Physics for Kids Trivia

1. What sort of things is quantum mechanics all about?

From Quiz Quantum Mechanics For Kids!

Answer: The tiniest particles (bits) that everything is made of

Atoms are the building blocks that everything is made of - a bit like the lego bricks of nature. Atoms are tiny. Think how many grains of sand there must be on one beach. There may be that many atoms in one single grain of sand! But just as lego bricks are made of something (plastic), atoms are also made of something. Atoms are made of particles (tiny bits). You might have heard of protons, neutrons and electrons. Quantum mechanics studies how these "bits of atoms" or "sub-atomic particles" behave.

From Quiz Facts of Matter

Answer: Atoms

The word "atom" comes from the Greek word "atomos" meaning "indivisible". Atoms were called that by early Greek philosophers who first thought about what made matter. (So did philosophers in the Indian sub-continent, perhaps even earlier.) Nowadays we know that atoms aren't indivisible but have inside them smaller particles with unusual names like quarks and leptons.

From Quiz Understanding Particle Physics for Kids!

Answer: High energy physics

A great example of a place that scientists collided particles was at CERN. CERN is a French abbreviation for a nuclear research centre that was founded on the border of France and Switzerland. In their research, they supply large amounts of energy (high energy) to particles so that they move really fast and bump into each other! They do this to find out what smaller parts are in the atom.

From Quiz Flight Basics

Answer: Things sticking out of the plane's body

It is a streamline-shaped body (shaped like an airfoil) which reduces drag and adds more thrust to speed the plane up. If you want to increase drag, there would have to be a lot of things sticking out of the plane; so in order to have less drag, you would need to have a smooth plane.

From Quiz Magnets and Electromagnets

Answer: Repel

Magnets can attract and repel depending on the position of the magnetic poles. Remember, like poles repel and opposite poles attract.

From Quiz Quantum Mechanics For Kids!

Answer: The smallest amount of something

A quantum is a specific amount of energy. A quantum is such a small amount that it cannot be divided to make a smaller amount. It is sometimes thought of as a "packet" of energy.

From Quiz Understanding Particle Physics for Kids!

Answer: Empty space

Now this really is hard to get to grips with. If an atom is made up of mostly empty space and we are made of atoms, does that mean we are mostly empty space? Indeed it does and isn't that just mind-boggling?! Everything you can see that you think is a solid material, such as a wooden desk, is mostly made of empty space.

From Quiz Glorious Physics for Kids!

Answer: It is weaker.

The discovery of the force of gravity is often depicted as an apple falling on the head of the famous scientist, Isaac Newton. Gravity is present on the moon, though it is much weaker, which is why you see astronauts floating about!

From Quiz Why Does It Happen?

Answer: It has been turned into kinetic energy

When we run, we use energy produced by our body to move our legs - this movement is kinetic energy. As we speed up, our kinetic energy increases. This increase comes from our body. Hence we start losing energy and feel tired. Later when we stop, this kinetic energy changes into heat which we feel when we have been exercising.

From Quiz Quantum Mechanics For Kids!

Answer: How things interact

In scientific terms, mechanics is the study of how different things interact with each other, and the forces involved in their interactions. Quantum mechanics is the study of how the tiniest particles interact with each other, and the tiny packets of energy involved in their interactions.

From Quiz Flight Basics

Answer: It would go faster

This is how a plane travels so quickly. It doesn't run by a pedal, like in a car, but switches buttons and triggers to change the amount of lift, thrust and drag.

From Quiz Glorious Physics for Kids!

Answer: Sound

Sound is fast, though nowhere near as fast as light. Light can travel 300,000,000 metres in just one second. It puts those fast athletes to shame doesn't it! If a cheetah was in a race against light, which would win? Answer: light, unless there was some cheating! Well, that was terrible, I know! No more - honest!

From Quiz Magnets and Electromagnets

Answer: Attraction

The magnet repels when two like poles are brought together. It attracts when two opposite poles come together. Maglev trains (magnetically levitated trains) use magnetic repulsion to "float" above the track.

From Quiz Why Does It Happen?

Answer: Helium is less dense than air

Helium is a very light gas. It is even less dense than air and we know that things which are lighter float in a denser medium. So a balloon filled with helium will rise in air.

From Quiz Quantum Mechanics For Kids!

Answer: No, they will go in the direction they intended to go

Watching the cars doesn't change their behaviour. But when scientists try to "watch" particles, it makes the particles do something different. This is because they are so small that the instruments scientists use to look at the particles interferes with what the particles are doing. It is a bit like if you are a very bad birdwatcher - if you cause too much disturbance the birds won't behave naturally, and they will fly away. This is called "observability" or the "observer effect" and means that it is very difficult for scientists to find out about these tiny particles.

From Quiz Facts of Matter

Answer: Dark

Scientists (think they) know about dark matter because they observe that something is applying the force of gravity to the matter which we can see, even though that something is not visible itself. Similarly, scientists (think they) know about dark energy because they do know for sure that the universe is expanding, and they are pretty sure that that expansion is accelerating, so they reason that some form of energy must be making this happen even if they have not yet found direct evidence of exactly what that energy is.

From Quiz Flight Basics

Answer: Faster-moving air goes over the airfoil and slower moving air goes under, causing upthrust

The top of the airfoil is curved so the air above it has to move faster to meet up to the slower moving air below it. The low pressure air is above the wing, putting less resistance on it, and higher pressure air is below it, causing the plane to lift up.

From Quiz Glorious Physics for Kids!

Answer: Pluto

Pluto was discovered in 1930. Those mean astrophysicists and astronomers (space scientists) decided it was no longer worthy! Now, if any of you guys said Pacman, you really need to get off the computer! (After you have finished my quiz of course!)

From Quiz Magnets and Electromagnets

Answer: North Pole

Therefore, the North Pole on Earth is actually a magnetic South Pole and the South Pole is a magnetic North Pole. Remember that opposite poles attract each other.

From Quiz Quantum Mechanics For Kids!

Answer: Light can behave like a particle and like a wave at the same time

Amazingly, light sometimes behaves like a particle and sometimes like a wave! In the early 20th century, scientists disagreed about which it was and did not believe that it could be both at the same time. They did experiments to try and discover which theory was right, and found out that in some experiments light acted like waves (one continuous piece) and in other experiments it acted like particles (individual pieces). This is called "wave-particle duality." Later on, scientists discovered that everything actually behaves like a wave and a particle. So even you have a wavy side!

From Quiz Flight Basics

Answer: It would remain travelling at a constant speed

It would not be able to accelerate (go faster) for a split second and then gravity would kick in (in real life).

From Quiz Glorious Physics for Kids!

Answer: He would move upwards.

Basically, this is what everybody learns when they start going to the playground, but the physicists have to complicate everything - as usual! A man named Archimedes studied levers, which is what a seesaw is a type of.

From Quiz Magnets and Electromagnets

Answer: An electromagnet can be switched off.

This turning off of an electromagnet is used in junk/scrap metal yards throughout the world. After the cranes pick up metal they can then turn the electro-magnet off and drop the metal where it is needed.

From Quiz Quantum Mechanics For Kids!

Answer: When light hits a metal, the metal releases electricity

When the light hits the metal, it knocks electrons out of the metal. If light was a wave, then we would expect the speed of the electrons being knocked out to depend on the intensity (or brightness) of the light. Think about a wave in the sea hitting a beach ball - the stronger the wave, the faster the ball will fly forwards. The famous scientist Albert Einstein did some experiments to investigate this effect. What Einstein found was that the brightness of the light didn't change the speed the electrons were knocked out. Instead, he noticed that the number of electrons being knocked out changed, depending on how bright the light was. The brighter the light, the more electrons got knocked out. Einstein used this discovery to show that light comes in little particles, which scientist call photons. The photoelectric effect could be summed up by saying that for each photon that hits the metal, one electron gets knocked out. Because the electrons were all knocked out at the same speed, Einstein said that each photon was like a packet, each containing the same amount of energy - a quantum of energy. This discovery earned Einstein the Nobel Prize in 1921.

From Quiz Nuclear Fission For Kids!

Answer: Three neutrons

Looking at the mass numbers of the reactant (236) and the products (92 and 141), we can see that a mass of 3 is not accounted for, even though all the protons of the original nucleus are in place. This means that there are also 3 neutrons, as well as a number of other products, including a lot of energy.

From Quiz Flight Basics

Answer: Streamlined

The streamline, which takes the shape of a bird looking at it from in front, is the shape of an airfoil. This creates lift by faster moving air above creating lower pressure air. The slower moving air below is at a higher pressure, which helps create lift.

From Quiz Glorious Physics for Kids!

Answer: Friction

Your embarrassing aunt (yes, you love her really) has suffered a blow to the ego due to friction taking a day off. Friction is when the movement of an object is slowed down by another surface. Friction is the force that allows a car to stop, and, if it wasn't present, a car would go on travelling forever!

From Quiz Why Does It Happen?

Answer: Because of low friction

Friction is a force which occurs when two surfaces are in contact with each other. It opposes the motion of a body. So the higher the friction, the easier is is to walk on a surface. If something is smooth, it means it has very little friction with things that come into contact with it.

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Last Updated Apr 22 2024 11:06 AM

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