9 for 10 Inventors Trivia Quiz

Answer: Germany

Felix Hoffman was born in Ludwigsburg, Germany. He studied chemistry at an early age and quickly earned his doctorate at the age of 24 in 1893. He synthesized acetylsalicylic acid, popularly called aspirin, in 1897. He was able to stabilize the compound which made available to treat certain conditions such as inflammation and pain.

While Hoffman is widely credited as inventing aspirin, the credit is not universal. Arthur Eichengrun, who was Hoffman's boss at Bayer, claimed many years later that he actually invented aspirin and Hoffman was just his lad assistant.

Answer: Underwater camera

Jacques Cousteau was a French explorer and inventor. He is best known for his undersea adventures. He invented the Aqualung, the world's first scuba diving gear, as well as the underwater camera. He called his underwater camera the Calypso camera after the ship Cousteau conducted much of research and exploration from. Improvements on the Calypso camera where made by Nikonos company and the underwater camera came to be known as the Nikonos camera.

Answer: Torricelli, Evangelista

Evangelista Torricelli was a 17th century Italian physicist best known for inventing the barometer. He was a student of Galileo and continued his work after he died. Torricelli wanted to prove that air functions much like water and invented a primitive version of the barometer to prove his point.

In addition, Torricelli also studied optics and created Torricelli's Law which is a formula for discovering the speed of a fluid out of an opening.

Answer: ENIAC

ENIAC stands for "electronic numerical integrator and computer". Eckert developed the computer during World War II to calculate ballistics for artillery and other weapons. It was also used study and develop thermonuclear weapons. ENIAC was extremely large.

It weighed at least 30 tons and occupied over 1,800 square feet. It was put to use at the University of Pennsylvania originally. ENIAC remained in operation until 1955.

Answer: Nitroglycerin

Nitroglycerin was synthesized by chemist Ascanio Sobrero in 1847. Scientists who synthesize compounds are often credited with having invented said item. Alfred Nobel was able to turn nitroglycerin into a explosive that could be used safely if properly utilized. He was inspired after an explosion killed several workers at the lab run by Alfred and his brother Emil Oskar.

Nobel's most famous invention is dynamite but he also created Gelignite and Ballistite. Gelignite is an explosive material made from wood pulp and nitroglycerin that is considered very safe and inexpensive. Ballistite is another explosive material. It is not very common and is sometimes used in the production of rocket fuel.

Answer: Bentz

Melitta Bentz was a German housewife who invented the coffee filter and filter system in response to her belief that coffee makers at the time were inefficient. Bentz noted that coffee grounds were often left in the coffee making it bitter. She invented the first coffee filter using blotting paper and a nail.

She sold thousands at a local German fair and she quickly went into business. She founded the Melitta company with her, her husband and her sons as the original four employees.

Answer: Electric car

Thomas Parker was a famous British inventor whose creations included electric lighting and lead-acid batteries. He is widely considered to be the inventor of the electric car. In the 1880s, he developed several prototypes of electric cars with rechargeable batteries.

The prototypes went nowhere because they were incredibly expensive to produce and many of the companies who funded Parker wound up going bankrupt.

Answer: Rubik's Clock

The Rubik's Clock is a two-sided puzzle with nine clocks on each side. Using wheels and buttons, the goal of the puzzle is to get all eighteen clock faces to read 12 o'clock. Some of the clock faces will move when more than one button is pressed or when a wheel is turned.

Answer: Greenwood, Chester

Chester Greenwood was just fifteen years old when he came up with the idea for thermal earmuffs. His grandmother sewed two pieces of fur to a wire, creating the first earmuffs. Greenwood patented the idea and went into business creating earmuffs, a career he held for over sixty years. Greenwood is also credited with popularizing the telephone in Maine, inventing a machine that produces wooden spools and patenting his own tea kettle.

Answer: Gutenberg

Johannes Gutenberg was a German printer and inventor who created the movable-type printing press which allowed for information to be widely distributed throughout Europe. Because of Gutenberg's printing press, pamphlets and other works could be mass produced and distributed.

This led to what is popularly called "the democratization of learning" and allowed for mass communication and distribution of ideas throughout the land. Gutenberg is best known for the production of Gutenberg Bibles.