Astronomy
Life Science
Earth Sciences
Physics
RANDOM!!
100
True or False: you can balance an egg on it's tip on the Spring Equinox
False!! gravity doesn't change with the seasons, only the amount of sunlight that we get. If you have skill you can balance an egg on its tip any day of the year!
100
Are dinosaurs truly extinct?
Nope! Birds are modern day descendants from dinosaurs! Cool fact: Birds are able to be both cold and warm blooded, unlike any other animal on earth.... except prehistoric dinosaurs!
100
What causes the tides?
the gravitational pull of the moon on the earth's oceans
100
Does a pencil lying on a table have energy?
yes, potential energy!
100
Can you ever really wish on a shooting star?
Technically no, because they're not starts! They're "space junk" that collide with our orbit and burn up in our atmosphere. They can be as little as a piece of dust to a big rock. So, I mean... you can wish on them if you like, but it's definitely not a star!!
200
True or False: The phases of the moon are caused by the Earth's Shadow
False! The moon is always illuminated by the sun, and depending on it's place in the orbit we only see what is illuminated.
200
Did humans and dinosaurs exist at the same time on the Earth?
No!! Don't believe those old silly caveman movies, we never existed together. Dinosaurs died out after the Cambrian extinction, along with millions of other species. Scientists believe that this was because of a meteor impact off the coast of Mexico. Not only does human fossil evidence not go back to this time, it's almost impossible that humans could have survived this event.
200
True or False: the sun is always directly overhead at 12 noon? Explain why or why not!
False! The angle of the sun changes throughout the year with the seasons. We experience the highest angle in the summer (duh, because it's warm) and the lowest angle in the winter (duh again, it's cold).
200
True or false: Heat and temperature are the same thing?
False!! Temperature is a measurement of average speed of particles, while heat is a measurement of energy
200
Name 3 effects that global warming could have on the environment
Glaciers melting, weird weather, species extinction, spread of disease, desertification, floods, Wind and ocean currents stopping and causing more weird weather, etc, etc...
300
What causes the seasons?
The revolution of the earth around the sun and the tilt of the earth on it's axis allows for a change in the angle of sunlight that hits a given area on our planet throughout the year. It has NOTHING to do with how "close" the earth is to the sun, because the amount that it changes throughout the year is very small and not enough to change the temperature of the planet.
300
True or False: Species don't choose to evolve, it just kinda happens randomly
TRUE! Evolution is a result of random mutation in a gene pool and natural selection through competition. Certain things can pressure evolution like an environment, predators, or competition with other species. This is why you see species that are very adapted to their environments. Biology is messy... only the strong survive!
300
Choose one of the following an explain how it came to be: 1. The grand canyon 2. The Rocky Mountains 3. Natural Arches in Arches National Park (DOUBLE POINTS IF YOU EXPLAIN ALL THREE!!!)
1. Erosion over millions of years from the Colorado river 2. Uplifting from plate tectonics 3. Erosion from sand and wind over millions of years
300
True or False: Everything has gravity
True! Gravity is related to size, that's why common every day objects don't seem to magically suck things in closer to them. But, anything that has mass, has gravity!
300
Is recycling the answer to our huge problem with trash?
For now... kind of. A lot of the materials we recycle can only be recycled a couple of times before their fibers break apart and become unusable. So, these things end up in landfills anyways. The solution? Use items that can be recycled more times, such as glass instead of plastic. Or, just reduce the amount of things you are using, and reuse what you can!
400
Why isn't Pluto a planet anymore? And did you cry when you heard about it??
When Pluto was discovered, scientists decided it was a planet because it was the next largest thing after Neptune. At that time they were unaware of the Kuiper Belt, which is a ring of large objects that orbit around the sun but are not planets. In 2006 a bunch of astronomers sat down and decided that it was time to actually define what a planet is, and they decided that in needed to be in orbit in line with the rest of the planets, and needs to have enough mass to keep a round shape. Pluto is neither of the above, and is now defined as a dwarf planet.
400
Do dark skinned people need to wear sunscreen?
YES! dark skinned people have more melanin than light skinned people, which helps protect us from harmful UV rays from the sun. However, some of these rays still get through, no matter how much melanin you have. So, even though dark skinned people may not get a sunburn after being in the sun for 5 minutes (like me), they still can get cancer, blemishes, wrinkles, and overall skin damage from the sun.
400
What is causing the hole in the Ozone layer and why is it a big deal?
CFC's (Chloro-Fluoro-Carbons) which is a type of gas that reacts with the ozone to break it down. CFC's are released in our atmosphere from spray cans like hairspray and shaving cream. It's a big deal because the ozone layer stop UV radiation from our sun, which can cause skin cancer, reduced fertility in humans and animals, as well as harm plant growth. Basically, if we don't fix it, we could be really screwed up!!
400
Name three ways heat can be transferred from one body to the next
1. Conduction 2. Convection 3. Radiaton
400
Can Energy be Recycled?
No, it can only be conserved. Every time you energy changes forms, some of it is lost in the form of heat. This is why we can't build perpetual motion machines, because energy always escapes. This process of energy becoming unusable is called Entropy.
500
How long does it take for light from the sun to reach the earth?
Around 8 minutes. The speed of light 186,282 miles per second! We're not as close to the sun as you thought, huh?
500
Are humans descendants of Chimpanzees?
no!! but we are kind of like cousins. We share a common ancestor, which is why we have many similar characteristics.
500
Is global climate change (global warming) real? If so, what causes it?
Yes it is real! It is caused by the release of CO2 into our atmosphere mainly from the burning of fossil fuels. CO2 is a greenhouse gas, meaning it traps heat from the sun in our atmosphere which can have all sorts of crazy consequences (hmmm that may be another question...)
500
You drop a bowling ball and a round pebble off a 5th floor balcony, which one reaches the ground first?
they get there at the same time!! Everything falls at the same time as long as they have the same amount of resistance. For example, a bowling ball and feather would get there at completely different times.
500
What is the most abundant element found in air?
nitrogen at 70%! Oxygen is only around 20%, and other gasses include argon, methane, carbon dioxide, and water vapor
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