Category: Brain Teasers

Trivia: Newton’s first law states that an object at rest does what?

Remains at rest
Has a mass of zero
Has infinite potential energy
Cannot be affected by gravity

Correct Answer: Remains at rest

So why is this answer correct? : Sir Isaac Newton is famous for his Laws of Motion. His first law says an object will remain at rest until an external force acts upon it. For example, a rock will remain at rest until it is pushed, pulled, or kicked. This law also says that an object in motion stays at a constant speed and in a straight line until an external force acts upon it.

Trivia: What is NOT a type of symbiosis?

Predation
Commensalism
Mutualism
Parasitism

Correct Answer: Predation

So why is this answer correct? : The four types of symbiosis in biology are mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and competition. Mutualism is a relationship that benefits both parties, like clownfish and sea anemones. Commensalism benefits one party and doesn’t impact the other, like a bird building a nest in a tree. Parasitism typically hurts one party, such as a mosquito biting a human. Finally, competition is when species compete for the same resources in one ecosystem, like sea sponges and coral or bears and wolves.

Trivia: The Earth’s surface is cracked into large pieces called what?

Continents
Pediments
Tectonic plates
Mantles

Correct Answer: Tectonic plates

So why is this answer correct? : The Earth’s crust is broken into large pieces called tectonic plates. Through a process caused by convection — extremely hot rock found in the center of the Earth — these plates slowly move to form mountains, rifts, earthquakes, and volcanic activity.

Trivia: What is NOT used by plants to create energy through photosynthesis?

Water
Sunlight
Oxygen
Carbon dioxide

Correct Answer: Oxygen

So why is this answer correct? : During photosynthesis, organisms take in sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create chemical energy in the form of glucose. A byproduct of this process is oxygen, which is emitted by plants and used by humans and animals. Plants, algae, and some bacteria all use photosynthesis to create energy.

Trivia: What is a process in which only genes capable of survival are passed on?

Extinction
Ecological succession
Metamorphosis
Natural selection

Correct Answer: Natural selection

So why is this answer correct? : Charles Darwin is famous for his theory of evolution, which posits that all plants and animals gradually evolved over billions of years from common ancestors. One key component of this process is natural selection, which states a species will adapt to its environment by passing down the strongest genes from parent to offspring. This is done through genetic recombination (the rearrangement of chromosomes in an offspring) and mutation (the material of a gene is altered).

Trivia: What can escape a black hole?

Light
Sound
Stars
Nothing

Correct Answer: Nothing

So why is this answer correct? : Black holes are so powerful that nothing can escape them — they can tear apart stars, planets, and galaxies. They are scattered throughout the universe and pull objects towards them with their massive gravitational force. As an object enters a black hole, it gets pulled in a long, thin shape in a process called “spaghettification,” a term coined by physicist Stephen Hawking.

Trivia: DNA is made of 23 sets of what?

Cells
Chromosomes
Atoms
Mitochondria

Correct Answer: Chromosomes

So why is this answer correct? : DNA is distributed among 23 sets of chromosomes, with one set provided from both of an organism’s parents. Chromosomes are numbered by size, with chromosome one being the longest. The first 22 pairs of chromosomes are called autosomes, while the 23rd pair is the sex chromosome. This DNA distinguishes biological female (with chromosome XX) and male (with chromosome XY) organisms.

Trivia: What is the primary cause of the Earth’s tides?

The moon’s gravitational pull
Earthquakes
Hydrothermal vents
Fluctuating air temperature

Correct Answer: The moon’s gravitational pull

So why is this answer correct? : While the sun also influences tidal movements, the moon has a greater impact because it is much closer to the Earth. As the moon orbits the Earth, its gravity pulls the Earth towards it, including the water in oceans and lakes. The displacement of this water causes high tides and low tides around the Earth during certain times of the day.

Trivia: What is the source of solar wind?

Comets
Black holes
Melting of space ice
Sun

Correct Answer: Sun

So why is this answer correct? : The sun continually transmits electrically charged particles and gas from its outer atmosphere into space. These particles form streams called solar winds, which carry particles toward Earth at 1 million miles per hour. The resulting “space weather” impacts Earth and other planets, causing damage to satellites and even electrical blackouts.

Trivia: In which part of the water cycle does water change from vapor to liquid?

Evaporation
Precipitation
Transpiration
Condensation

Correct Answer: Condensation

So why is this answer correct? : All of the water on Earth is constantly changing form on the surface and in the atmosphere in a process called the water cycle. When water falls from clouds to the Earth’s surface as rain, hail, or snow, it is called precipitation. Some of this liquid then evaporates from the surface into a vapor, which rises into the atmosphere and forms clouds. Water transforms from a vapor to a liquid in the clouds in a process called condensation, and the cycle begins again.