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Scottish Inventors Trivia Quiz

Many of the great inventions of the world have been inspired by the ingenuity of the Scots. Everyone has heard of Alexander Graham Bell and John Logie Baird with the telephone and television, but how about some of the lesser known achievements ...

A multiple-choice quiz by BillMcC. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
BillMcC

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
311,971

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
703

Last 3 plays: Guest 203 (3/10), Guest 188 (5/10), Guest 86 (4/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. James Watt is sometimes said to be the inventor of this machine. This is not actually the case, although he was responsible for developing it. What is this invention? Hint

Chocolate fountain

Steam engine

MRI Scanner

Submarine

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. William Murdoch, from Ayrshire, has several inventions to his credit. This one may be one of his more obscure achievements. What is it?
Hint

Electric oven

Waterproof paint

Street lights

Post-it notes

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Charles Mackintosh of Glasgow - not the artist, came up with an invention that was first used on an Arctic expedition in the early 19th century. Any ideas what this one is? Hint

Snow plough

Compass

Waterproof coat

Dried rations

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Kirkpatrick MacMillan from Dumfries has a claim to fame that comes from an older idea, but it is his development of what that puts him in this quiz? Hint

SLR Camera

Wrist watch

Bicycle

Umbrella

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Robert William Thomson, from Stonehaven, invented another of the world's most commonly used items. Which is it? Hint

Hydraulic suspenion

Hovercraft

Car upholstery

Pneumatic tyres

6. James Chalmers of Dundee, yet another of the lesser known intellects in this quiz is an individual whose invention has become commonplace. Like all the best inventions it is in daily use by many, many millions of people. What do you think this is? Hint

Adhesive postage stamps

Washing up liquid

Bathroom scales

Shoelaces

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Alexander Bain from Watten, Caithness, came up with the electric clock, amongst other things, one of which was what staple of modern office technology? Hint

Facsimile (fax) machine

Electric stapler

Typewriter

Calculator

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. John Napier from Edinburgh, not only has a university in Edinburgh named after him but is known for promoting the use of the decimal point. What invention elevates him to immortality? Hint

Logarithms

Slide rule

Periodic table

Calculus

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Dugald Clerk, Glasgow, was knighted for his work in war time rather than his invention of what? Hint

Two-stroke engine

Gas fridge

Combine harvester

Hover mower

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. What did James Paris Lee, from Hawick, invent? Hint

Lea & Perrins Worcester sauce

Shotgun shells

Lees macaroon bar

Bolt action rifle

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. James Watt is sometimes said to be the inventor of this machine. This is not actually the case, although he was responsible for developing it. What is this invention?

Answer: Steam engine

Born in Greenock, Scotland, this man helped shape industrial revolution through the use of steam engines.

The first practical steam-powered engine was a water pump, developed in 1698 by Thomas Savery. This was followed by the first commercially successful engine in 1712. The atmospheric engine, invented by Thomas Newcomen, was relatively inefficient, generally only used for pumping water. They all of course came before Watt, whose contribution was to develop the steam engine for use by industry.

The electrical unit is named after him.

2. William Murdoch, from Ayrshire, has several inventions to his credit. This one may be one of his more obscure achievements. What is it?

Answer: Waterproof paint

Probably his best known invention is gas lighting and was he the first person to have it at his home in Cornwall.

3. Charles Mackintosh of Glasgow - not the artist, came up with an invention that was first used on an Arctic expedition in the early 19th century. Any ideas what this one is?

Answer: Waterproof coat

Mackintosh had the idea of putting a layer of rubber between 2 layers of cloth, thereby creating a waterproof material. This was then made into a coat. The significance of this invention is immortalised in the fact the we still refer to a raincoat as a 'Mackintosh' or 'mac'.

4. Kirkpatrick MacMillan from Dumfries has a claim to fame that comes from an older idea, but it is his development of what that puts him in this quiz?

Answer: Bicycle

Not the boneshaker or the penny farthing but the first rear-wheel-drive bicycle in 1842. How many bicycles are there world wide today - I wouldn't mind a penny for each one ...

5. Robert William Thomson, from Stonehaven, invented another of the world's most commonly used items. Which is it?

Answer: Pneumatic tyres

It was patented by Thomson in France in 1846. Many people believe that Robert Boyd Dunlop was the inventor of the pneumatic tyre; he did patent it in 1888, however two years later he was informed his patent was invalid as it had been predated by Thomson's French patent. Either way, both inventors were Scottish.

Answer: Adhesive postage stamps

As well as the adhesive postage stamp he is responsible for the implementation of uniform postal rates and was campaigning for improvements in the postal system from 1825.

There is a common belief that this invention was actually by Englishman - Rowland Hill, who, it has to be said is officially credited with this invention. His ideas were published in a series of 4 papers between 1837 and 1838 called 'Post Office Reform: its Importance and Practicability'.

However, Chalmers sent a letter ot Greenock MP Robert Wallace in 1837 and published an essay in Feb 1838 outlining his ideas which he originally thought of around 1834.

Chalmers was the person pushing for adhesive stamps when the penny post was introduced in 1840. Hill was in fact against the idea, only claiming credit after they became popular with the public. Hill then became a powerful person in the post office on the basis of this and as we all know its the winner that writes history. The credit still belongs to Chalmers. Let's start a campaign...

7. Alexander Bain from Watten, Caithness, came up with the electric clock, amongst other things, one of which was what staple of modern office technology?

Answer: Facsimile (fax) machine

Bain also invented the electric printing telegraph, and installed the railway telegraph lines between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

8. John Napier from Edinburgh, not only has a university in Edinburgh named after him but is known for promoting the use of the decimal point. What invention elevates him to immortality?

Answer: Logarithms

The slide rule was in fact invented by William Oughtred, and others, based on Napier's work. It has of course been superseded by the scientific calculator and ultimately the computer.

9. Dugald Clerk, Glasgow, was knighted for his work in war time rather than his invention of what?

Answer: Two-stroke engine

Clerk designed the two-stroke engine in 1878 and patented it in 1881. It was his knowledge of diesel engines and how they could be utilised in submarines that led to his knighthood.

10. What did James Paris Lee, from Hawick, invent?

Answer: Bolt action rifle

Lees family moved to Canada when he was about age four. However. his birthplace was Scotland making him the Scottish inventor of bolt action rifles. Notable versions include the Springfield model as well as the magazine fed Lee-Enfield.

Source: Author BillMcC

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