Polly Gone and Other Mathematical Puns Trivia Game | Humanities

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Carrots are good for _________.

Answer: division

Carrots are good for division (the vision).

The carrot is rich in vitamin A. Retinol, which is also known as vitamin A1, plays an essential role in maintaining good eyesight.

In mathematics, division is one of the four basic arithmetic operations; the other three being addition, subtraction, and multiplication. Taking the example of 10/5 = 2, here, 10 is the dividend, 5 is the divisor, and 2 is the quotient.

2. The poet wrote his letter _______.

Answer: inverse

The poet wrote his letter inverse (in verse).

The word poetry is derived from the Greek word "poiesis", which means "making". English poet William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) is noted for his plays, sonnets, poems, and verses.

In algebra, the number 1/x is the multiplicative inverse of the number x. In other words, the product of these two numbers, 1/x and x, will yield the multiplicative identity 1. On the other hand, the number -x is the additive inverse of the number x. The sum of these two numbers will yield 0, which is the additive identity.

3. What do square plants often have?

Answer: square roots

The roots of plants absorb the nutrients and water needed for the growth of the plants. Some plants with edible roots include carrots, potatoes, and onions.

In mathematics, the square root of the number x^2 is x or -x. For example, the square roots of 9 are 3 and -3. The square root of -1 is denoted by the imaginary unit i.

4. A banana will definitely make an ____ static.

Answer: apex

A banana will definitely make an ape ecstatic. (apex static)

Bananas are rich in potassium, which is essential in regulating blood pressure. Scientifically speaking, the term "ape" refers to tailless primates, such as gorillas, gibbons, and orangutans.

In geometry, the apex of an object refers to its highest vertex (point). For example, the apex of a pyramid refers to the solid's tallest point, which is located at the peak of the pyramid.

5. What do people usually use to cut down trees?

Answer: axes

Axes are handy tools used to cut down trees. The axe is a type of wedge, which is one of the six simple machines.

In geometry, a Cartesian coordinate plane labels each point by referencing them using two perpendicular axes (the plural form of axis), namely the horizontal x-axis and the vertical y-axis. The Cartesian coordinate system is named after French philosopher and mathematician Ren� Descartes (1596 - 1650).

6. What did the young seed say when it grew up?

Answer: geometry

Geometry, as in Gee, I'm a tree!

Geometry is one of the many branches of mathematics. It concerns the study of the properties of space, including the shapes and distances of figures. One of the most notable and commonly-used subfields is Euclidean geometry, which is named after the Greek mathematician Euclid, also known as the "father of geometry".

7. My brother's face lights up at __________ of ice cream.

Answer: dimension

My brother's face lights up at dimension (the mention) of ice cream.

Mathematically speaking, a line has a dimension of one, a surface has a dimension of two, and a solid, such as a cube, has a dimension of three. In geometry, a tesseract has a dimension of four. The concepts of higher dimensions are used in the disciplines of mechanics, general relativity, and superstring theory.

8. I don't want all of the apple pie, but I do want ______.

Answer: sum

Some and sum are homophones - two words that sound the same, but have quite different meanings.

In mathematics, the sum of two or more numbers refers to the result obtained when these numbers are added together. For example, in the addition problem 1 + 2 = 3, the numbers 1 and 2 are called terms or summands, while the number 3 is the sum.

9. What vehicle do you ride to get to the capital of Italy?

Answer: rhombus

Rhombus, as in Rome bus.

In geometry, a rhombus is a quadrilateral with all sides of the same length. The name "rhombus" is derived from the Greek word "rhombos" which means something that spins.

Rome is the capital of Italy. The city is home to the Colosseum and the Pantheon.

10. All playgrounds need a swing rule, a jungle gym rule, and a _________ to keep kids safe.

Answer: slide rule

Playground slides, swings, and seesaws (also known as teeter-totters or teeterboards) are commonly found in parks and playgrounds.

The slide rule was first developed in the 17th century by English mathematician and clergyman William Oughtred (1574 - 1660). This tool is particularly useful in performing manual calculations solving mathematical functions and equations that involve multiplication, division, exponents, roots, logarithms, and trigonometric functions.

Source: Author Matthew_07

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Polly Gone and Other Mathematical Puns Quiz

"What do you call a missing parrot?" Polygon! (Polly gone). Ready for more mathematical puns? Match the given terms with the correct questions or sentences. Enjoy and have fun!
This is a renovated/adopted version of an old quiz by author fussballboy

Questions		Choices
1. Carrots are good for _________.		inverse
2. The poet wrote his letter _______.		sum
3. What do square plants often have?		slide rule
4. A banana will definitely make an ____ static.		rhombus
5. What do people usually use to cut down trees?		apex
6. What did the young seed say when it grew up?		dimension
7. My brother's face lights up at __________ of ice cream.		division
8. I don't want all of the apple pie, but I do want ______.		axes
9. What vehicle do you ride to get to the capital of Italy?		geometry
10. All playgrounds need a swing rule, a jungle gym rule, and a _________ to keep kids safe.		square roots

Polly Gone and Other Mathematical Puns Quiz

"What do you call a missing parrot?" Polygon! (Polly gone). Ready for more mathematical puns? Match the given terms with the correct questions or sentences. Enjoy and have fun! This is a renovated/adopted version of an old quiz by author fussballboy

"What do you call a missing parrot?" Polygon! (Polly gone). Ready for more mathematical puns? Match the given terms with the correct questions or sentences. Enjoy and have fun!
This is a renovated/adopted version of an old quiz by author fussballboy