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Elevators Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Elevators Quizzes, Trivia

Elevators Trivia

Elevators Trivia Quizzes

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The ups and downs of life are covered in this category. At least those that relate to elevators, if you're American, or lifts, if you're British, are.
7 Elevators quizzes and 70 Elevators trivia questions.
1.
  Head to Head: Elevator vs Escalator   best quiz  
Classification Quiz
 10 Qns
Elevators and escalators are familiar means of getting from one level of a building to another for most people. Here we'll take a look at their history, use and how they differ.
Easier, 10 Qns, spanishliz, Jul 13 26
Easier
spanishliz editor
Jul 13 26
413 plays
2.
Elevator Action
  Elevator Action!   popular trivia quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
For those in need of a pick-me-up, this adopted quiz explores the workings of elevators. What happens when cables snap? Why are they always out of order? And why doesn't the elevator come any faster when I push the button 20 times?
Average, 10 Qns, etymonlego, Mar 14 26
Average
etymonlego
Mar 14 26
404 plays
3.
  An Elevator Quiz Works on So Many Levels (pt 4)    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Part 1 was the history of the elevator's development. Parts 2, 3, and this one have fun facts about elevators. If that displeases you there are steps you can take to avoid it. But I'm sure you will find this quiz uplifting.
Average, 10 Qns, Billkozy, Mar 27 25
Average
Billkozy
Mar 27 25
182 plays
4.
  An Elevator Quiz Works on So Many Levels (Pt 3)    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Part 1 looked at the history of the elevator, Part 2 at some elevator fun facts as does this quiz. If that displeases you there are steps you can take to avoid taking it. But I'm sure you will find this quiz uplifting, and that it won't let you down.
Average, 10 Qns, Billkozy, Dec 16 24
Average
Billkozy
Dec 16 24
186 plays
5.
  An Elevator Quiz Works on So Many Levels (Pt 1)    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz looks at the history of the elevator's development. If that displeases you there are steps you can take to avoid taking it. But I'm sure you will find this quiz uplifting, and that it won't let you down.
Average, 10 Qns, Billkozy, Dec 15 24
Average
Billkozy
Dec 15 24
228 plays
6.
  An Elevator Quiz Works on So Many Levels (Pt 2)    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Part 1 looked at the history of the elevator's development; this one looks at fun facts about elevators. If that displeases you there are steps you can take to avoid taking it. But I'm sure you'll find this quiz uplifting, and that it won't let you down.
Average, 10 Qns, Billkozy, Dec 15 24
Average
Billkozy
Dec 15 24
199 plays
7.
  Down With Elevators!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Or up with elevators, depending on which way you want to travel. These questions have to do with commercial elevators. I hope you can all rise to the challenge, and not descend to the depths of despair.
Average, 10 Qns, OldManJack, Apr 14 26
Average
OldManJack gold member
Apr 14 26
337 plays

Elevators Trivia Questions
1. The largest elevator company at the end of the 20th century was the Otis Elevator Company, named after the founder, Elisha Otis. What was the major contribution that Elisha made to the design of elevators?

From Quiz Down With Elevators!

Answer: He invented the safety elevator

Elisha Otis invented the first safety elevator. He attached the hoist rope for the elevator to a spring at the top of the elevator and the spring was attached to a a pair of ratchet bars on the sides of the elevator. As long as the spring had tension on it, the ratchet bars were not engaged. But if the rope broke, the tension on the spring was released, allowing the ratchet bars to engage and stop the elevator. During the 1854 New York World's Fair, he had himself hoisted in an open elevator up a couple of stories, and had an axe man cut the hoist rope, showing that his invention would work.

2. What is the function of a counterweight in a cable-driven elevator system?

From Quiz Down With Elevators!

Answer: To make the system more efficient

To reduce the load on the motor that pulls the elevator car up, there is a counterweight which is equal to the weight of the car and a half-load of passengers. This makes the system more efficient and reduces energy consumption.

3. What are glass elevators made of?

From Quiz Down With Elevators!

Answer: Clear polycarbonate

Clear polycarbonate is used in "glass" elevators because it is much stronger and many times more durable than real glass. It is also much lighter than real glass. It is the same stuff that is used for making eyeglasses. Clear acrylic plastic does not have the strength that polycarbonate does. Transparent aluminum is now a fact, but it's very expensive to make, $10 to $15 per square inch at the time of writing this quiz.

4. In which southern hemisphere country could you find an elevator that drops 2283 meters in a single descent?

From Quiz Down With Elevators!

Answer: South Africa

The AngloGold Ashanti's Mponeng Gold Mine in South Africa drops the incoming miners 2,283 meters (7,490 feet) in a single descent at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. When they get to the bottom, a second elevator takes them another 3,597 feet to the bottom of the shaft. The elevator car is three levels and carries 120 workers at a time. In 2019, this was the tallest elevator in the world, and it travels more than four times further than elevators in the world's tallest building at that time.

5. In "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", Willy Wonka had an elevator that went up, down, sideways and diagonally. Where in the United States will you find elevators that move at a 39 degree angle?

From Quiz Down With Elevators!

Answer: Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas

The Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas in shaped like a huge pyramid. On the first five floors, the elevators go straight up and down like anywhere else, but above the fifth floor the elevators in the corners of the building travel at a 39-degree angle to compensate for the sloping sides of the building.

6. To comply with US regulations, how often are commercial elevators inspected?

From Quiz Down With Elevators!

Answer: At least once a year

OSHA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) worked in conjunction to publish ASME A17.1 as a safety code for elevators. Inspections are done by the state, and they are free to use the OSHA standards or write their own.

7. What button might you see in a elevator in San Francisco that you're unlikely to see in New York?

From Quiz Down With Elevators!

Answer: Earthquake button

In many areas where earthquakes are prevalent, like San Francisco, some elevators are equipped with "Earthquake" buttons. When pressed, it will move immediately to the nearest floor and the doors will open.

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Last Updated Aug 08 2026 5:53 AM
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