The Great TechWorld
TechnoHistory Trivia Challenge
2011
Answers
Answers: Round 1
1. When did this man demonstrate the world’s
first truly ‘mobile’
commercial phone?
a. 1973
In April 1973, Dr Martin Cooper, former
general manager for the systems
division at Motorola,
invented the mobile phone prototype
and made the first call to Joel Engel,
his rival, head of research at Bell Labs.
However, the Russians, Chinese,
Japanese, British and USA had
developed backpack mobile field
phones for military purposes much
earlier.
Research and image source: http://www.techfresh.net/motorola-dynatac-8000x-worlds-first-mobile-phone/
2. What are the tiles on the Sydney Opera
House made of?
c. Ceramic
“ The ribs of the shells are
covered with chevron-shaped, precast
concrete tile lids– the shallow dishes clad
with ceramic tiles…”
Image source: http://www.doobybrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/sydney-opera-house.jpg
Research reference: http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/uploadedFiles/About_Us/Corporate_Information/Content_AboutUs_WorldHeritage.pdf
3. Which gases form
the plasma in
plasma TV?
c. Ne and Xe
Xenon and neon gas is contained in hundreds
of thousands of tiny cells between glass
glass, with electrodes that cause the gas
to ionize and form a plasma. As the gas
ions collide, photons are emitted. Varying
the pulses of current in different cells
thousands of times per second, increases
or decreases the intensity of each
subpixel color, creating billions of different
combinations of red, green and blue, to
produce most of the visible colors.
Image source: www.reviewzine.com/lg-42pc1d-42inch-plasma-tv/
Research source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_display#Functional_details
4. Which Physics theory explains the paradox
that energy doesn’t get used up and
disappear?
a. Law Of Conservation Of Energy
The word conservation= keep the same; save; preserve.
The law of conservation of energy states:
Energy may neither be created nor destroyed.
Therefore the sum of all the energies in the system is a constant.
Research source: http://library.thinkquest.org/2745/data/lawce1.htm
5. When did DVD begin really replacing
VHS video cassettes in popularity?
c. 2003
“DVD rentals in the United States first exceeded those of VHS in June 2003,
and in 2005 the president of the Video Software Dealers Association
predicted that 2006 would be the last year for major releases on VHS.”
Research and Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCR#The_beginning_of_the_end.3F
6. In 1800, Robert Fulton went to see
Napoleon Bonaparte to develop:
b. submarines
This American inventor, engineer, and artist
brought steamboats from experimental stage
to commercial success. He also designed a
system of inland waterways, a submarine,
and a warship. In 1797 he proposed
the idea of a submarine, the “Nautilus,” for
France to use to creep under the hulls of
British warships and leave a powder charge to
be exploded later. Napoleaon Bonaparte was
interested but the French government rejected
the idea as an atrocious and dishonourable
way to fight. In 1800 he built the “Nautilus” at
his own expense and demonstrated it in the
River Seine.
Image source: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/photodraw/portraits/
Research source:http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/221963/Robert-Fulton
7. Which commercial product is made from
polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride
a. Bakelite
Bakelite (pronounced [bеɪkɨlaɪt]), the world's first synthetic plastic was
developed in 1907–1909 by Belgian Dr. Leo Baekeland. Formed by the
reaction under heat and pressure of phenol
(a toxic, colourless crystalline solid) and formaldehyde (a simple
organic compound)…It was used in such diverse products as radio and
telephone casings and electrical insulators kitchenware,
jewellery, pipe stems, and children's toys.
Image and Research source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride
8. What is this?
b. A trebuchet
The trebuchet was the dominant siege
weapon in Europe from 850AD to 1350AD,
lasting 100 years after the introduction of
gunpowder. In England it was called an
ingenium, and the technicians which worked
on the weapon were ingeniators
(Engineers). Larger versions were able to
throw large stones, rotting flesh and bowls
of hot coals..
The trebuchet operates by harnessing the
potential energy of a suspended weight.
Multiple design variables optimized range
and throw-weight.
Image source: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trebuchet.jpg
Research source: http://nfo.edu/trebuche.htm
9. Where was gunpowder
first developed?
b.China
An explosive mixture of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur, and charcoal, the history of gunpowder
goes back to A.D. 850 in China…most likely created by alchemists—people attempting to produce gold
artificially, by combining other substances.
Image source: blogs.reuters.com/oddly-enough/tag/fireworks/
Research source: http://www.enotes.com/science-fact-finder/general-science-technology/when-where-was-gunpowder-invented
10. In the early days of Australia railways, track
maintenance workers were known by a
name that continues today. What were they
called?
c. fettlers
Originally fettling meant to sand and grind small imperfections
from metal, but came to mean fiddling/tinkering with machines
(e.g. "I've spent all day fettling with my car") and in parts of
England, fettler was used to mean friend or mate (e.g. "How's
tha' doing fettler?").
To maintain the tracks of the Trans-Australian Railway across
the Nullarbor Plain from South Australia to Western Australia
outback “fettler” settlements were established along the line to
accommodate a permanent workforce
Image and research source:
http://www.expedition360.com/australia_lessons_history/rail_line_workers.jpg
BONUS POINTS for Round 1
•One point for each person in your group who has
braces on their teeth
•One point for each person in your group wearing
glasses
•One point for each person in your group who does not
own a mobile phone
•One point for each person in your group wearing a
watch
•One point for each person in your group who does not
use a laptop at school
•One point for each person in your group who knows
how to sail a boat
Answers: Round 2
1. How can you describe
the gear ratio in this
example?
b. 6:1
The red gear has three times the diameter of the yellow gear, and the blue gear has
two times the diameter of the red gear (giving a 6:1 ratio). The smaller gear has to spin
so much faster to cover the same distance covered when the larger gear spins once.
The teeth on gears prevent slippage between the gears and also help determine exact
gear ratios – you just count the number of teeth and divide since the teeth interlock
with each other.
Image and research source: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/gears3.htm
2. What is this?
c. crossbow
Less physical strength needed than for a longbow (uses the archer's
buttock and thigh muscles; much stronger than arm and chest
muscles required by a standard bow). This is a spring mechanism. If
you compress a spring or pull a spring from either end it stores
potential energy, released as kinetic energy as the bow arm returns
to its normal shape.
Image and reference source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/how-a-crossbow-works-an-educational-guide-to-crossbows-501289.html
13. A field trip means …
researching a topic
visiting a location for study
writing up an investigation
d. all of the above
14. What % of Australian households
had digital TV access by the end of 2008?
b. 42%
A 2007 survey by the Australian Communication and Media Authority showed around 42% of households
had digital broadcast access. Interestingly, approximately one third of all those surveyed were completely
unaware that the analog service was to be discontinued. Hi-definition was rarely raised as a reason to
convert; access to more channels was seen as far more important.
Source: http://www.itwire.com/content/view/19339/53/
15. You slam on the car
brakes in a panic, and skid
to a halt on a straight, dry,
level road. If you had
been traveling twice as
fast, what distance would
the car have skidded,
under the same
conditions?
a. 4 times further
Kinetic energy of motion is the main idea here
The car is hurtling along at speed v with mass m.
Its kinetic energy K is given by
K = ½mv²
This energy gets converted to heat in the tires and road
and air as the car skids to a stop. The conversion of kinetic
energy to heat is done by the work of friction, W, which is
just the friction force times the distance d the car skids:
W = fd = µmgd
The initial kinetic energy (K) equates to the work (W ) done
by friction in slowing the car down and so we calculate the
skidmark distance d:
W=K
µmgd = ½mv²
=> d = v²/2µg
The distance d increases as the square of the speed v
and: a doubling of speed quadruples d. The car's mass
does not matter: a heavier car has just as much more
kinetic energy as work done by friction per meter skid, so
the skid length is the same. The key thing is the coefficient
of friction µ for the particular tire/road combination.
Research and image source: http://www.bsharp.org/physics/stuff/skidmarks.html
16. What was invented
in China in the first
century BC that
revolutionised
transport?
b.wheelbarrow
General Chuko Liang (181-234 A.D.) of China is considered to be the inventor of the wheelbarrow.
He used wheelbarrows to transport battlefield supplies and injured soldiers.
The ancient Chinese wheelbarrows often had two wheels and required two men to propel and steer.
The earliest depictions of single-wheel Chinese wheelbarrows come from 2nd century Han Dynasty
tomb murals.
Image and research source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelbarrow#Ancient_China
17. What is this?
c. Gatling gun
This weapon used multiple rotating barrels turned by a
hand crank, firing loose (no belt) metal cartridge
ammunition using a gravity feed system from a hopper.
The Gatling gun's innovation lay in the gravity feed
reloading mechanism, which allowed unskilled operators
to achieve a relatively high rate of fire.
Used in the 1860s during the American Civil War; based
on an 1851 invention of (the mitrailleuse) used by the
Belgian Army.
Image and Research source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatling_gun
18. A primary source
d. Is an artifact or document that
comes directly from the historical
timeframe
A source from the time of an event. The account of an eyewitness, some newspaper articles, news
footage, correspondence, diaries, as well as artifacts from the time of the event are all examples of
primary sources.
There are also “secondary sources” and “tertiary sources”, where the original data has been
interpreted/explained by the commentary of others, such as researchers in the light of other
evidence available to them.
Image source: http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/workshops/womenshistory/primary.htm
Research source: http://academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/stilllooking/reference/glossary.htm#p
19. What is this?
b. Typewriter
The Odell 1 from 1889 is a
linear index typewriter.
To type, one moves the handle to
the desired character and pushes
down. The carriage moves
perpendicular to the handle
movement. The first model typed only
in capitals.
Image and Research source: http://www.antiquetypewriters.com/collection/index-odell1.htm
20. Which country in the world generates most energy
from windpower?
a. USA (1) and China (2) have recently taken over the lead from
Germany in the last 2 years, according to the World Wind
Energy Association
Image source: http://www.impactlab.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/wind_farm-82.jpg
Data source: http://www.wwindea.org/home/index.php
BONUS POINTS for Round 2
• One point for each person in your group who has ironed a
shirt
• One point for each person in your group who has fixed a
punctured tyre
• One point for each person in your group who has been on
a plane in the last 6 months
• One point for each person in your group who has a
Meccano set at home
• One point for each person in your group who is wearing a
bra
• One point for each person in your group who can knit
Answers: ROUND 3
21. The first shadow clock like this was in use
c. 3500 years ago
Two basic components define a clock:
•a regular, constant or repetitive process or
action to mark off equal increments of time.
eg tracking the sun across the sky, candles
marked in increments, sand glasses
(hourglasses)
•a means of keeping track of the increments
of time and displaying the result. Such as
the position of clock hands.
This Egyptian device divided a sunlit day into
10 parts plus two "twilight hours" morning and
evening. The merkhet, the oldest known
astronomical tool, was an associated Egyptian
development around 2600 years ago. Two
merkhets lined up with the Pole Star could
then be used to mark off night hours by
determining when certain other stars crossed
the meridian.
Image source: http://www.timekeepingsite.org/sundial.jpg
Research source: http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa071401a.htm
22. Glass is defined as amorphous because...
b. it's neither a solid
nor a liquid
but exists in
a vitreous state
Definitions from
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/amorphous.html
1. without shape: without any clear shape,
form, or structure
2. not classifiable: not obviously belonging to
any category or type
3. chemistry geology not crystalline: without
a crystalline structure
= glassy
[FROM Latin< Greek amorphos "without
shape" < morphē "shape"]
23. A 400-W computer (with monitor) is
turned on for exactly 8 hours per day. If
electricity costs 10 cents per kWh, how
much does it cost to run the computer
annually?
a.$116.80
Research source: Doug Medwell, ASMS
Image source: http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/greenhpdesktop.jpg
24. What is this ?
c. stump jump plough
Image and Research source: http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/inventors.htm
1876 developed by the brothers Richard and Clarence Smith of Kalkabury in SA.
Most of the newly opened farming land in South Australia was in the Mallee, and
ploughs were of little use as the blades would often hit old stumps or rocks. Their
revolutionary idea was a plough with a blade which would rise on striking an
obstacle and fall down back into the soil with the help of a hinged beam or draft
chain.
25. Where was the rotunda in Elder Park in
Adelaide manufactured?
d. Glasgow, Scotland
This octagonal rotunda erected in 1882
from pre-fabricated sections sent out
from Scotland was gifted to the City by
philanthropist, Thomas Elder. The castiron structure was fabricated by
MacFarlane’s Saracen Foundry in
Glasgow, Scotland, and is a rare
Australian example of this company’s
work.
Image source: picasaweb.google.com/.../s7vbV36VCwEAJqWrRHRw9A
Research source: http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/pdfs/showcasing/elderpark_rotunda.pdf
26. What is the
Chunnel?
b. A way to travel
underwater
from France to
England
50.5-kilometre undersea rail tunnel
linking Kent in England with Calais
in northern France. At its lowest
point it is 75 m deep.] and has the
longest undersea portion of any
tunnel in the world, but the Seikan
Tunnel in Japan is both longer and
deeper overall, at 53.85 kilometres
and 240 metres depth.
The tunnel carries high-speed Eurostar
passenger trains, Eurotunnel ro-ro
vehicle transport that are the
largest in the world and
international rail freight trains
Image source: http://weburbanist.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/channel-tunnel-chunnel-construction.jpg
Research source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Tunnel
27. Why is Stainless Steel stainless?
d. the chrome oxide component
forms an invisible protective outer layer
A minimum of 12% chromium in the steel makes it
resist rust, or stain 'less' than other types of steel.
The chromium combines with oxygen in the
atmosphere to form a thin, invisible layer of chromecontaining oxide, called the passive film. The sizes
of chromium atoms and their oxides are similar, so
they pack neatly together on the surface of the
metal, forming a stable layer only a few atoms thick.
Research source: http://chemistry.about.com/cs/metalsandalloys/a/aa071201a.htm
28. What is this?
c. early sewing machine
The first functional sewing machine was
invented by the French tailor, Barthelemy
Thimonnier, in 1830. It used only one thread
and a hooked needle that made the same
chain stitch used with embroidery.
The inventor was almost killed by an enraged
group of French tailors who burnt down his
garment factory because they feared
unemployment as a result of his new invention.
Research source:
http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/sewing_machine.htm
Image source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Elias_Howe_sewing_machine.png
29. About how much will Australia
earn in mineral exports (eg iron ore,
uranium, copper) 2010-2011?
c. $177 billion
Image source: www.kiwihyde.com/?p=68
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) forecasts Australia’s mineral
and energy exports in 2010–11 will increase by 28 per cent to $177 billion. The record value reflects
higher prices for bulk commodities, crude oil and most base metals and higher export volumes for all
major minerals and energy commodities. The value of metal and other mineral exports in 2010–11 is
forecast to increase by 29 per cent to $105 billion, underpinned by higher earnings from iron ore (up 47
per cent), copper (35 per cent), gold (20 per cent) and alumina (10 per cent). Our biggest markets are
Japan, China, South Korea, Europe,
Research Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/10/2360976.htm
30. What is this?
a. carburetor
Most auto carburetors have two
separate fuel delivery systems,
one to supply the correct fuel-to-air
mixture (approximately 1 part fuel
to 14.7 parts air by weight) at idling
speed and one to supply fuel at
high speed. This is a Maxwell
carburetor 1906 model.
Image and research resource http://www.maxwellmessenger.info/Articles/carburetors/carb.htm
BONUS POINTS for Round 3
•
•
•
•
•
•
One point for each person in your group who has used
scuba gear in diving
One point for each person in your group who has used a
bow and arrow
One point for each person in your group who has an icecream maker at home
One point for each person in your group who has an
engineer or architect in the family
One point for each person in your group who owns high
heeled shoes.
One point for each person in your group who has used a
sewing machine successfully
Answers: Round 4
31. Who invented modern frozen food
processing (apart from the Inuit and
Sámi community who always had it)?
a. Charles Birdseye
In 1923, with an investment of $7 for an electric fan,
buckets of brine, and cakes of ice, American Clarence
Birdseye invented and later perfected a system of packing
fresh food into waxed cardboard boxes and flash-freezing
under high pressure. The first quick-frozen vegetables,
fruits, seafoods, and meat were sold to the public for the
first time in 1930 in Springfield, Massachusetts, under the
tradename Birds Eye Frosted Foods®.
Image source: www.aripack.com/FrozenFood.html
Research source: http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blfrfood.htm
32. What is this?
d. block and tackle
A block and tackle is a simple but highly effective lifting device,
thought to be invented by Archimedes, used extensively for
construction in the Ancient World. The engineering of a block
and tackle uses pulleys to distribute the weight of a heavy object
and make it possible for one person or a small crew to move
very heavy objects relatively safely
Research source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-block-and-tackle.htm
33.Where would you find tunnel thrusters?
b. in a ship’s hull
Tunnel thrusters are primarily used for docking, slow
speed maneuvering, emergency steering and station
keeping at zero or slow forward speed in large
boats/ships. Tunnel thrusters are installed
transversely in the bow or the stern of a vessel. Large
vessels usually have one or more tunnels built into
the bow below the waterline. An impeller in the tunnel
can create thrust in either direction which makes the
ship turn.
Research and Image source:
http://www.thrustmastertexas.com/products/tunnelThrusters.html
34. Which word best describes
what this picture
demonstrates?
c. gravity
Image source:
http://www.lawyersatlanta.com/imgages/roller%20coaster.jpg
A roller coaster relies on energy stored in the force of gravity to make it move. The higher the roller coaster is above the
earth's surface, the more gravitational potential energy it has. The top of the first hill is the highest point on the track, and
the roller coaster is dragged up there by a chain. When it passes over the top of the first hill, its total energy is greatest.
Most of that total energy is gravitational potential energy but a small amount is kinetic energy, the energy of motion.
First, it begins to transform that energy from one form to another--from gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy
and from kinetic energy to gravitational potential energy, back and forth. Second, it begins to transfer some of its energy
to its environment, mostly in the form of heat and sound. Because of this lost energy, the roller coaster can't return to its
original height after coasting down hill. Each successive hill must be lower than the previous hill. Eventually the roller
coaster has lost so much of its original total energy that the ride ends.
Resaerch source: http://www.fsus.fsu.edu/mcquone/Amusepark/rollercoaster/howcstrworks.htm
35. What common factor
links all these processes?
c. energy
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/science/images/EnergyTransformations.gif
36. Where is the
world’s biggest dam?
b. The Yangtze River
(China)
Recently completed and now
filling, the Three Gorges Dam will
produce the energy of 15 nuclear
power plants and tame some of
the country’s deadliest floods. To
China's leaders, the dam is the
greatest engineering feat since
the construction of the Great Wall
http://www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/
http://content.zdnet.com/2346-9595_22-177275.html
37. What is Torque?
a. force that rotates or turns things
Torque = torsion or twisting
Tightening the nuts on a car/bike wheel is a good example.
When you use a wrench, you apply a force to the handle.
This force creates a torque on the nut, which tends to turn
it around. A car engine creates torque and uses it to spin
the crankshaft in much the same way:
Reference
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/towingcapacity/information/fpte4.htm
38. Why did some really old bikes
have a huge front wheel?
b. they had no bike-chain or gears
This is an application of direct drive. About 1870, James
Starley, described as the father of the bicycle industry, and
others began producing bicycles based on the French
boneshaker but with front wheels of increasing size,
because larger front wheels, up to 1.5 m in diameter,
enabled higher speeds on bicycles limited to direct drive.
Research source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_farthing
Image source: http://academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/adaptation/pics/PennyFarthing.jpg
39. What does an odometer
measure?
d. distance
An instrument for indicating the distance traveled by a vehicle, typically by
measuring the number of rotations of a wheel or fan whose rate of rotation
depends on the speed of the vehicle.
Reference: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/odometer
40. Where is the world’s
most ambitious
underwater construction
being built?
d. Dubai
Hydropolis will be the world's first luxury
underwater hotel, of three elements: land
station with connecting tunnel, which will
transport people by train to the 220 suites
within the submarine leisure complex in one
of the largest contemporary construction
projects in the world, covering an area of
260 hectares The architect views his
creation as a place to experience the
tranquility and inspiration of the underwater
world. It will have a cosmetic surgery clinic,
a marine biological research laboratory and
conference facilities. $490 million to build ,
$5500 to stay one night.
Research and image source:
http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/Hydropolis/Hydropolis4.html
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BONUS POINTS for Round 4
One point for each person in your group who can
produce a USB right now
One point for each person in your group whose family
has a ride-on mower
One point for each person in your group whose family
has a vintage car
One point for each person in your group who has driven
a tractor
One point for each person in your group who has been
on a steam train
One point for each person in your group who has made
a model plane that actually flew
End of Quiz