Can You Master These Basic Science Questions III?
Written by Christina Loprieno
Last updated · 9 min play time
How do your science skills measure up? Put them to the test with this fun quiz!
Think you're a science know-it-all? This quiz will put your knowledge to the test on everything from forensics to fool's gold. See if you have what it takes to master this fun challenge!
Quiz written by
Christina LoprienoScience Trivia Quiz Questions
30 Questions · 7.8K Plays · 4 Comments
Question 1
What gas is produced by plants?
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ANitrogen
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BCarbon dioxide
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COxygen
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DArgon
Oxygen
Plants and algae produce oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.
Question 2
The Mohs scale is used to determine what quality of a gem or mineral?
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AClarity
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BWeight
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CDensity
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DHardness
Hardness
A diamond is a 10 on the Mohs scale, with an absolute hardness of 1500. Talc is at the opposite end of the scale, with a Mohs hardness and absolute hardness of 1.
Question 3
Which of these is a real dinosaur?
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ACrocosaurus
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BRocktosaurus
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CCrichtonsaurus
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DRichtersaurus
Crichtonsaurus
The Chrichtonsaurus was named for Michael Crichton, the author of "Jurassic Park." It is classified as an ankylosaurine that lived in China.
Question 4
Ada Lovelace is often considered the first what?
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AComputer programmer
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BNuclear physicist
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CElectrical engineer
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DMolecular biologist
Computer programmer
Augusta Ada Kin, Countess of Lovelace, is credited with recognizing that the potential of computers went beyond just numbers, as well as publishing the first algorithm designed for computing purposes. A computing language, Ada, is named for her.
Question 5
What's the term for glowing in animals?
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ARadiating
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BBioluminescence
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CLuxification
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DBioglowing
Bioluminescence
Bioluminescent animals include fireflies, anglerfish and some types of jellyfish.
Question 6
What optical illusion occurs when light distorts or displaces a distant image?
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AAlpenglow
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BEarth's shadow
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CMirage
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DLight pillar
Mirage
A mirage is often mistaken for a distant body of water, as often portrayed in fiction.
Question 7
What is the term for something bearlike or related to bears?
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ALupine
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BCanine
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CUrsine
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DMurine
Ursine
The Latin word "ursus" means "bear." In zoology, bears fall into the Ursidae family.
Question 8
What is used to gauge the intensity of tornadoes?
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ARichter scale
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BSaffir-Simpson wind scale
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CBeaufort scale
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DFujita scale
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale rates the severity of tornadoes based on the amount of destruction they cause.
Question 9
What is somnambulism otherwise known as?
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AAmnesia
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BNarcolepsy
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CInsomnia
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DSleepwalking
Sleepwalking
Another word for sleepwalking is noctambulism, meaning "night walking."
Question 10
What group of animals do crabs belong to?
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AMammals
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BArthropods
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CTerrapins
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DCephalopods
Arthropods
The name arthropod refers to a jointed or segmented body. Other arthropods include scorpions, centipedes and lobsters.
Question 11
What galaxy is nearest to our own?
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ATriangulum Galaxy
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BBode's Galaxy
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CAndromeda Galaxy
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DCircinus Galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is roughly 780 kiloparsecs away from Earth, and it is near the constellation with which it shares its name.
Question 12
What is the rarest blood type?
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AB-positive
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BA-negative
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CO-positive
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DAB-negative
AB-negative
AB-negative blood is found in only .6% of people. Those with AB blood are able to receive blood transfusions from all other types. 37.4% of people have O-positive blood, the most common type and a universal donor.
Question 13
What is the congenital condition in which a living thing has no pigmentation, resulting in white hair and pink eyes?
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AVitiligo
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BAchromotrichia
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CAlbinism
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DApigmentation
Albinism
Both humans and animals can be albino. In plants, a lack of chlorophyll qualifies as albinism.
Question 14
Which of these is not a basic type of finger print?
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AWhorl
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BSwirl
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CLoop
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DArch
Swirl
Within the three basic categories of arch, loop and whorl, there are a number of subsets, such as the double loop.
Question 15
What do you call a group of crows?
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AA murder
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BA gaggle
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CA parliament
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DA pod
A murder
People debate the scientific merit of using such specialized terms for groups of animals, but they can be found in many texts. Calling a group of crows a "murder" may have come about because of their association with death.
Question 16
Which of these is a branch of botany?
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AMycology
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BEntomology
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CPomology
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DHerpetology
Pomology
Pomology is the study of fruit.
Question 17
Which is the smallest of these dinosaurs?
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ABrontosaurus
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BVelociraptor
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CStegosaurus
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DTyrannosaurus Rex
Velociraptor
Velociraptors appeared to be about 7 feet tall in "Jurassic Park," but in reality, they were closer to the size of a turkey.
Question 18
Which subatomic particle has a negative charge?
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ANeutron
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BHiggs boson
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CProton
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DElectron
Electron
Electrons have a negative charge, while protons have a positive charge and neutrons have no charge.
Question 19
What does hematophagy mean in animals?
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AThey eat their young
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BThey hibernate in winter
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CThey feed on blood
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DThey have wings
They feed on blood
The word hematophagy literally means "to eat blood" based on Greek roots. Animals that practice hematophagy include leeches, vampire bats and lampreys.
Question 20
Gregor Mendel was considered the father of what branch of science?
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AChemistry
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BGenetics
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CPhysics
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DMicrobiology
Genetics
Gregor Johann Mendel conducted experiments by cross-breeding peas and recording data to determine some of the fundamental rules of heredity.
Question 21
Turquoise is a hydrate phosphate of aluminum and which metal?
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ANickel
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BGold
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CCopper
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DSilver
Copper
The rarity of turquoise has historically contributed to its value. The name "turquoise" originates from the French word for Turkish, as the mineral first came to Europe from Turkey.
Question 22
What mineral is colloquially known as "fool's gold"?
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APyragyritet
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BPyrite
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CChalcocite
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DChromium
Pyrite
Also called iron pyrite, this mineral gets its nickname from its gold color and shiny, metallic finish.
Question 23
At what temperature does water boil?
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A212 degrees Fahrenheit
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B200 degrees Fahrenheit
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C212 degrees Celsius
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D112 degrees Celsius
212 degrees Fahrenheit
This temperature is equivalent to 100 degrees Celsius. The actual boiling point can vary with altitude.
Question 24
What is the diameter of the largest piece of hail on record?
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A9.1 inches
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B6.6 inches
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C7.9 inches
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D4.5 inches
7.9 inches
This largest piece of hail had a circumference of 18.6 inches and was found in South Dakota in 2010.
Question 25
Which of these is often used to exemplify the Doppler effect?
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AA roller coaster
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BAn ambulance's siren
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CA dog barking
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DA ceiling fan
An ambulance's siren
The Doppler effect, named for physicist Christian Doppler, is the phenomenon in which the frequency of a sound wave changes depending on whether the source is moving towards or away from the person hearing it. This explains why the sound of a siren appears to raise and lower in pitch depending on whether it is moving towards or away from you.
Question 26
What is this ancient bug-like creature?
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ATrilobite
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BPterodactyl
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CRaptor
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DCoelacanth
Trilobite
Trilobites are a group of arthropods that date back to at least 521 million years ago.
Question 27
What is Polaris otherwise known as?
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AThe North Star
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BAlpha boo
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CThe Dog Star
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DThe Southern Nebula
The North Star
Polaris is also called Alpha Ursae Minoris and is often used for navigation.
Question 28
About how often does Halley's comet appear?
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AEvery 37-40 years
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BEvery 74-79 years
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CEvery 22-25 years
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DEvery 80-85 years
Every 74-79 years
Halley's comet was most recently seen in 1986 and is expected to reappear in 2061.
Question 29
What is the name given to the darkest substance known to man?
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AUltrablack
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BVantablack
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CVantadark
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DDark matter
Vantablack
Vantablack absorbs 99.965% of the light that hits it. It has been used for both practical and artistic purposes.
Question 30
What is the binomial nomenclature for the domestic dog?
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ALupus familiaris
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BLupis Canis
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CCanis familiaris
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DCanus familiar
Canis familiaris
This designation is fitting because we think of dogs as part of the family. Dogs can also be designated as Canis lupus familiaris when classified as a subspecies of wolf.
Comments (4)
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The damn shifting screens made me miss 2 answers. Would have been 28/30. Why can't you make your content stationary, and the ads happen all around? Damn, f***ing frustrating!
Me too
I think the quiz sucked! There were too many possible answers. I usually do quite well with these tests. This one, not so much.
Very Educational.