Can You Master These Basic Science Questions II?
Written by Christina Loprieno
Last updated · 8 min play time
Do you have a scientific mind? Test your skills on a variety of scientific topics with this fun quiz!
Are you a plant pro? An astronomy aficionado? A meteorology master? Put your science skills to the test with this diverse quiz!
Quiz written by
Christina LoprienoScience Trivia Quiz Questions
30 Questions · 10K Plays · 5 Comments
Question 1
According to legend, an apple tree led to which scientific discovery?
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AGravity
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BVisible spectrum
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CColor constancy
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DEvolution
Gravity
Isaac Newton may not have actually been hit in the head by an apple, as the story sometimes states, but observing the falling fruit led to him questioning why it always fell in a straight line.
Question 2
A what temperature does water freeze?
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A0 degrees Celsius
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B32 degrees Celsius
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C21 degrees Celsius
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D10 degrees Celsius
0 degrees Celsius
This temperature is the equivalent of 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Variations like adding salt or alcohol to water can lower its freezing point.
Question 3
What device do you light when you need an open flame and/or heat for a science experiment?
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AJensen burner
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BHenson burner
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CBurton burner
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DBunsen burner
Bunsen burner
The Bunsen burner was named after Robert Bunsen, who helped bring it into common use. The stand is attached to a hose which releases a natural gas; then a spark is released to ignite a continuous flame.
Question 4
What concept in physics states that an object in motion tends to stay in motion, and an object in rest tends to stay at rest?
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AInertia
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BGravity
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CTorque
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DDensity
Inertia
This principle is covered in Newton's first law of motion. It states that objects tend to remain in their current state unless force is exerted on them, such as gravity or friction.
Question 5
The Big Dipper is part of which larger constellation?
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ADraco
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BOrion
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CUrsa Major
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DUrsa Minor
Ursa Major
Seven stars of the constellation Ursa Major make up what we know as the Big Dipper.
Question 6
What is a barometer used to measure?
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AWind speed
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BEarthquake intensity
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CHumidity
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DAtmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure
The origins of this invention are nebulous, but its existence could date back to 1631 or earlier. A barometer is used to anticipate changes in weather.
Question 7
Which of these does NOT refer to a category in biological taxonomy?
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AGroup
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BClass
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CKingdom
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DGenus
Group
As of current science, the categories in order of size, are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. Kingdom was the biggest group in the days of Carl Linnaeus, who popularized this system, but broader classifications were added more recently.
Question 8
Earth's atmosphere is composed primarily of which element?
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AArgon
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BCarbon Dioxide
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COxygen
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DNitrogen
Nitrogen
The composition of earth's air is 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, .93% argon and .04% carbon dioxide. Trace amounts of other elements are also present.
Question 9
Which of these groups of fruits would be categorized as drupes?
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ACoconut, mango, peach
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BKiwi, grape, banana
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CApple, pear, quince
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DLemon, orange, grapefruit
Coconut, mango, peach
Other drupes include olives, avocados and plums. Fruits like this are usually categorized by a large pit.
Question 10
What type of animal usually has baleen?
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ABirds
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BSharks
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CElephants
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DWhales
Whales
Whales usually use baleen to filter feed, by sucking in seawater and letting small, edible creatures get trapped in the fibers.
Question 11
What is nephrology the study of?
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APancreas
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BRingworms
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CThe dead
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DKidneys
Kidneys
Nephrology is a branch of medicine focusing on treating diseases of the kidneys. The name derives from the Greek word for kidney.
Question 12
Which of these animals was NOT around during the ice age?
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ASabretooth tiger
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BDire wolf
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CWoolly mammoth
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DPterodactyl
Pterodactyl
Dinosaurs had long since died out by the time the ice age began. Many of the most commonly known animals from this era were mammals.
Question 13
Charles Darwin was a pioneer in what area?
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ATaxonomy
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BAstronomy
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CEvolution
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DMolecular biology
Evolution
Darwin is best known for his book "On the Origin of Species," which discussed the evidence he found that supported evolution. He did much of his studying on the Galapagos Islands.
Question 14
What is the dog star also known as?
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AOrion
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BPolaris
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CDraco
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DSirius
Sirius
Sirius is actually a star system consisting of two stars. Its name means "brightest" or "scorching," fitting for its status as the brightest star in the sky.
Question 15
Which of these is the weakest type of storm?
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ATropical storm
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BTropical depression
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CCategory 1 hurricane
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DTyphoon
Tropical depression
Also known as a tropical low, a tropical depression has wind speeds of less than 39 mph.
Question 16
Pyroclastic flow is associated with what part of nature?
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AHurricanes
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BOceans
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CWildfires
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DVolcanoes
Volcanoes
This is also called a pyroclastic cloud or pyroclastic density current. It refers to a mixture of hot ash and gas at temperatures nearing 200 degrees Fahrenheit that speeds down the dies of a volcano after an eruption.
Question 17
Which of these is NOT a component of blood?
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APlasma
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BWhite blood cells
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CLymph nodes
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DPlatelets
Lymph nodes
Lymph nodes are more commonly associated with the immune system and are only found in certain parts of the body. Red blood cells are also a main component of blood.
Question 18
The Alvarez hypothesis claims that an asteroid caused what event?
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AThe extinction of the dinosaurs
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BPangaea splitting
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CThe formation of the Grand Canyon
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DThe beginning of the ice age
The extinction of the dinosaurs
Father-son geologist team Luis and Walter Alvarez theorized that an asteroid struck earth in Chicxulub, Mexico, and evidence found in a crater there supported this hypothesis. This theory has led to the belief that the Chicxulub asteroid caused mass extinction, including dinosaurs.
Question 19
What type of navigation/detection is used by bats and dolphins?
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AKepler
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BEcholocation
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CDoppler
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DRadar
Echolocation
Animals use echolocation by emitting a sound that then bounces back to them, which they use to figure out what's around them.
Question 20
What is the name for the layer of plasma around stars, including the Sun?
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ACorona
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BSunspot
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CHeliofield
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DStellarsphere
Corona
The corona of the Sun is easiest to see when a total solar eclipse takes place. Special instruments can be used to observe the corona as well.
Question 21
What is the process by which plants convert light to energy?
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APhotoconversion
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BLuceoconversion
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CPhotosynthesis
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DLuceosynthesis
Photosynthesis
Plants, algae and bacteria that use photosynthesis are called photoautotrophs.
Question 22
What is the scientific term denoting wolves?
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ALepus
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BFelis
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CVulpes
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DLupus
Lupus
Wolves as a species, are referred to as Canis lupus. The word "lupus" means "wolf" in Latin.
Question 23
What does the pH level of a substance tell you about it?
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AAcidity
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BPositive charge
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CAge
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DViscosity
Acidity
Generally, something with a pH over 7 is acidic, something with a pH under 7 is basic, and a 7 is neutral. Substances generally range from a 0 to a 14 on this scale, but some can fall beyond either extreme.
Question 24
How would you categorize coral?
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AA plant
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BAn invertebrate
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CA shell
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DA mineral
An invertebrate
Corals come in many varieties, including those that have a calcium-based skeleton, making them appear less like a living thing. Corals reproduce asexually and can feed by catching small creatures and absorbing their nutrients.
Question 25
What do bats do that can be beneficial to the world?
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ADisperse seeds
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BEat insects
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CPollinate flowers
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DAll of these
All of these
Bats may look scary and have a creepy reputation, but they actually can do a lot of good by eating pesky mosquitoes and aiding in the growth of fruit trees.
Question 26
Who is this man, famous for breakthroughs in food sterilization?
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ALouis Pasteur
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BNiels Bohr
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CIsaac Newton
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DPierre Curie
Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur is famous for his work with fermentation and disease prevention, including pasteurization. Pasteurization involves applying heat to kill organisms in food that could cause them to spoil.
Question 27
What is the word for the study of bees?
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AIchthyology
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BOrinthology
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CHerpetology
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DApicology
Apicology
The study of bees can also be called melittology, based on the Greek word for bee.
Question 28
Can you identify this speedy dinosaur?
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AVelociraptor
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BStegosaurus
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CApatosaurus
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DTyrannosaurus Rex
Velociraptor
Velociraptor means "swift seizer" in Latin. These dinosaurs were supposedly good at chasing prey, then tackling it with its claws.
Question 29
Dione, Rhea and Saturn are moons of which planet?
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ASaturn
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BNeptune
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CMars
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DVenus
Saturn
Saturn, which was named for the Roman god of agriculture, has 62 new moons. Many of its major moons were named for mythological figures related to Saturn.
Question 30
Marie Curie was considered a pioneer in what area of study?
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AGenetics
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BEvolution
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CMolecular biology
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DRadioactivity
Radioactivity
Curie has the distinction of being not only the first woman ever to win a Nobel Prize, but also the first (and only, as of 2018) woman to win the award twice.
Comments (5)
We want to hear your feedback! Share your scores and discuss the quiz, but keep it civil.
Love them, but get some wrong because as I'm selecting my answer as an ad jumps in and causes my selection to jump to another answer. Makes me crazy. Too many ads.
I don't think Saturn has a moon with the same name. It's moons with the closest names are "Surtur" and "Suttungr". Unnamed moons have designation based on date of discovery.
Cool quiz, I liked it. Science is the best. :)
i liked it
good questions