FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Measurement All Around You
Quiz about Measurement All Around You

Measurement All Around You Trivia Quiz


Measurement affects the lives of us all. In this quiz I will explore a few of the ways measurement appears around us.

A multiple-choice quiz by tamrof. Estimated time: 4 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Science Trivia
  6. »
  7. Miscellaneous Science
  8. »
  9. Time and Distance Measurements

Author
tamrof
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
339,432
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
836
Last 3 plays: Guest 172 (4/10), jonnowales (6/10), Guest 97 (9/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Which of these measurement devices would you find in the produce section of your local supermarket (or at the greengrocers)? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. There is a measurement device in all drip coffee makers. What does it measure? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In the USA, the nation's most accurate timekeeping is done by the Navy. Why was this the case? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. This small ruler is triangular and, instead of being divided into half, quarter and eighth-inches, it's divided into 10ths, 20ths, 30ths and so on up to 60ths of an inch. What is this ruler intended for? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. On the dashboard of your car are many measurement devices. Which one keeps you from getting a traffic ticket? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. In 2003 during the SARS epidemic, photos appeared in the news showing people in masks aiming devices that looked like ray guns at the heads of other people. What were those devices? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In many old houses the thermostat contained a small amount of liquid mercury. Why was the mercury in the thermostat? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The air in your auto tires needs to be maintained at the correct pressure. In the USA, this is usually measured in PSI. Which of these is also a unit of pressure measurement? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. A refractometer measures how much light bends when passing through a boundary between two substances of differing densities. Which of the following is a refractometer commonly used to measure? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. A piezoelectric lighter has a quartz crystal in it which generates an electric spark when compressed. This is used to ignite the fuel in the lighter. When the process is reversed by applying a voltage to a quartz crystal, what can it measure? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 27 2024 : Guest 172: 4/10
Mar 07 2024 : jonnowales: 6/10
Feb 16 2024 : Guest 97: 9/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Which of these measurement devices would you find in the produce section of your local supermarket (or at the greengrocers)?

Answer: weighing scale

The scales in your grocer's produce department are probably not "legal for trade". This means that they give you an idea of how much produce you have, but they aren't guaranteed to be accurate. In the USA the scale at the checkout counter is "legal for trade" which means that it was constructed and tested to meet certain accuracy specifications, and is checked regularly to assure that it remains accurate.
2. There is a measurement device in all drip coffee makers. What does it measure?

Answer: temperature of the warming plate

In addition, the coffee maker has one or two thermal fuses. The current to run the heating element goes through these fuses. In cases of severe overheating (usually due to failure of the thermostat) one or both of the fuses melt, thus interrupting the flow of the current. If your coffee maker worked fine yesterday and now won't heat at all, one of these fuses has probably failed.
3. In the USA, the nation's most accurate timekeeping is done by the Navy. Why was this the case?

Answer: Accurate timekeeping was essential to navigation

It's relatively easy to determine your latitude by looking at the stars. Longitude is another matter. Because the earth is turning, the apparent positions of the stars change with time as well as with longitude. This means that the stars can't tell you your longitude unless you know what time it is.

An error of 3 seconds per day would translate to being over 2 miles off course on a 40 day trip from England to the Caribbean. This could easily be the difference between washing up on the shoals and sailing into the harbor.

An excellent book on this subject is "Longitude" by Dava Sobel. It tells the story of the competition to produce a clock accurate enough to carry on a ship for navigational purposes.
4. This small ruler is triangular and, instead of being divided into half, quarter and eighth-inches, it's divided into 10ths, 20ths, 30ths and so on up to 60ths of an inch. What is this ruler intended for?

Answer: It's an architect's scale, used to make drawings at 10, 20 etc. feet to the inch.

In the days before computers, architects drew their plans by hand. The accuracy of these plans translated directly into the fit and finish of the final construction.
5. On the dashboard of your car are many measurement devices. Which one keeps you from getting a traffic ticket?

Answer: speedometer

The speedometer measures the speed of the vehicle. The odometer measures the distance the vehicle has traveled. A thermometer measures the temperature of the engine. Some vehicles have an ammeter, which measures the charge going to or coming from the battery.
6. In 2003 during the SARS epidemic, photos appeared in the news showing people in masks aiming devices that looked like ray guns at the heads of other people. What were those devices?

Answer: Infrared thermometers

An infrared thermometer measures the infrared energy radiated by the item being measured. This can then be used to determine the approximate temperature of the item. It's not very accurate, but has the advantage that you don't have contact between the thermometer and the object being measured.
SARS = severe acute respiratory syndrome.
7. In many old houses the thermostat contained a small amount of liquid mercury. Why was the mercury in the thermostat?

Answer: It acted as a switch, closing the gap between two electrical contacts

The mercury was in a capsule mounted on a bimetallic spring. As the temperature changed, the spring coiled or uncoiled, thus changing the tilt of the capsule. When the capsule tilted enough so that the mercury rolled to the switch contacts, the furnace would come on.
8. The air in your auto tires needs to be maintained at the correct pressure. In the USA, this is usually measured in PSI. Which of these is also a unit of pressure measurement?

Answer: Bar

PSI (pound per square inch) is the amount of pressure needed to apply a force of one pound over an area of one square inch. A bar is approximately the value of atmospheric pressure on the Earth at sea level.
9. A refractometer measures how much light bends when passing through a boundary between two substances of differing densities. Which of the following is a refractometer commonly used to measure?

Answer: The amount of sugar in a wine

Sugar increases the density of the wine, so the density of the wine can be used to estimate the amount of sugar in it. As the wine ferments, yeast converts the sugar to ethanol. For this reason, measuring the sugar in wine can tell you how the fermentation is progressing.
10. A piezoelectric lighter has a quartz crystal in it which generates an electric spark when compressed. This is used to ignite the fuel in the lighter. When the process is reversed by applying a voltage to a quartz crystal, what can it measure?

Answer: Time

The crystal actually oscillates at a known frequency. These oscillations are counted to determine how much time has passed since the watch or clock was set.
Source: Author tamrof

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
1. The Fahrenheit Scale Average
2. Calendars, Time and Distance Very Difficult
3. SI Units Average
4. Metric and Imperial Measurements Average
5. Which Way Is Up Average
6. Too Close For Comfort Average
7. Scientific Measurement Units Average
8. A Long History in Measuring Time Average
9. British Measurements Average
10. A Timely Quiz Very Difficult
11. Some Really, Really, Really Big Numbers Average
12. Scientific Scales Very Difficult

3/29/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us