GK Quiz on Famous Scientists and their inventions
1. When was the first Lionel trains manufactured?
A. 1920
B. 1890
C. 1901
D. 1944
Answer
Answer: Option C
Explanation : Joshua Lionel Cowen and Harry C. Grant started the Lionel Manufacturing Company on Sept. 5, 1900 in New York City. The first train, which was called the Electric Express, was manufactured in 1901 and was an open gondola propelled by a fan motor. As time has passed, the trains have been made in different colors and styles.
2. What item, originally called the ‘Whirlwind’, was invented by Ives McGaffey in 1869?
A. Blender
B. Electric mixer
C. Washing machine
D. Vacuum cleaner
Answer
Answer: Option D
Explanation : Vacuum cleaner originally called the ‘Whirlwind’, was invented by Ives McGaffey in 1869.
3. Who invented Bakelite?
A. Charles Goodyear
B. Leo Hendrik Baekeland
C. Roy Plunkett
D. Henry Ford
Answer
Answer: Option B
Explanation : Leo Hendrik Baekeland invented the first plastic called Bakelite.
4. What toy was invented by Joshua Lionel Cowen around 1900?
A. Raggedy Ann doll
B. Yo-yo
C. Electric train
D. Tinkertoys
Answer
Answer: Option C
Explanation : Joshua Lionel Cowen (August 25, 1877 – September 8, 1965) was an American inventor and the co-founder of Lionel Corporation, a manufacturer of model railroads and toy trains. Cowen also invented the flash-lamp in 1899, an early photographer’s flash light source.
5. This African-American woman physical therapist worked with soldiers disabled in World War II. She invented a device that helped the disabled to eat by delivering food through a tube to a mouthpiece.
A. Bessie Blount
B. Marjorie Joyner
C. Mae Jamison
D. Beulah Henry
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : Unfortunately Blount could never get anyone to buy her invention. Finally, in 1952 she sold the rights to the French government.
6. Who invented the ballpoint pen?
A. Biro Brothers
B. Waterman Brothers
C. Bicc Brothers
D. Write Brothers
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : The Hungarian brothers, Laszlo and George Biro, made the first ball point pen in 1894. It followed the first workable fountain pen which was invented by L. E. Waterman in 1884.
7. In which decade was the first solid state integrated circuit demonstrated?
A. 1950s
B. 1960s
C. 1970s
D. 1980s
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : On September 12, 1958, Jack Kilby demonstrated the first working IC while working for Texas Instruments, although the U. S. patent office awarded the first patent for an integrated circuit to Robert Noyce of Fairchild.
8. What J. B. Dunlop invented?
A. Pneumatic rubber tire
B. Automobile wheel rim
C. Rubber boot
D. Model airplanes
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : Scotsman John Dunlop developed the first practical pneumatic tire in 1888.
9. Which scientist discovered the radioactive element radium?
A. Isaac Newton
B. Albert Einstein
C. Benjamin Franklin
D. Marie Curie
Answer
Answer: Option D
Explanation : Marie Curie discovered the radioactive element radium.
10. When was barb wire patented?
A. 1874
B. 1840
C. 1895
D. 1900
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : Joseph F. Glidden was born in New York on Jan. 18, 1812. He invented barbed wire in 1873 and was granted the patent on Nov. 24, 1874. After a three year battle over the patent, which he eventually won, Gidden became known as the “Father of Barbed Wire”.
11. What is the name of the CalTech seismologist who invented the scale used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes?
A. Charles Richter
B. Hiram Walker
C. Giuseppe Mercalli
D. Joshua Rumble
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : The Richter scale was developed in 1935 by American seismologist Charles Richter (1891-1989) as a way of quantifying the magnitude, or strength, of earthquakes.
12. What James Watt invented?
A. Diving bell
B. Steam boat
C. Hot air balloon
D. Rotary steam engine
Answer
Answer: Option D
Explanation : James Watt invented rotary steam engine.
13. Where is the village of Branston, after which the famous pickle is named?
A. Yorkshire
B. Lancashire
C. Staffordshire
D. Norfolk
Answer
Answer: Option C
Explanation : The village of Branston is in Staffordshire, just south of Burton-on-Trent.
14. Who invented Jet Engine?
A. Sir Frank Whittle
B. Gottlieb Daimler
C. Roger Bacon
D. Lewis E. Waterman
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : Dr. Hans von Ohain and Sir Frank Whittle are recognized as the co-inventors of the jet engine. Each was working separately and knew nothing of the others work. Although Whittle started first, von Ohain was first to design and develop a turbojet engine to power an aircraft. Of the many honors received by both, the most significant honor was probably “The Charles Draper Prize” in 1992 which was given to both Hans von Ohain and Sir Frank Whittle for their efforts and contributions to aviation and mankind. “The Charles Draper Prize” is recognized as the equivalent to the Nobel Prize in technology.
15. What invention caused many deaths while testing it?
A. Dynamite
B. Ladders
C. Race cars
D. Parachute
Answer
Answer: Option D
Explanation : Many people who tried to test the first parachutes died by jumping from high places. One attempt was a parachute hat, but the inventor broke his neck while testing it. The first successful parachute was tested from a hot air balloon in 1797, in France, by Jacques Garnerin.
16. Who invented Gunpowder?
A. G. Ferdinand Von Zeppelin
B. Sir Frank Whittle
C. Roger Bacon
D. Leo H Baekeland
Answer
Answer: Option C
Explanation : Roger Bacon invented gunpowder.
17. Until Victorian times, chocolate was thought of as a drink. When did the first chocolate bar appear?
A. 1828
B. 1831
C. 1825
D. There is no sure date
Answer
Answer: Option D
Explanation : No one knows for sure when the first chocolate bar appeared or even who made it, but an important event occurred in 1828. The Van Houten press was invented, which extracted cocoa butter from the bean – the same press that brought the Cadbury Brothers success with Cocoa Essence.
18. What now ubiquitous device was invented by Zenith engineer Eugene Polley in 1955?
A. Microwave oven
B. Remote control
C. VCR
D. Calculator
Answer
Answer: Option B
Explanation : The first wireless remote control for television was called Flashmatic.
19. What Benjamin Franklin invented?
A. Bifocal spectacles
B. Radio
C. Barometer
D. Hygrometer
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : Benjamin Franklin invented bifocal spectacles in 1760.
20. This part-time race car driver invented the bucket seat in 1969. Who was he??
A. Steve McQueen
B. Harrison Frazier
C. Paul Newman
D. John Wayne
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : McQueen invented the bucket seat in 1969.
21. What plaything was invented by Joe McVicker in 1956?
A. Silly Putty
B. Etch-A-Sketch
C. Lite-Brite
D. Play-Doh
Answer
Answer: Option D
Explanation : Play-Doh was invented by Joe McVicker in 1956.
22. Who was the first American female to patent her invention, a method of weaving straw with silk?
A. Marjorie Joyner
B. Margaret Knight
C. Amanda Jones
D. Mary Kies
Answer
Answer: Option D
Explanation : Mary was not the first American woman inventor to be sure, there were many female inventors before her, but they never bothered to get a patent.
23. Who invented Gramophone?
A. Michael Faraday
B. Fahrenheit
C. Sir Alexander Graham Bell
D. Thomas Alva Edison
Answer
Answer: Option D
Explanation : Gramophone was invented by Thomas Edison, Emile Berliner and Eldridge R. Johnson. Gramophone is also known as phonograph.
24. What furniture item was invented by California furniture designer Charles Prior Hall in 1968?
A. Sofa bed
B. Captain’s chair
C. Waterbed
D. Hammock
Answer
Answer: Option C
Explanation : Waterbed was invented by California furniture designer Charles Prior Hall in 1968.
25. The Manhattan Project was started by President Roosevelt in 1942 to ensure that the U. S. beat the Germans in developing a nuclear bomb. Whom did Roosevelt appoint as scientific head the Manhattan Project?
A. Robert Oppenheimer
B. James
C. Conant
D. Vannevar Bush
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : Leslie R. Groves, however, was the military head of the project and the overall supremo, while Robert Oppenheimer was the scientific director. The world’s first atomic bomb was exploded in the New Mexico desert on July 16, 1945.
26. What invention by Garnet Carter made its debut at the Fairyland Inn Resort in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, in 1927?
A. Miniature golf
B. Swimming pool slide
C. Ski lift
D. Golf cart
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : Miniature golf by Garnet Carter made its debut at the Fairyland Inn Resort in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, in 1927.
27. Who invented the phonograph?
A. Thomas Edison
B. John Kruesi
C. Jules Levy
D. Alexander Graham Bell
Answer
Answer: Option B
Explanation : John Kruesi was a mechanic for Edison, and Kruesi built the phonograph. Edison designed it, and later improved the phonograph.
28. What beverage was invented by Charles Alderton in 1885 in Waco, Texas?
A. Cream soda
B. Coca-Cola
C. Dr. Pepper
D. Sprite
Answer
Answer: Option C
Explanation : Dr. Pepper was invented by Charles Alderton in 1885 in Waco, Texas.
29. In which decade was the ARRL founded?
A. 1940s
B. 1930s
C. 1920s
D. 1910s
Answer
Answer: Option D
Explanation : On April 6, 1914, Hiram Percy Maxim proposed the formation of the American Radio Relay League.
30. Who invented the Seed Drill?
A. Jethro Tull
B. Arlo Guthrie
C. Woodie Guthrie
D. Thomas Hines
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : Jethro Tull invented the seed drill.
31. What drink was invented by Charles Leiper Grigg in 1929?
A. 7-Up
B. Yoo-Hoo
C. Pepsi
D. Hawaiian Punch
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : Charles Leiper Grigg (May 11, 1868 – April 16, 1940) was the inventor of Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime soda, better known by its later name, 7 Up. He invented the drink in October 1929.
32. For what is Charles Babbage (1792-1871) remembered?
A. Computers
B. Telescopes
C. Radio-Telegraphy
D. Steam Boating
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : Charles Babbage is known as the Father of Computing. He began his ‘Analytical Engine’ in 1833. The first computer, although he never completed it.
33. Who invented Automobiles using gasoline?
A. Leo H Baekeland
B. Karl Benz
C. Evangelista Torricelli
D. Kirkpatrick Macmillan
Answer
Answer: Option B
Explanation : On January 29, 1886, Carl Benz applied for a patent for his “vehicle powered by a gas engine. ” The patent – number 37435 – may be regarded as the birth certificate of the automobile.
34. Who invented the battery?
A. John Wilkinson
B. Alessandro Volta
C. James Hargreaves
D. Thomas Edison
Answer
Answer: Option B
Explanation : Alessandro Volta invented the battery.
35. The initials JCB on earth-moving equipment are those of the founder of the company that makes it. What is his name?
A. John Christopher Ballantyne
B. Joseph Cyril Bamford
C. John Christopher Baxter
D. Jack Croxford Baker
Answer
Answer: Option B
Explanation : Joseph Cyril Bamford founded the company that makes these iconic machines in 1945, in a 12ft X 15ft garage in Staffordshire.
36. What treat was invented by 11-year-old Frank Epperson in 1905?
A. Popsicle
B. Banana split
C. Cotton candy
D. Cracker Jacks
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : The next time you pop a Popsicle in your mouth, think about this: You’re enjoying the fruits of an 11-year-old entrepreneur’s labor. Back in 1905, a San Francisco Bay Area kid by the name of Frank Epperson accidentally invented the summertime treat.
37. When was Milk Tray first introduced?
A. 1915
B. 1934
C. 1923
D. 1942
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : Milk Tray was introduced in 1915 in open boxes arranged on wooden trays. Today, with its distinctive purple and gold cartons and popularised by the “Man in Black” television adverts, its one of the most popular chocolate assortments.
38. When was the toothbrush invented?
A. 1770
B. 1765
C. 1790
D. 1742
Answer
Answer: Option A
Explanation : The creator of the first mass-produced toothbrush is believed to have been William Addis of England in 1780. Addis had been jailed in 1770 for inciting a riot. In jail, he developed a toothbrush consisting of an animal bone and bristles made of pigs’ hair that were inserted into drilled holes and held in place by glue. After his release, he started a toothbrush manufacturing company called ADDIS that stayed in his family until 1996 and still manufactures toothbrushes today.
39. What item of apparel was invented by Ellery Chun, a Hawaiian clothing merchant, in 1931?
A. String bikini
B. Muumuu
C. Aloha shirt
D. Capri pants
Answer
Answer: Option C
Explanation : An Aloha shirt is a brightly coloured tropical print shirt that is a popular souvenir of Hawaii.
40. Who invented Fountain Pen?
A. John J. Loud
B. Sir Frank Whittle
C. Lewis E. Waterman
D. Kirkpatrick Macmillan
Answer
Answer: Option C
Explanation : Lewis E. Waterman invented Fountain Pen.