Inventions Quiz: Accidents, Geniuses and Weird Origins

Inventions Quiz: Accidents, Geniuses and Weird Origins: questions and answers

Try to answer first, then tap a question to see the answer.

1. Post-it notes started with a glue that was... Too weak · Too strong · Too smelly

   Too weak – Spencer Silver made the weak glue in 1968. Post-its hit shops in 1980.

2. Which toy started life as a wallpaper cleaner? Slime · Play-Doh · LEGO

   Play-Doh – It cleaned soot off walls before kids got their hands on it.

3. Coca-Cola was first sold as a medicine.

   True – Pharmacist John Pemberton sold it in 1886 as a 'brain tonic'.

4. The Slinky was invented by an engineer who dropped a... Pen · Coin · Spring

   Spring

5. An 11-year-old invented which frozen treat in 1905? The popsicle · The ice cream cone · The snow cone

   The popsicle – Frank Epperson left soda with a stick outside on a cold night.

6. What inspired Velcro? A bird's feet · Burrs stuck to a dog · Gecko toes

   Burrs stuck to a dog

7. Bubble wrap was first meant to be sold as... Packing · A pool cover · Wallpaper

   Wallpaper

8. Cotton candy was co-invented by a... Dentist · Baker · Farmer

   Dentist – Dentist William Morrison sold it as 'Fairy Floss'.

9. Corn flakes were first made by... A farmer · Two brothers at a health spa · A baker in Paris

   Two brothers at a health spa

10. Super Glue was found while trying to make... Fake teeth · Car paint · Clear gun sights

    Clear gun sights – Harry Coover first rejected it for being too sticky!

11. Which of these began as a ride at Coney Island in 1896? Escalator · Ferris wheel · Carousel

    Escalator – Jesse Reno's moving slope was a fairground ride before it was a staircase.

12. Why is bubble gum usually pink? It tastes better · Only dye on hand · Kids voted for it

    Only dye on hand

13. Thomas Edison made the very first light bulb.

    False – Others made glowing bulbs decades earlier. Edison made one last.

14. The world's first traffic light, in 1868, was in which city? New York · Paris · London

    London

15. Monopoly grew from an older game made to show that... Landlords are unfair · Banks are safe · Saving pays off

    Landlords are unfair – Lizzie Magie patented 'The Landlord's Game' in 1904.

16. The barcode idea was first drawn where? On a napkin · In beach sand · On a train ticket

    In beach sand – Joseph Woodland stretched Morse code dots and dashes into lines.

17. Which animal inspired the reflectors in the middle of roads? Owl · Firefly · Cat

    Cat

18. Which car maker gave away its seat belt patent for free? Volvo · Ford · Toyota

    Volvo

19. The QR code was inspired by which board game? Chess · Go · Checkers

    Go – Its Japanese inventor noticed the black and white stones on a Go board.

20. The first Ferris wheel, in 1893, was built to top... The Statue of Liberty · Big Ben · The Eiffel Tower

    The Eiffel Tower

21. Ketchup was once sold as a medicine.

    True

22. What was the first chainsaw made for? Cutting ice · Surgery · Logging

    Surgery – Two Scottish doctors built it in the late 1700s for hard births.

23. Frisbees are named after a... Pie company · Famous dog · College coach

    Pie company

24. The world's first webcam, in 1991, watched a... Fish tank · Parking lot · Coffee pot

    Coffee pot – Cambridge scientists wanted to know if the pot was empty before walking over.

25. What did Josephine Cochrane invent in 1886? Dishwasher · Washing machine · Vacuum cleaner

    Dishwasher

26. By weight, Kevlar is how many times stronger than steel? 2 · 5 · 50

    5

27. Saccharin was found when a chemist forgot to... Turn off a burner · Close a jar · Wash his hands

    Wash his hands

28. A dropped flask cracked but kept its shape. That led to... Safety glass · Bulletproof vests · Fiberglass

    Safety glass – Its inside was coated with a thin plastic film.

29. Silly Putty came from research into... Chewing gum · Fake rubber · Clay pots

    Fake rubber

30. Which one was NOT invented by accident? Super Glue · Saccharin · Safety glass · Airplane

    Airplane – The Wright brothers spent years testing gliders, on purpose.

31. Which country built the first hovercraft? Japan · United States · United Kingdom

    United Kingdom

32. The Etch A Sketch was invented in France.

    True

33. Stainless steel was found by a man searching for better... Kitchen knives · Gun barrels · Coins

    Gun barrels

34. Which came first: the lighter or the friction match? The lighter · The match · Same year

    The lighter – Döbereiner's lamp lit gas in 1823. Friction matches came in 1826.

35. Charles Goodyear made rubber tough by accidentally... Freezing it · Soaking it in salt · Dropping it on a hot stove

    Dropping it on a hot stove

36. Where did the ice cream cone become famous? 1904 World's Fair · A circus · An Italian beach

    1904 World's Fair

37. The pacemaker was invented thanks to a... Spilled drink · Wrong part · Power cut

    Wrong part

38. The first Jacuzzi pump was made to help a... Tired athlete · Sick horse · Boy with arthritis

    Boy with arthritis – Candido Jacuzzi built it for his son's arthritis.

39. X-rays were found in 1895 when what started to glow across a dark room? A screen · A light bulb · A clock face

    A screen – Wilhelm Röntgen saw a coated screen glow from rays he couldn't see.

40. Which is older: the stapler or the paper clip? The paper clip · The stapler · Same decade

    The stapler – Staplers were patented in the 1870s, the Gem paper clip came in the 1890s.

41. Which was invented first: the pencil eraser or the bicycle? The eraser · The bicycle · Same decade

    The eraser