General Knowledge for Smart Kids Quiz

Answer: Just over 8 minutes

Light travels VERY fast, 186000 miles in just ONE second, but the sun is so far away, that it takes just over 8 minutes to reach the earth. The sun is actually over 93 million miles away - give or take a yard or two!

Answer: Africa

Mombasa is a city in the country of Kenya, which is in east Africa. The city is on the coast of the Indian ocean, and is very close to the equator. Kenya is a beautiful country, with all kinds of wildlife roaming free. Many of the animals you see in the zoo might well live naturally in Kenya.

Answer: Plant

A cyclamen is a plant, with pinkish red flowers, which bloom in the spring. It will grow in any temperate climate, and is popular with gardeners. It is quite happy to grow indoors also, as a "pot plant".

Answer: Through adversity to the stars

Per ardua ad astra is the motto of the British Royal Air Force. Many military regiments and government organisations use Latin phrases as their mottos.

Answer: Tom, Dick and Harry

On the night of 24th/25th March 1944, over 200 captured Allied aircrew attempted to break out of Stalag Luft III. 76 men escaped before the escape tunnel was discovered. Of those who made it out, three managed to get home to the UK, 23 were returned to captivity, and the other 50 were killed by the Gestapo.

Answer: Doppler

When a sound is moving towards you, the "waves" that make up the sound are squashed together which shortens the wavelength and so raises the pitch. When a sound is moving away, the opposite happens - they are stretched out, and this lowers the pitch.

Answer: Canine

"Upper right 3" refers to the third tooth from the front, on the right side of the upper jaw, which is known as a canine tooth, and is used for tearing your food. European dentists group the teeth into four sets of eight teeth - 16 on the top and 16 on the bottom, each set of 16 are then grouped as eight on the left, and eight on the right. I am reliably informed, however, that the US uses a different system of grouping.

Answer: Electric Shower

Generally speaking, any electrical equipment designed to produce heat uses a lot of power. Modern electric showers can be up to 11Kw, compared to an average light bulb for instance that is only 40 to 100 Watts. A shower of course is only used for a few minutes or so at a time, whereas a light bulb could be "on" for many hours.

When it is being used though, an electric shower uses considerably more power than almost any other electrical item in the home. There are variations between different makes and models, but a refrigerator uses around 800W, a PC around 400W, and a 30 inch TV around 600W.

Answer: High blood pressure

Hypertension is the medical term given to raised blood pressure. This condition is very common, and if not treated can be very dangerous causing a strain on the heart, and possibly death.

Answer: Newcastle

Heading west from London, the M4 motorway (freeway) goes past Reading, Swindon, and Bristol, and then heads on into south Wales. Newcastle is several hundred miles north.