Category: Brain Teasers

Trivia: What does a hygrometer measure in a greenhouse?

Hours of sunlight
Humidity
Inches of rain
Carbon dioxide

Correct Answer: Humidity

So why is this answer correct? : Hygrometers measure the amount of water vapor in the air, also known as humidity. There are different types of hygrometers, but one of the most common is used in greenhouses to help maintain the appropriate humidity levels. Aside from greenhouses, these devices might be used to measure the humidity in industrial spaces, saunas, and even museums.

Trivia: What nautical unit of measurement equals 6 feet?

Fathom
Shake
Cord
Foe

Correct Answer: Fathom

So why is this answer correct? : One fathom is equals 6 feet. The measurement was widely used to measure nautical depth from the 17th century onward. Before it was standardized, a fathom equaled the approximate length of a pair of outstretched arms, fingertip to fingertip. It comes from the Old English word “fæðm,” meaning “length of the outstretched arms.”

Trivia: The first mass-produced stopwatch was created for what?

Horse racing
Surgery
Military drills
Scuba diving

Correct Answer: Horse racing

So why is this answer correct? : During the 1850s, the American Watch Company introduced the chronodrometer to its product line. The stopwatch’s name is a combination of the Greek words “chrono” (“time”), “drom” (“running”), and “meter” (“measure”). It was the first popular stopwatch designed to time horses during the horse racing craze of the late 19th century.

Trivia: Where would an altimeter be most helpful?

Race car
Chemistry lab
Electrician’s tool belt
Airplane

Correct Answer: Airplane

So why is this answer correct? : An altimeter measures the distance of a point above sea level. This makes it a crucial device in aircrafts, letting pilots know how high up they are. Hikers and rock climbers also carry altimeters to track how high they have climbed. Most altimeters are barometric, meaning they determine altitude by measuring the air pressure.

Trivia: Who created the first vehicle odometer?

Nikola Tesla
Thomas Jefferson
Ben Franklin
Leonardo da Vinci

Correct Answer: Ben Franklin

So why is this answer correct? : Ben Franklin created the first widely used vehicle odometer in the late 16th century. During the founding father’s tenure as Postmaster General in 1775, he sought to improve efficiency by attaching odometers to mail carriages to measure the distance traveled. Before this, odometers were primarily used on ships to measure the distance of voyages.

Trivia: What piece of lab equipment measures liquids?

Crucible
Beaker
Centrifuge
Watch glass

Correct Answer: Beaker

So why is this answer correct? : Beakers are most commonly used in scientific experiments to measure liquids. They are cylindrical with straight sides, a flat bottom, and an open top. Beakers are often confused with flasks, narrow-necked glass containers that also measure liquids.

Trivia: What object was used to balance early scales?

Feathers
Gold bars
Wooden logs
Polished stones

Correct Answer: Polished stones

So why is this answer correct? : The earliest surviving weighing scales date back to around 2000 B.C. from the Indus Valley Civilization. From these artifacts, scientists deduced that the scales worked by an intricate balancing act — stones were placed on the plates on one side, and whatever was being weighed or evaluated on the other until equilibrium was reached. Polished stones for this very purpose have been discovered in the same ancient settlements as the scales.

Trivia: Before the invention of the gas gauge, how was vehicle fuel measured?

Transparent gas tank
With a stick
Shaking the tank
Calculating distance driven

Correct Answer: With a stick

So why is this answer correct? : Today, a gas gauge will alert drivers when fuel is close to empty, but before those sensors, there were sticks. Before there was a gas station on almost every corner, running out of fuel could be disastrous. Gas and automobile companies began offering fuel sticks — branded tools that people could insert into their gas tanks to see how much fuel was remaining.

Trivia: Who was responsible for standardizing kitchen measurement tools?

Nikola Tesla
Julia Child
Fannie Farmer
Thomas Edison

Correct Answer: Fannie Farmer

So why is this answer correct? : Thank Fannie Farmer for the specific measurement units found in most modern recipes. Farmer was an American cookbook author and teacher who worked as the director of the Boston Cooking School in 1891. She published her cookbook, “Boston Cooking School Cookbook,” in 1896, and it quickly became a standard text for aspiring cooks and amateurs alike. While measuring cups and spoons have been in use for centuries, Farmer created standardized tools that could be used for more accurate measurements — and more delicious treats — every time.

Trivia: Which of these measurement units was used first?

Fathom
Gallon
Centimeter
Cubit

Correct Answer: Cubit

So why is this answer correct? : The cubit, a length traced back to Ancient Egypt, is one of the earliest known measurement units. While cubits were generally measured as the length of the forearm (from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow), Ancient Egyptians also developed a royal standard, a black granite rod that measured around 52.2 cm in length. Cubits were used to measure in architecture and other building projects, and were taken extremely seriously; all other cubit rods needed to be measured to the royal standard for standardization, and failure to do so could be punishable by death.