Scientific Instruments Trivia

1. This box contains an instrument that is quite common in biology classrooms. It is used to greatly magnify very small objects. What's in the box?

From Quiz What's in the Box?

Answer: Microscope

The first compound microscope was invented by Zacharias Jansen. At that time, microscopes weren't used as scientific instruments because, when objects were magnified, they were very blurry.

From Quiz Measure, Calculate, or Compute

Answer: Time

Invented in 1737, by British scientist John Harrison, the chronometer was created as an accurate timekeeper for sea travel. They are usually used for celestial navigation along with a sextant. These clocks are extremely precise and lives depend on their accuracy.

From Quiz So You Want to Be a Calibration Technician?

Answer: Comparing a measuring device to a standard of known accuracy.

Calibration compares the measurement device to a standard, which in turn has been compared to another standard and so on, creating an unbroken chain of comparisons from the calibrated device to a national metrology institute (such as NIST in the US, or the NPL in the UK). This is known as "traceability".

From Quiz Microscope Parts and Lenses

Answer: Illuminator

The illuminator, or light source, is located under the stage of a microscope. It is either made of mirrors or an electric light. The object of the light is to give you a bright background so you can more easily see the object on the slide.

From Quiz Mount Palomar Observatory

Answer: U.S. Forest Service & some local ranchers

Hale purchased 160 acres of land by 1934. Mt. Palomar is located about 100 miles southeast of Pasadena, California. The California Institute of Technology, who owns and operates the observatory, is located in Pasadena, California. A six million dollar grant was provided by the Rockefeller Foundation.

From Quiz All About Telescopes

Answer: aperture

Although the biggest telescope may seem to be the best, don't bet on it. Aperture refers to a telescopes main optical lens or mirror. This relates directly to the light gathering and maximum resolving power of a telescope.

From Quiz Practical Astronomical Telescope Info.

Answer: 1/4 wavefront error

Wavefront error is a critical number given to optics in a telescope which gives the user an idea of just how good the optics really are. The higher the number (1/20 wave), the better the optics. 1/4 wave is considered standard among major manufacturers who often describe their equipment as diffration limited.

From Quiz Do You Know Telescopes?

Answer: The night sky

Of course, during the day, you can look at the Sun (please use appropriate filters to protect your eyes and the scope) as well as the Moon and some planets.

From Quiz Microscope Parts and Lenses

Answer: Ocular

The ocular, or eyepiece, is the lens you look through in a microscope. It usually has a magnification of 10X. Every microscope has an eyepiece.

From Quiz All About Telescopes

Answer: Hans Lippershey

The first telescopes used for astronomy were used by Galileo Galilei. Before his time they were used for navigation.

From Quiz Do You Know Telescopes?

Answer: Eyepieces

Eyepieces or occulars are used to change the magnification. Lower magnification allows for more field of view, higher magnification allows for more detail (usually).

From Quiz What's in the Box?

Answer: Ammeter

Ammeters measure current in amps. Tools that are used to measure current in measurements smaller than an amp are called milliammeters or microammeters.

From Quiz So You Want to Be a Calibration Technician?

Answer: Full Scale

Full scale is the highest reading a particular instrument range or scale can show. Another way to express accuracy is as a percentage of the measurement reading. The way these accuracy specifications are formulated depends on the measurement device. Analog meters, because of the way they're constructed are usually "spec'd" as a percentage of full scale. Digital devices are usually spec'd as a percentage of the reading, plus a small amount of the range or full scale.

From Quiz Microscope Parts and Lenses

Answer: Metal clips that hold the slides in place

These metal clips keep the slides from slipping off the stage. The stage is where you set the slide down to view. The slide is what you put your specimen in that you want to view.

From Quiz Mount Palomar Observatory

Answer: Corning Glass Works

Corning was successful on the second attempt to make the 200 inch blank. They originally cast two 40,000 pound disks. The first one was flawed. The second one took about a year to cool.

From Quiz Practical Astronomical Telescope Info.

Answer: Refractor

The refractor telescope is the most common type of telescope. Many people can get these relatively cheaply in department stores. They are a common starting point for the beginning astronomer.

From Quiz Viewing The Expanse

Answer: Mauna Kea, Hawaii

The Kecks are located 94 feet away from each other on an extinct Hawaiian volcano. Mount Graham is home to the LBT, or Large Binocular Telescope; Mount Pastukhov hosts the BTA, or Bolshoi Azimuthal Telescope; and in Chile you'll find VLT, or Very Large Telescope.

From Quiz What's in the Box?

Answer: Hydrometer

A hydrometer is made up of a thermometer-like glass stem with a larger bottom filled with lead or mercury. This lets the hydrometer sink so the density of the liquid can be read from the marks on the glass stem.

From Quiz So You Want to Be a Calibration Technician?

Answer: Adjustment

Remember, calibration is the comparison with a known standard. Adjustments are often performed to make the device measure more accurately, but are not specifically a part of calibration.

From Quiz Mount Palomar Observatory

Answer: Pyrex

A pyrex mirror does not expand and contract as much during changes in temperature as regular glass would.

From Quiz All About Telescopes

Answer: catadioptric system

In the 1930s, another type of telescope was put to use at some observatories. Using both mirrors and lenses, this telescope can make the image clearer.

From Quiz Practical Astronomical Telescope Info.

Answer: Millimeters

Almost every set of binoculars is measured in millimeters. ie- 10x50 -the "50" being 50mm lenses.

From Quiz Viewing The Expanse

Answer: Very Large Array

In the movie "Contact" you see Ellie Arroway visit the VLA, Very Large Array, in New Mexico. The VLA consists of 27 radio antennas in a radius of 13 miles (21 kilometers). She was not looking at the stars, but listening to them. You can visit the website for the VLA at: http://www.vla.nrao.edu/

From Quiz What's in the Box?

Answer: Calipers

There are many different types of calipers, including inside, outside, vernier, and digital calipers. They are made up of two jaws that clamp down on opposite sides of an object and an indicator of the measure (digital or manual).

From Quiz So You Want to Be a Calibration Technician?

Answer: Make the balance read zero, even if something is on it

Taring the balance with an empty container on it allows you to then weigh the contents of the container with the weight of the container automatically subtracted.

From Quiz Viewing The Expanse

Answer: Manned Maneuvering Unit

Basically, the MMU is a rocket inside a backpack. You may have seen this device used in the fantasy drama "Space Camp". Though it is no longer used, it served its purpose on three shuttle missions in 1984. A smaller and lighter unit, entitled SAFER, took the place of the MMU. SAFER stands for Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue.

From Quiz What's in the Box?

Answer: Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990, cost around $2.5 billion. It is still up in space in 2015, and continues to send pictures back to NASA to study.

From Quiz Measure, Calculate, or Compute

Answer: Wind speed

An anemometer is a common device, usually used in meteorology, for measuring wind speed. Anemometers are also used to determine wind direction and, using this data, a meteorologist can determine wind pressure. One of the most common anemometer designs consists of a vertical pole with horizontal arms. The anemometer measures the rotations and calculates the wind speed.

From Quiz Laboratory Labors

Answer: microscope

The invention of the single-lens microscope is credited to Zacharias Jansen (1580-1638). It is still debated as to whether he created a compound microscope, but it is documented that Galileo Galilei created one in 1609. Microscopes are much more varied today and provide feedback through optical, electron, scanning probe, and fluorescence scans. The oscilloscope measures signal voltages, the hydrometer measures the specific gravity of a liquid (e.g., measuring alcoholic concentration when brewing beer), and a scoopula (love that name!) is a small scoop to transfer solids.

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