Science Trivia Quiz Questions With Answers
Great science trivia questions and answers for quizzes about topics like Jupiter, the solar system, earths orbit, stellar corpse, cat's eye.
What is the softest mineral known?
A: Talc.
Where were the first objects in the solar system discovered by
means of a telescope?
A: The four largest satellites of Jupiter--Ganymede, Io, Callisto
and Europa.
How long is a Martian Year in Earth days--a year being the length
of time it takes the planet to revolve once around the Sun?
A: 687 days.
What two elements comprise almost 100 percent of the matter in
the universe?
A: Hydrogen (approximately 75 percent) and helium (approximately 25
percent). The remaining, heavier elements constitute a mere fraction
of existence.
In the American system of mathematical progressions, what five
denominations come after million, billion and trillion?
A: Quadrillion, quintillion, sextillion, septillion and octillion.
What is present in the variety of quartz stone known as cat's-eye
that gives it its unique glowing appearance?
A: Asbestos fibers. The glow is known as chatoyancy.
What belief was Galileo forced to recant by the Inquisition in
1633?
A: That the earth revolved around a stationary sun. He was kept
under house arrest for the last eight years of his life for
debunking the traditional belief that the earth was the center of the
universe.
In astronomy, what is a white dwarf?
A: The dense, burned-out remains of a star; a stellar corpse.
Why are Mercury and Venus known as inferior planets?
A: Their orbits are closer to the sun than Earth's orbit. Planet
orbiting the sun beyond Earth are referred to as superior planets.
In geology, what is calving?
A: The breaking off or detachment of an iceberg from a glacier that
has reached the sea, or the separation of a portion of a floating
iceberg.
What common chemical compound is represented by the formula NH3?
A: Ammonia.
What does the chemical symbol Fe2O3 represent?
A: Rust.
What element is named after a state?
A: Californium, first produced in 1950 by scientists at the
University of California at Berkeley.
What important point did Scottish mathematician John Napier come
up with in the early seventeenth century?
A: The decimal point.
What was the name of the first computer used for weather
research?
A: MANIAC--an acronym for Mathematical Analyzer, Numerical
Integrator and Computer.
When is Halley's comet, first observed in 240 B.C. and last seen
in 1986, expected to appear again?
A: In the year 2061.
What planet has surface winds that have been measured at 1,500
mph--the strongest in the solar system?
A: Neptune.
How much coal does it take to get the same amount of energy
provided by burning one full cord of seasoned firewood.?
A: One ton.
On what planet is the largest known mountain in the solar system?
A: On Mars. Called Olympus Mons, it's a volcano more than three
times the height of Mount Everest.
If you hear thunder 10 seconds after you see lighting, how far
away was the lightning?
A: 2 miles away. Sound travels about a mile in 5 seconds.
