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Dye Another Day Trivia Quiz

Almost every garment and piece of household fabric you own has been coloured with dyes, but how much do you know about the craft of dyeing?

A multiple-choice quiz by SBH. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
SBH

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
348,877

Updated
Feb 02 24

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
1240

Last 3 plays: lynn1973 (8/10), ramses22 (7/10), Guest 110 (10/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. This extremely bright purple dye was discovered by accident in the 19th century by a chemist trying to synthesize quinine as a malaria cure. Hint

Woad

Indigo

Mauveine

Royal purple

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Question 2 of 10

2. What do you call a substance that fixes dye permanently in fabric? Hint

A fixation

A sealer

A mordant

A finisher

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which of the following fabric dyes is not derived from an animal? Hint

Cochineal

Kermes

Murex

Indigo

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Question 4 of 10

4. What somewhat repellant substance was traditionally used in dyeing by the weavers who make the coveted traditional Harris tweed in the Hebrides? Hint

Rotten leaves

Stale urine

Sheep dung

Spoiled meat

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Question 5 of 10

5. If I want to dye something a nice blue colour, I could use which of these? Hint

Cochineal

Madder

Woad

Kermes

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Question 6 of 10

6. A red, yellow or brown pigment derived from mud, metal, rock or earth would be a type of: Hint

Fibre reactive dye

Coal tar dye

Ochre

Aniline dye

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Question 7 of 10

7. One of the earliest pigments used by prehistoric humans was carbon black. How was it obtained? Hint

By sifting earth

By burning bone

By burning wood

By mining coal

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Question 8 of 10

8. Murex was prized by the Romans (among other civilizations) for its rich colour - and only rich people were allowed to use it. What colour does it produce? Hint

Gold

Brown

Green

Purple

9. Craftspeople using a traditional dye technique of Asia and Africa paint wax onto fabric and then dye it. Because the wax resists the dye, it creates intricate colour patterns. What is this technique called? Hint

Smocking

Patchwork

Batik

Ombr�

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Question 10 of 10

10. How old are the rare examples of dyed fabric found near Jericho in Palestine? Hint

About half a million years old

5,000 to 6,000 years old

3,500 to 4,000 years old

About 1,000 years old

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Most Recent Scores

Apr 08 2024 : lynn1973: 8/10
Apr 06 2024 : ramses22: 7/10
Mar 26 2024 : Guest 110: 10/10
Mar 24 2024 : Guest 158: 5/10
Mar 23 2024 : Guest 49: 5/10
Mar 23 2024 : Guest 180: 3/10
Mar 23 2024 : Guest 216: 9/10
Mar 14 2024 : Froya: 9/10
Mar 10 2024 : Guest 49: 9/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This extremely bright purple dye was discovered by accident in the 19th century by a chemist trying to synthesize quinine as a malaria cure.

Answer: Mauveine

Mauveine was the first of the coal tar dyes, also known as aniline dyes. It was discovered in 1856 by chemist William Perkin.

2. What do you call a substance that fixes dye permanently in fabric?

Answer: A mordant

Mordants usually change the acid-base balance of the dye solution. Some common mordants are acetic acid (vinegar) and ammonia.

3. Which of the following fabric dyes is not derived from an animal?

Answer: Indigo

Indigo dye comes from the leaves of a plant. Murex is derived from the Murex brandaris or Bolinus brandaris sea snail, while both cochineal and kermes come from insects.

4. What somewhat repellant substance was traditionally used in dyeing by the weavers who make the coveted traditional Harris tweed in the Hebrides?

Answer: Stale urine

The ammonia in stale urine acts as a mordant to make the dye permanent in the fabric.

5. If I want to dye something a nice blue colour, I could use which of these?

Answer: Woad

Woad is blue; the other dyes listed all give various shades of red.

6. A red, yellow or brown pigment derived from mud, metal, rock or earth would be a type of:

Answer: Ochre

The ancient Egyptians knew which minerals to use to obtain good fabric dyes.

7. One of the earliest pigments used by prehistoric humans was carbon black. How was it obtained?

Answer: By burning wood

Carbon black is still used in computer printer toner cartridges. "Bone black", made from burnt bones, is also a pigment.

8. Murex was prized by the Romans (among other civilizations) for its rich colour - and only rich people were allowed to use it. What colour does it produce?

Answer: Purple

Murex dye is sometimes called Tyrian purple; it can also produce a colour called Phoenecian Red.

Answer: Batik

The technique of batik was known in ancient Egypt. Today, it is used is several southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as Japan and China. It is also practiced in parts of Africa.

10. How old are the rare examples of dyed fabric found near Jericho in Palestine?

Answer: 5,000 to 6,000 years old

According to Mary Schoeser, author of "World Textiles, A Concise History" (Thames and Hudson, 2003), the earliest known example of dyed fabric is a collection of eight fragments of red, green, black and tan wool from the archeological site of Nahal Mishmar near Jericho in Palestine, which dates from somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 BC.

Source: Author SBH

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor WesleyCrusher before going online.
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