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Quiz about Famous Poles Nicholas Copernicus

Famous Poles: Nicholas Copernicus Quiz

Hello everyone! This is my first quiz of a planned long series of famous Poles! This one is on Copernicus, one of the fathers of astronomy.

A multiple-choice quiz by PolskaMan. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
PolskaMan

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
260,762

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
442

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Where was Copernicus born? Hint

Torun, Poland

Warsaw, Poland

Krakow, Poland

Rome, Italy

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Question 2 of 10

2. What did Copernicus study at the University of Krakow? Hint

Mathematics and Optics

Astronomy

Canon Law

Physics

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Question 3 of 10

3. What language did Copernicus translate Greek poetry into while a bishop? Hint

French

Polish

Latin

Italian

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Question 4 of 10

4. Whose astronomical system did Copernicus prove wrong? Hint

Sir Isaac Newton

Kepler

James Kirk

Ptolemy

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Question 5 of 10

5. Copernicus waited until he was on his death-bed before arranging for the publication of his book proclaiming that the earth is not the centre of the universe.

True

False

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Question 6 of 10

6. What was the astronomical theory that Copernicus developed? Hint

Accretion

Geocentrism

Heliocentrism

Gravity

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which Polish coin does Copernicus appear on? Hint

25-zloty

10-zloty

5-zloty

1 grosz

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Question 8 of 10

8. What was Copernicus' Polish name? Hint

Copernikus

Kopernikus

Kopernik

Koper

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Question 9 of 10

9. There is a Kopernik Space Center in Vestal, New York.

True

False

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Question 10 of 10

10. There are craters named after this astronomer on both the moon and Mercury.

True

False

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Where was Copernicus born?

Answer: Torun, Poland

Copernicus was born in 1473 to a middle-class family in Torun, Poland. If you were tempted by Krakow, just remember that's where he had his famous observatory.

2. What did Copernicus study at the University of Krakow?

Answer: Mathematics and Optics

It is true that also he studied Canon Law, but at the University of Bologna. His mathematics would come in handy later on.

3. What language did Copernicus translate Greek poetry into while a bishop?

Answer: Latin

Also for relaxation, he enjoyed painting. Many people believe that his life revolved only around science, but evidently this is not true.

4. Whose astronomical system did Copernicus prove wrong?

Answer: Ptolemy

Sir Isaac Newton came after Copernicus, and so did Kepler.

5. Copernicus waited until he was on his death-bed before arranging for the publication of his book proclaiming that the earth is not the centre of the universe.

Answer: False

That story is one of those myths about the life of Copernicus. It was, however, the case that he was for a long time hesitant about arranging for publication and waited till old age before doing so. It so happened that by the time the book appeared he was dead.

6. What was the astronomical theory that Copernicus developed?

Answer: Heliocentrism

Heliocentrism is the theory (proven correct) that planets orbit around a sun, not the other way around. The other way around is geocentrism.

7. Which Polish coin does Copernicus appear on?

Answer: 10-zloty

These coins were minted in Poland in honor of Poland's astronomer.

8. What was Copernicus' Polish name?

Answer: Kopernik

The suffix "-nik" means "One who works with copper." This probably referred to his ancestors, and obviously not Nick himself!

9. There is a Kopernik Space Center in Vestal, New York.

Answer: true

This observatory has a 6" Astrophysics Refractor, 14" Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain, and a state-of-the-art 20" Ritchey-Chretien telescope.

10. There are craters named after this astronomer on both the moon and Mercury.

Answer: False

One of the largest craters on the moon is dubbed Copernicus, but there is no such crater on Mercury. There is one on Mars, though.

Source: Author PolskaMan

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor DakotaNorth before going online.
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