NSEW Quiz 2012

Level 1
Suggested for ages 6 to 10

Round 1: Our world in motion

Questions about the wonders of our world in motion

Round 2: Physics and Space

Questions about forces, motion, energy and space

Round 3: Engineering
Questions about how things work

Round 4: Chemistry
Questions about materials, changes and chemicals

Round 5: Biology
Questions about living things

Level 2
Suggested for ages 11 and above

Round 1: Our world in motion

Questions about the wonders of our world in motion

Round 2: Physics and Space

Questions about forces, motion, energy and space

Round 3: Engineering
Questions about how things work

Round 4: Chemistry
Questions about materials, changes and chemicals

Round 5: Biology
Questions about living things
Level 1

Round 1: Our world in motion

1) A tidal wave or tsunami is caused by what?

a) Strong wind

b) Very high tide

c) An earthquake under the sea

d) Speedboats

2) What is the fastest land animal?

a) Lion

b) Cheetah

c) Horse

d) Alligator

3) What in our bodies do we use to make us move?

a) Muscles

b) Bones

c) Skin

d) Hair

4) Which of the following cannot move on its own?

a) A human

b) A snake

c) A plant

d) A rock

5) Wind is the movement of what?

a) Air

b) Water

c) Dust

d) Ice
Round 2: Physics and Space
1) If the forces acting on something are balanced,
what will happen to the way it moves?

a) It will speed up

b) It will disappear

c) It will slow down

d) Nothing

2) A shark can swim fast because of its

a) Sharp teeth

b) Good sense of smell

c) Long pointed body

d) Patterned skin

3) Why is it dark at night?

a) The sun goes behind the moon

b) The sun is on the opposite side of the earth to us

c) The sun goes into the sea

d) The sun goes behind the clouds

4) An object that does not let light pass through it is called

a) Solid

b) Transparent

c) Opaque

d) Thick

5) If a loud car zooms past you, what happens to the sound it makes as it moves
further away?

a) It gets louder

b) It gets quieter

c) It gets higher

d) It stops suddenly
Round 3: Engineering
1) Which one of these is not a job for an engineer?

a) Building renewable energy generators

b) Designing computer games

c) Creating new fabrics for hi tech clothing

d) They all are

2) When was the first call made on a hand held mobile phone?

a) 1956

b) 1973

c) 1989

d) 2003

3) What is the fastest land vehicle in the world?

a) Ferrari Enzo

b) Thrust SSC

c) Williams FW33 formula 1 car

d) Volkswagen Beetle

4) An engineer who works to improve the natural environment is called

a) An aerospace engineer

b) A civil engineer

c) A mechanical engineer

d) An environmental engineer

5) Why is diamond used in in some drills and saw blades?

a) Because its really hard

b) Because it sparkles

c) Because its cheap

d) Because its light

Round 4: Chemistry
If you were choosing material to make a mop,
the best material would be one that is:

a) Hard

b) Dirty

c) Absorbent

d) Transparent

1) Which one of the following is a chemical?

a) Bleach

b) Sugar

c) Vinegar

d) They are all chemicals

2) If you hold an ice cube in your warm hand it will eventually turn to what?

a) Ice

b) Steam

c) Water

d) Chocolate

3) Which of the following is not a gas?

a) Carbon dioxide

b) Oxygen

c) Steam

d) Ice

4) What is dynamite?

a) A type of soap

b) An explosive

c) A type of toothpaste

d) Something you spread on bread

Round 5: Biology
1) Which of these foods does not come from a plant?

a) Carrot

b) Lettuce

c) Banana

d) Cheese

2) Which of the following is a predator?

a) Fox

b) Mouse

c) Rabbit

d) Pigeon

3) Which of the following animals moves by flying?

a) Horse

b) Grey squirrel

c) Penguin

d) Bee

4) What is the biggest fish in the world?

a) Tuna fish

b) Whale shark

c) Swordfish

d) Goldfish

5) What is the longest bone in the human body?

a) Thigh (femur)

b) Upper arm (humerus)

c) A finger bone (phalange)

d) Shoulder blade (scapula)

Level 2

Round 1: Our world in motion

1) What is the fastest animal in the world?

a) Cheetah

b) Sail fish

c) Peregrine falcon

d) The three toed sloth

2) What are the moving plates of the earths crust called?

a) Dinner plates

b) Tectonic plates

c) Volcanic plates

d) Hydraulic plates

3) When animals move a long way to another habitat in search of food, it is known
as

a) Immigration

b) Moving house

c) Migration

d) Displacement

4) The sea has two high tides and two low tides per day. What causes the sea to
move like this?

a) The gravitational pull of the sun and the moon

b) Wind

c) The earths magnetic field

d) The heat of the sun

5) What is the approximate speed of light?

a) Three thousand metres per second

b) Three million metres per second

c) Three hundred million metres per second

d) Three billion metres per second

Round 2: Physics and Space
1) What is the name given to the rocks
in orbit around the Sun between Mars and Jupiter?

a) Satellites

b) Moons

c) Asteroids

d) Kuiper belt objects

2) A wind turbine transforms movement energy mainly into what other form of
energy

a) Heat

b) Sound

c) Light

d) Electrical

3) How long does the earth take to complete one orbit of the sun?

a) A day

b) A week

c) A month

d) A year

4) What type of materials are good thermal conductors and good electrical
conductors

a) Plastics

b) Glass

c) Metals

d) Ceramics

5) In Albert Einsteins famous equation, E=mc2, what does the letter E stand for?

a) Einstein

b) Energy

c) Explosion

d) Entropy
Round 3: Engineering
1) Which of these famous engineering projects
was completed most recently?
a) The Millennium Dome

b) The Birmingham Bull Ring

c) The Channel Tunnel

d) The Airbus A380 superjumbo jet

2) How could an engineer help reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses we

produce?

a) By designing faster ways of digging coal from the ground

b) By studying the effects of greenhouse gasses on our climate

c) By building extra power stations

d) By designing cars that use less fuel

3) What kind of engineer might help to produce artificial limbs for humans?

a) Automotive engineer

b) Electrical engineer

c) Biomedical engineer

d) Aeronautical engineer

4) How are computers connected to the internet?

a) Through satellite signals

b) Through metal wires

c) Through optical fibres

d) Through power lines

5) What is the world speed record for a solar powered car?

a) 74 kilometres per hour

b) 88 kilometres per hour

c) 97 kilometres per hour

d) 115 kilometres per hour

Round 4: Chemistry
1) To separate solid salt from a solution,
what would you do to the solution?

a) Filter it

b) Heat it to evaporate the liquid

c) Drink the solution

d) Cool the solution to 0 degrees Celsius

2) A kettle boiling is an example of

a) An irreversible process

b) A chemical reaction

c) An oxidation reaction

d) A change of state

3) Roughly how many atoms make up the head of a pin?

a) One thousand

b) One million

c) One trillion

d) One billion trillion

4) Rusting is an example of what kind of reaction?

a) Reversible

b) Physical

c) Irreversible

d) Explosive

5) Which is the only pure metal that is liquid at room temperature?

a) Iron

b) Tin

c) Tungsten

d) Mercury
Round 5: Biology
1) Yeast and bacteria are examples of what?

a) Elements

b) Plants

c) Micro-organisms

d) Mammals

2) As well as certain nutrients and oxygen, what other three things do plants need to
grow?

a) Sugar, air and water

b) Carbon dioxide, water and light

c) Earth, wind and fire

d) Shade, air and sand

3) Which organ in your body contains hydrochloric acid?

a) Stomach

b) Eye

c) Liver

d) Kidneys

4) Excess fertilisers from fields that wash into rivers and streams can cause algae to
overgrow. What is the main problem with this?

a) The algae looks bad

b) All algae is poisonous

c) The algae smells horrible

d) Algae blocks out light, causing other water plants to die

5) What proportion of food crops are pollinated by insects, birds or animals?

a) One third

b) Two thirds

c) All of them

d) None of them