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A Few Facts on Meteorites Trivia Quiz

Here are a few facts about meteorites. I hope you learn something new about them. Good luck!

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

Author
Lpez

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
362,095

Updated
Mar 09 24

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
366

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. A meteorite is a solid rock from space that survives impact with Earth, but how is it called before the impact? Hint

Meteor

Meteoroid

Moon

Crater

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Question 2 of 10

2. Meteorites are made of some of the oldest rocks in the solar system, and they are said to be highly radioactive. Are meteorites radioactive?

Yes

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Question 3 of 10

3. What is the main criterion to name meteorites? Hint

The place where they were found

Names of songs by The Beatles

The name of the scientist who discovered it

None of these

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Question 4 of 10

4. Meteorites are not useless after falling on Earth. What is one use humans have given them? Hint

To make plates

To make computers

To make dog bowls

To make glasses

5. It is quite a problem to classify meteorites, as people have different theories about how they should be categorized. However, there are three categories that separate meteorites. Which of these is NOT one of them? Hint

Stony-iron

Stony

Igneous

Iron

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Question 6 of 10

6. In which continent of the world are meteorites most frequently found? Hint

Antarctica

Oceania

Europe

Africa

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Question 7 of 10

7. Meteorites have been found on other bodies of the solar system. Can you name the planet where they have proved to have been found?

Answer: (One Word, It's a red planet, relatively close to us)

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Question 8 of 10

8. On 1965, a big meteorite fell on a village of England. Which village, in Leicestershire, was it? Hint

Barwell

London

Chippenham

Reading

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Question 9 of 10

9. Should you discover a meteorite in the United States, which organization should you call? Hint

The Meteoritical Society

The International Olympic Committee

The United Nations

CBS News

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Question 10 of 10

10. If you find a meteorite in South Africa, can you keep it?

Yes

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. A meteorite is a solid rock from space that survives impact with Earth, but how is it called before the impact?

Answer: Meteoroid

A meteorite can have many different sizes, from being very small to being extremely large! A meteoroid is a small rocky body that travels through space, and it then becomes a meteorite when it hits the surface of planet Earth.

2. Meteorites are made of some of the oldest rocks in the solar system, and they are said to be highly radioactive. Are meteorites radioactive?

Answer: No

Contrary to popular belief, meteorites are as likely as ordinary terrestrial rocks to be radioactive (a likeliness which is very low).

3. What is the main criterion to name meteorites?

Answer: The place where they were found

Usually, meteorites are named after the places they were found in, or after a close region. If more than one meteorite should fall in the same place, they are given the same region name but with different numbers in them to set them apart.

4. Meteorites are not useless after falling on Earth. What is one use humans have given them?

Answer: To make dog bowls

As strange as this can sound, there have been people who have unknowingly found meteorites and used them as a blacksmith for making anvils, to prop up cars, and even to make dog bowls!

Answer: Igneous

While stony meteorites contain great amounts of silicon and oxygen mixed with small amounts of iron and magnesium, iron meteorites come from the metallic core of bodies like asteroids that have melted and split into pieces. Stony-iron meteorites come from the inner crusts of bodies such as asteroids.

Igneous is one of the three main classifications for rocks, as are metamorphic and sedimentary.

6. In which continent of the world are meteorites most frequently found?

Answer: Antarctica

Thousands of meteorites have been found in Antarctica, most of them small-sized.

In 2004, a meteorite hit Antarctica, which left 2 million pounds of dust in the area. That was enough to affect climate on the other side of the world!

7. Meteorites have been found on other bodies of the solar system. Can you name the planet where they have proved to have been found?

Answer: Mars

Meteorites have been found on Mars, and on the Moon as well. These meteorites, as well as the ones that fall on Earth, contain minerals that do not exist on our planet.

8. On 1965, a big meteorite fell on a village of England. Which village, in Leicestershire, was it?

Answer: Barwell

On 1965, a big meteorite fell on Barwell and Earl Shilton, causing no deaths but property damage.

The meteorite was called the "Barwell meteorite", and a piece of it can be found in a museum at Coventry.

9. Should you discover a meteorite in the United States, which organization should you call?

Answer: The Meteoritical Society

The Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society is in charge of approving names for meteorites. The organization requires you to donate 20% of the meteorite to the organization for research purposes if you happened to find a meteorite.

10. If you find a meteorite in South Africa, can you keep it?

Answer: No

According to the National Heritage Law of the country, you must surrender it to the nearest authorities. So if you want to find meteorites and legally keep them, don't go to South Africa!

Source: Author Lpez

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