FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Down With Elevators
Quiz about Down With Elevators

Down With Elevators! Trivia Quiz


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.

A multiple-choice quiz by OldManJack. Estimated time: 4 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Science Trivia
  6. »
  7. Machines
  8. »
  9. Elevators

Author
OldManJack
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
399,896
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
276
Last 3 plays: Guest 174 (9/10), Guest 75 (2/10), Guest 174 (8/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
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? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What is the function of a counterweight in a cable-driven elevator system? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. There are different types of elevators, based on how they operate. The pneumatic-style elevator is very quiet, virtually maintenance free and is very common in private residential buildings. But they have one problem that prevents them from being used in skyscrapers. What is it? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. What are glass elevators made of? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. In which southern hemisphere country could you find an elevator that drops 2283 meters in a single descent? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Why should you not use an elevator if there is a fire? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. 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? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. What should you do first if you're stuck in an elevator? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. To comply with US regulations, how often are commercial elevators inspected? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. What button might you see in a elevator in San Francisco that you're unlikely to see in New York? 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 06 2024 : Guest 174: 9/10
Feb 27 2024 : Guest 75: 2/10
Feb 25 2024 : Guest 174: 8/10
Feb 18 2024 : Guest 70: 8/10
Feb 16 2024 : Guest 184: 7/10
Feb 01 2024 : comark2000: 10/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
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?

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?

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. There are different types of elevators, based on how they operate. The pneumatic-style elevator is very quiet, virtually maintenance free and is very common in private residential buildings. But they have one problem that prevents them from being used in skyscrapers. What is it?

Answer: They cannot service more than four floors

Pneumatic elevators require a column of air to move the elevator up and down. The longer the tube, the more power is required to sustain the air pressure and there is a limit to how much of this power you can generate. Skyscrapers need to rely on cable-driven elevators.
4. What are glass elevators made of?

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

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.
6. Why should you not use an elevator if there is a fire?

Answer: Possibility of malfunction, stranding you in the elevator

Besides the high possibility of malfunction which could cause you to be stuck in the elevator as the fire rages on and smoke fills the elevator shaft, many elevators are programmed to go straight to the ground floor in a fire so they will be available to the firemen, which means that it's not going to come for you. And there is also the possiblity that the elevator will stop and open the doors on the floor that has the fire, and that will not be good for anyone who is in it at the time.
7. 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?

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.
8. What should you do first if you're stuck in an elevator?

Answer: Press the "HELP" button, call 9-1-1,or both

Never try to climb out of the elevator. You could fall down the elevator shaft, or the elevator might suddenly engage when you're halfway out and it could result in a split personality for you. Jumping up and down will not work, despite the stuck elevator scene in the movie "You've Got Mail".
9. To comply with US regulations, how often are commercial elevators inspected?

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

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.
Source: Author OldManJack

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rossian before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
1. Elevators! Average
2. Boilers Big and Small Tough
3. Machines that Made a Difference Very Easy
4. Gas Turbines Difficult
5. Boilers Average
6. Plug it in, but only if you have GFCI! Average
7. Boilers Steaming Along Average
8. Boilers 2 Tough
9. Steam Turbines Tough
10. Going Up the Down Escalator Average
11. Simple and Compound Machines Average

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