daytime sky and bluish sunsets.
Source: NASA Space Place https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/blue-sky/en/
What is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter?
hard
Ceres, a dwarf planet
Ceres is the only dwarf planet in the inner solar system.
Source: NASA https://science.nasa.gov/dwarf-planets/ceres/facts/
Scientists and discoveries
Who was the first person ever awarded two Nobel Prizes?
medium
Marie Curie
She won the physics prize in 1903 and the chemistry prize in 1911.
Source: Nobel Prize https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1911/marie-curie/facts/
Which two elements did Marie and Pierre Curie discover?
medium
Polonium and radium
Marie Curie's 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry cited the discovery of both elements.
Source: Nobel Prize https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1911/marie-curie/facts/
Albert Einstein's Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded especially for his discovery of which law?
hard
The law of the photoelectric effect
He explained that light comes in packets of energy, which is why light can free electrons from metal.
Source: Nobel Prize https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1921/einstein/facts/
In 1897, J.J. Thomson showed that cathode rays are made of which particles, which he concluded are part of atoms?
medium
Electrons
His experiments with charged particles in gases revealed the electron.
Source: Nobel Prize https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1906/thomson/facts/
Francis Crick, James Watson and Maurice Wilkins shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for discovering the structure of which molecule?
medium
DNA
The prize honored their work on the structure of nucleic acids, the family of molecules DNA belongs to.
Source: Nobel Prize https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1962/summary/
Frederick Banting and John Macleod won the 1923 Nobel Prize for discovering which hormone?
medium
Insulin
The discovery of insulin made diabetes treatable.
Source: Nobel Prize https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1923/summary/
On which ship did Charles Darwin set off on a five-year voyage in 1831?
easy
HMS Beagle
What he saw on the voyage shaped his theory of evolution by natural selection.
Source: Natural History Museum, London https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/charles-darwin-most-famous-biologist.html
Finches from which islands helped Charles Darwin form his idea of natural selection?
medium
The Galápagos Islands
The islands, off the coast of Ecuador, had several different finch species.
Source: Natural History Museum, London https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/charles-darwin-most-famous-biologist.html
Which naturalist published the theory of evolution by natural selection jointly with Charles Darwin?
hard
Alfred Russel Wallace
Their joint theory was presented at the Linnean Society in London.
Source: Natural History Museum, London https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/charles-darwin-most-famous-biologist.html
Gregor Mendel worked out the basic rules of inheritance from experiments on which plants?
medium
Pea plants
His work introduced the idea of dominant and recessive traits.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Mendelian-Inheritance
Who recognized hydrogen as a distinct substance in 1776?
hard
Henry Cavendish
He identified the gas we now call hydrogen as a substance of its own.
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory https://periodic.lanl.gov/1.shtml
Which scientist explained in 1687 that ocean tides come from the pull of the Sun and Moon?
hard
Isaac Newton
He used his law of universal gravitation to explain the tides.
Source: NOAA https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_tides/tides02_cause.html
Plan the round and team scores
8 turns × 60 seconds = 8 minutes of play, plus instructions and breaks.
60
These are adjustable house rules. Pause whenever the group needs more time.
Team 1: 0
Team 2: 0
Use this set with a group
Read a prompt, allow thinking time, then invite an answer or a pass. For a timed round, choose a turn length before starting. A host can keep the printed answers out of view until the round ends.