National Science Week Quiz
1. What is an atomic number?
(a) the number of neutrons in the nucleus
(b) the number of electrons around the nucleus
(c) the number of protons in the nucleus
2. Atoms are most stable and do not combine with other elements:
(a) when the outer orbit level is half full
(b) when the outer orbit level is full
(c) when the outer orbit level needs just one electron
3. The bond between a metal and a non-metal is a:
(a) metallic bond
(b) ionic bond
(c) covalent bond
4. Which family of elements are most often found as pure elements, not in compounds?
(a) noble gases
(b) halogens
(c) metals
5. What type of reaction is the following: element + element  compound?
(a) decomposition type of chemical reaction
(b) synthesis type of chemical reaction
(c) single-replacement type of chemical reaction
6. What affects the rate of a reaction?
(a) concentration
(b) temperature
(c) both of the above
7. What gets balanced in a chemical equation ?
(a) number of molecules
(b) number of atoms
(c) number of electrons
8. A catalyst lowers the __________ energy required for the reaction:
(a) activation
(b) reaction
(c) bonding
9. What is activation energy?
(a) the amount of energy catalysts have
(b) the amount of energy required to make a reaction occur
(c) the amount of energy required to stop a reaction from occuring
10. What are enzymes?
(a) catalysts found in living organisms
(b) inhibitors found in living organisms
(c) neither of the above is correct
11. The Law of Conservation of Energy states that:
(a) energy cannot be created, but can be destroyed
(b) energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can change its form
(c) energy cannot be destroyed, and cannot change its form
12. How is degrees Kelvin related to degrees celsius?
(a) K = C - 273
(b) K = C + 273
(c) neither of the above
13. What is STP (Standard Temperature and Pressure) ?
(a) 273.15oC and 1 atm pressure
(b) 0oC and 760 atm pressure
(c) 0oC and 1 atm pressure
14. What did Rutherford’s gold foil experiment achieve?
(a) proved that electrons existed
(b) proved that atoms contain neutrons
(c) suggested that most of an atom's mass is in its nucleus
15. What is atomic radius?
(a) the distance between the atoms in one element
(b) one half the distance between nuclei of atoms of the same element
(c) the distance between nuclei of atoms of the same element
16. Unlike most other fish, sharks have no:
(a) bones
(b) teeth
(c) gills
(d) liver
17. Kinetic energy is:
(a) life energy, possessed only by living organisms
(b) only important at subatomic distances
(c) the energy of movement
18. The exploration of caves is called:
(a) spelunking
(b) karsting
(c) undermining
19. In the human body, blood is transported in veins and arteries. The difference between the
two is that:
(a) veins are much wider than arteries
(b) veins carry only red blood cells, while arteries carry only white blood cells
(b) arteries carry blood away from the heart, while veins carry it to the heart
20. Helium, neon, argon, xenon, radon and krypton form a group of elements known as:
(a) series H
(b) the noble gases
(c) the alkali earths
21. When palaeontologists mention the "Cambrian Explosion", they are referring to:
(a) a meteorite impact
(b) a huge volcanic eruption
(c) a sudden burst of evolutionary activity
22. The half-life of a radioactive substance is:
(a) about 35 to 40 years
(b) the number of genetic mutations it can cause within half an hour
(c) the full length of time required for half of it to decay
23. The element with atomic number 6 is:
(a) carbon
(b) oxygen
(c) neon
24. If the distance between two masses is increased by a factor of 4, the gravitational force of
attraction between them will:
(a) reduce by a factor of 16
(b) reduce by a factor of 4
(c) remain the same
25. The Earth's Moon is:
(a) much closer to the Sun than it is to the Earth
(b) much closer to the Earth than it is to the Sun
(c) about the same distance from the Sun as it is from the Earth
26. Which of the following best explains why the pressure inside a high-flying airplane must be
controlled?
(a) at high altitudes there is greater atmospheric pressure than on the surface of the Earth
(b) at high altitudes there is lower atmospheric pressure than on the surface of the Earth
(c) if the cabin is not pressurised, ozone and other upper atmospheric gases will enter
the airplane
27. To keep a heavy box from sliding across a carpeted floor at constant speed, a person must
continually exert a force on the box. This force is used primarily to overcome which of the
following forces?
(a) air resistance
(b) the weight of the box
(c) the frictional force exerted by the floor on the box
28. What is a Coelocanth?
(a) a fish
(b) an extinct reptile
(c) a cactus
29. Approximately what percentage of an average adult person's body is water?
(a) 15%
(b) 30%
(c) 55%
30. Which of the following does NOT travel in a vacuum?
(a) radio waves
(b) sound waves
(c) gamma waves
31. Which colour light has the highest frequency?
(a) green
(b) violet
(c) red
32. On which of the following does the moon have a major effect ?
(a) sea storms
(b) tides
(c) fish migrations
33. What does the "c" in E=mc² mean?
(a) cohesion
(b) acceleration
(d) speed of light
34. How many pairs of chromosomes does a normal human have?
(a) 31
(b) 23
(b) 27
35. In Celcius, how many degrees is absolute zero?
- (a) -254.23
- (b) -273.15
- (c) -234.57
36. Which of the following is considered a high cloud?
(a) cumulus
(b) stratus
(c) cirrus
37. Which of these is the acid in vinegar?
(a) citric acid
(b) acetic acid
(c) ascorbic acid
38. How much of the day is light in Antarctica in the middle of summer?
(a) 6 hours
(b) 12 hours
(c) 24 hours
39. _______ is the passing of traits from parents to offspring.
(a) genotype
(b) heredity
(c) genetic engineering
40. Genetics is the study of how traits are _________.
(a) counted
(b) named
(c) inherited
41. The genetic makeup of an organism is its _________.
(a) phenotype
(b) genotype
(c) dominant factor
42. What is the same among isotopes?
(a) atomic number
(b) atomic weight
(c) atomic charge
43. Why is the moon visible to us?
(a) it reflects light from the sun
(b) it reflects light from the earth
(a) it very close to the earth
44. What does the chemical symbol Sn stand for?
(a) silicon
(b) strontium
(c) tin
45. Which of the following is not an element in the periodic table?
(a) water
(b) oxygen
(c) zinc
46. What is dry ice?
(a) frozen carbon dioxide
(b) ordinary ice from which all moisture has been chemically removed
(c) a stage prop used to simulate ice at room temperature
47. The first man-made object to move faster than the speed of sound, or ‘break the sound
barrier’ was:
(a) a bullet
(b) an airplane
(c) a whip
48. Which of the following is responsible for transmitting malaria?
(a) tick
(b) mosquito
(c) leech
49. Which gas forms a layer in the Earth’s upper atmosphere and absorbs harmful ultraviolet
radiation from the sun?
(a) ozone
(b) greenhouse gas
(c) nitrogen
50. What is the name of the planet in our solar system often referred to as the ‘red planet’?
(a) Jupiter
(b) Mars
(c) Pluto