50/50 in Science IX Trivia Quiz

Answer: False

The symbol of copper is Cu, from 'cuprum', its Latin name, derived from Cyprium, after Cyprus. Copper is a reddish brown metal with the atomic number 29. Copper was discovered approximately 9000 BC. Copper is alloyed with tin to make bronze, with zinc to make brass, and with nickel to make cupronickel.

Answer: True

There are no super-Earths in our solar system. Super-Earths are defined as planets having masses between that of Earth and that of Uranus. Some super-Earths are rocky, some are watery, while some are gaseous. Super-Earths include 55 Cancri e, Gliese 163 c, and Kepler-22 b.

Answer: False

Outer space is a boundless vacuum with virtually none of the gases needed for life. Thus there is an abundance of harmful sterilizing radiation in space. Humans would need to wear space suits to venture in outer space. However, scientists have discovered that lichens can survive in space for extended periods without any protection.

This discovery supports the panspermia theory that life could transfer from planet to planet via meteors.

Answer: True

The light we see is in the same category, electromagnetic radiation, as ultraviolet, gamma rays, microwave, and radio waves.

Answer: False

It may look as if Earth is spherical, but it is an oblate ellipsoid, meaning the equator is slightly longer (by roughly 0.3%) than along the meridian.

Answer: False

Supercell is not even a biological word, but a meteorological one referring to a type of thundercloud capable of producing a tornado.

Answer: False

There is evidence that height does influence life expectancy. Studies (including by Samaras) have established that taller people have shorter average life expectancies than shorter people, although height only makes up 10% of the longevity contributor.

Answer: True

Nimbus refers to the most common type of rain clouds. They are low, dark and big that typically cover most or all of the sky. In fact, nimbus is a Latin word meaning rain cloud or rain storm.

Answer: True

4.5 is the sum, as well as product, of 1.5 and 3. I first got into math when I was nine years old, but I did not notice that 4.5 is both the sum and product of 1.5 and 3 until late Dec 2014! I knew ever since I got into math that four is the sum, as well as product, of two twos.

Answer: True

Gut is a technical term for large intestine and bowels. In the more scientific sense, gut is the digestive tube of an embryo, comprising of foregut, midgut, and hindgut.

Answer: True

It does sound illogical that ice can generate the plasma that makes up lightning, since ice is cold while plasma is hot. Actually ice can generate lightning when small ice particles rub against each other, producing static electricity, triggering lightning.

Answer: False

Aquarius lies mostly in the southern hemisphere, but a little portion of it lies in the northern hemisphere with the northernmost border barely north of the equator.

Answer: True

Gravity is the weakest of the four universal forces, but gravity acts over very large distances, even for galactic distances. On the opposite ends of the spectrum, strong nuclear force is the strongest universal force but acts only over subatomic scales.

Answer: True

Although asthma is commonly caused by allergens and smoke, air pollution containing gaseous industrial wastes can also cause asthma.

Answer: False

An object moving at a non-zero speed would take a finite amount of time to go for a finite distance, even when moving incredibly slowly while traveling an incredibly vast distance. So even if an object was moving at one inch per year across the universe for 93 billion light-years, it would take a finite amount of time, though an incredibly long time.

It would take about 34.5 billion billion billion years for an object moving at an inch per year to go all across the universe at its current size.