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Quiz about The Magic of Physics
Quiz about The Magic of Physics

The Magic of Physics Trivia Quiz


It may seem like magic, but it's not; it's physics!

A multiple-choice quiz by salami_swami. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
salami_swami
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
329,606
Updated
Mar 10 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1633
Last 3 plays: Guest 125 (9/10), Guest 72 (5/10), Guest 73 (8/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. I am pushing on this boulder, but it will not budge. It must be magically glued to the ground.

But that's not magic, it's physics. Which of these laws makes the most sense for the rock not moving?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. I had to change the batteries in the remote control, so I grabbed a screwdriver and began unscrewing the screw. Like magic, the screw began coming out!

But wait, it's not magic, it's what concept of physics?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. I've changed the batteries in the remote control, and now the TV works. It's amazing how putting a new battery inside makes it work! It must be magic.

The truth is; it isn't magic. It's physics! Which of these explains what has happened to make the remote control work?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. I was opening a CD case, taking the plastic wrapper off when all of a sudden; oh, what's this? The plastic wrapper would not get off my hand. It was like it was glued onto my hand, but it wasn't. This just has to be magic!

But it's not. It's still only physics. Which of these is likely the cause of the mysterious gluey plastic wrapper?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. I felt like I had a cold, so I stuck the magic tube in my mouth. The silvery stuff went up the tube, and the magical tube told me that I did, indeed, have a fever.

But that's not magic, that's physics! What device (now banned in many countries), have I just used?

Answer: (11 letters; think "heat")
Question 6 of 10
6. Oobleck is a simple mixture of cornstarch and water. However, it is the most magical thing I've ever seen! If you push your finger hard and fast into it, it is a solid; but if you push your finger slowly into it, it's a liquid! I don't understand how it can be a solid and a liquid at the same time. It must be magic.

But it's not magic, it's physics. What might be the reason that "oobleck" is a solid liquid?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. When I throw a ball straight up in the air, or right in front of me, for that matter, it falls right back down to the ground, like magic! Otherwise, wouldn't the ball keep going and going, and never stop? Magic must be the only answer.

Of course, by now, you know that it's not magic. In fact, it's physics! Which of these is NOT a physics concept that might explain why a ball does not keep going on forever and ever?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Wow, I love watching a jet break the sound barrier. That cloud of smoke it creates it so cool! And I know just why it does that. It's magic.

No, it's not. It's physics. What type of wave is created when a jet breaks the sound barrier?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. I recently read a story about a cat who was turned into a magnet, but when someone did not like the cat being magnetic anymore, they magically turned "off" the magnet, and the cat didn't stick to spoons and refrigerators anymore! Someone say "MAGIC!"

"PHYSICS!" Sorry, no magic here. What is the process of demagnetizing?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. I am drinking a nice glass of ice water, and my ice keeps getting smaller and smaller. It is so magical!

Sorry, it isn't magic, it's physics. Which law of thermodynamics (which involves entropy) will explain the ice getting smaller?
Hint



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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. I am pushing on this boulder, but it will not budge. It must be magically glued to the ground. But that's not magic, it's physics. Which of these laws makes the most sense for the rock not moving?

Answer: Laws of Motion

Though all "laws" are physics concepts, only Newton's laws of motion describe what happened. There are three "laws" to Newton's law of motion. The first states that "an object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force". The second says that "acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass".

The law that describes the scenario in the question, however, is the third law, which states that "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". This means that force is applied to something (me pushing the boulder) and that something (the rock) pushes back with equal force, so neither thing moves.
2. I had to change the batteries in the remote control, so I grabbed a screwdriver and began unscrewing the screw. Like magic, the screw began coming out! But wait, it's not magic, it's what concept of physics?

Answer: Moment (torque)

Moment, also called torque, is the rotating around an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. It can be thought of as a twist. Examples include pivoting in basketball, where you are 'twisting' around the joint in the leg, playing on a seesaw (fulcrum), or turning a screwdriver (axis).
3. I've changed the batteries in the remote control, and now the TV works. It's amazing how putting a new battery inside makes it work! It must be magic. The truth is; it isn't magic. It's physics! Which of these explains what has happened to make the remote control work?

Answer: Capacity

Capacity is the ability to hold an electric charge. This means that a new battery has a capacity to hold a certain electric charge, depending on the battery. When it gets old, it no longer has an electric charge strong enough to work the device (such as a remote), so they need to be replaced. It is far from being "magic"!
4. I was opening a CD case, taking the plastic wrapper off when all of a sudden; oh, what's this? The plastic wrapper would not get off my hand. It was like it was glued onto my hand, but it wasn't. This just has to be magic! But it's not. It's still only physics. Which of these is likely the cause of the mysterious gluey plastic wrapper?

Answer: Electrostatics

Electrostatics is the study of stationary (or very slow moving) electric charges. This charge attracts some objects. For instance, if you rub a balloon on your hair or in the carpet, it will gain a negative charge, and it can stick to your clothing and body. Or, if you are opening a CD case, and the plastic wrapper is stuck to you, this is because of electrostatics.

Another example is rubbing your socks on the carpet and shocking people. We know all this to be 'static electricity'.
5. I felt like I had a cold, so I stuck the magic tube in my mouth. The silvery stuff went up the tube, and the magical tube told me that I did, indeed, have a fever. But that's not magic, that's physics! What device (now banned in many countries), have I just used?

Answer: Thermometer

A thermometer checks the temperature of something. The silvery stuff inside a thermometer is oftentimes mercury, which is the only metal that is a liquid at room temperature. It rises up the tube as you stick it in your mouth, because it gets warmer, which causes the mercury to expand.

Mercury is poisonous, and because of that, many countries have banned mercury thermometers.
6. Oobleck is a simple mixture of cornstarch and water. However, it is the most magical thing I've ever seen! If you push your finger hard and fast into it, it is a solid; but if you push your finger slowly into it, it's a liquid! I don't understand how it can be a solid and a liquid at the same time. It must be magic. But it's not magic, it's physics. What might be the reason that "oobleck" is a solid liquid?

Answer: It is a non-Newtonian fluid

Oobleck is a mixture of one part water to two parts cornstarch. This 'magical' substance is known as a non-Newtonian fluid. Basically, a non-Newtonian fluid can be described as a liquidy solid. Oobleck is such a fluid. At rest, it acts as a liquid, and can fill containers just as water would (albeit much slower). However, when you apply any sort of force to it, the substance hardens, thus becoming a 'solid'. For instance, if you put oobleck on a drum, it will start to "ooze" on the drum, but if the drum is beating, the oobleck will stop in its tracks, and seem to solidify. The vibrations from the drum keep the mixture as a solid. Once the drum stops vibrating, the oobleck will run as a liquid again.

If a large amount of oobleck is made and put in a large container, a human can run across it. This is because the force applied, in this case, the feet, is strong enough to keep the fluid as a "solid", but once the feet stop applying force, the human would sink in the quicksand-like substance, as it is now at rest and acting as a "liquid".
7. When I throw a ball straight up in the air, or right in front of me, for that matter, it falls right back down to the ground, like magic! Otherwise, wouldn't the ball keep going and going, and never stop? Magic must be the only answer. Of course, by now, you know that it's not magic. In fact, it's physics! Which of these is NOT a physics concept that might explain why a ball does not keep going on forever and ever?

Answer: Angular momentum

It is a combination of friction, drag, and gravity that bring a ball back to the ground. Of course, gravity holds everything to the earth, so that is a huge contributor to the ball falling back to the ground. "What goes up must come down", after all. Drag, or air resistance, is when the air is pushing back on an object, causing it to slow down. Therefore, a ball traveling in the air will meet with some air resistance. The air itself also causes friction to the ball. Friction can be thought of as the opposite of slipperiness. A ball is always touching air, so it always has something to "rub" against.

It doesn't matter what the mass of the ball is. Either way, it's going to fall back down to the earth!

If you have no gravity working against you, no drag, and no friction, theoretically, a ball will keep going in the direction you throw it, until it hits something or you stop it. But good luck finding a place where you can do that!
8. Wow, I love watching a jet break the sound barrier. That cloud of smoke it creates it so cool! And I know just why it does that. It's magic. No, it's not. It's physics. What type of wave is created when a jet breaks the sound barrier?

Answer: Shock wave

When a jet breaks the sound barrier, it creates a shock wave. The sound made when a shock wave is created is often known as a sonic boom.

A sound wave, or acoustic wave, is a wavelength in which sound travels. A microwave is an electromagnetic wave that is used in microwave ovens to cook foods, because these waves "shake" water molecules inside food so much they heat up. Seismic waves are waves created by earthquakes.
9. I recently read a story about a cat who was turned into a magnet, but when someone did not like the cat being magnetic anymore, they magically turned "off" the magnet, and the cat didn't stick to spoons and refrigerators anymore! Someone say "MAGIC!" "PHYSICS!" Sorry, no magic here. What is the process of demagnetizing?

Answer: Degaussing

Degaussing is the process of demagnetizing something you really do not want to be magnetized. It was named after Carl Friedrich Gauss, who was a magnetism researcher. It is not usually possible to completely demagnetize, or 'degauss', something, but you can get awfully close, as if it WAS completely demagnetized.
10. I am drinking a nice glass of ice water, and my ice keeps getting smaller and smaller. It is so magical! Sorry, it isn't magic, it's physics. Which law of thermodynamics (which involves entropy) will explain the ice getting smaller?

Answer: Second law

The second law states that heat cannot travel from a colder body to a warmer body. This means that the water is heating the ice, albeit very slowly, so the ice begins to melt, thus getting smaller. Entropy is a macroscopic property of this law.

The zeroth law of thermodynamics basically just defines temperature, the first law of thermodynamics states that the flow of heat is a type of energy transfer, and the third law of thermodynamics involves entropy at the absolute zero level.
Source: Author salami_swami

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