Planet Science Randomise

jump to main menu

competitions & quizzes...pit your wits & win with Planet Science

august sandblaster

It's hot, it's scorching - it's like a desert out there. It must be August!

So what do you know about sand? Find out by trying our sandblaster quiz and win the most fun thing you can eat ever, the ice cream making ball. Don't get sand in there though - go on, rinse your hands in the sea.

Click here for the answers...

01
 The world's biggest desert covers most of North America and an area around the same size as the United States. It is a desert of extraordinary variety. In some places temperatures can hit 550C or more, yet in other places frost can be seen during the winter! What is it?
The Sahara
The Serengeti
The Kalahari

02
 The dominant component of sand is silica (Si02). Silica can be found in many forms but the most common form is as a well-known mineral. What is this mineral?
Diamond
Salt
Quartz

03
 Hands up who's played with Magic Sand? Fascinating isn't it? The way it can be moulded underwater but when you take it out it's as dry-as-a-bone? The sand is coated with a chemical that repels water. What is the scientific name for such a coating?
Hydrophilic
Hydropobic
Hydroelectric

04
 Boroscilicate glass is known for its good chemical durability and thermal shock resistance i.e. it dosen't break when changing temperature quickly. This makes it pretty handy for cookware. It is made mainly of silica (70-80%) and boric oxide, but what do we know it better as?
Phythagoras
Piecrust
Pyrex

05
 The coloured sands at Alum Bay are formed by weathering and oxidation which cause a wide array of hues from reds and browns to yellows and greens. It's a popular holiday spot too, but where is it?
Alum Rock
Isle of Man
Isle of Wight

06
 The jerboa is a small jumping mouse-like rodent with very large hind legs and a long tail. It spends the day in a burrow in the desert and comes out at night in search of seeds and plants. This animal became the emblem of a famous Second World War brigade formed in February 1940 who fought Rommel in North Africa. What were they known as?
The Desert Bats
The Desert Rats
The Desert Cats

07
 The desert is home to some very strange creatures. The saw-scaled viper is a snake that moves in a way that cuts down the amount of time its body is in contact with the hot sand. It lifts the front part of its body and then the rear part, leaving distinctive marks in the sand. What is the name of this kind of snake?
Loopthelooper
Sidewinder
Adder

08
 So you thought building a sandcastle was easy - try building a sand sculpture that can withstand a force 7 gale! No such thing? Well apparently it all depends on the type of sand. It needs to be the sort of sand that can be piled up i.e. not smooth regular round particles. The best sand comes from the River Maas in Holland and is carried with the water from the Alps. Which UK seaside town is hosting the World Sand Sculpture Festival this year based on Ancient Rome?
Brighton
Torremolinos
Cleethorpes

09
 Sand dunes in certain places of the world are notorious for the noise they make as sand avalanches down their sides. Singing sand dunes indeed! The effect is caused by grains moving at different frequencies. This sets up standing waves that reinforce each other. What is this 'loudspeaker' effect known as?
Woofer
Residual
Resonance

10
 You're sitting on a bucket seat fixed to what looks like a flimsy frame of lightweight poles, bowling along the sandy seashore with hardly any sound - just the hum of the wheels, and the distant lapping of the waves. You're too busy hanging on to the rope that controls your sail to look around you at the spectacularly flat coastline. What are you doing?
Parasailing
Sand-yachting
Flying a kite badly

Answers

1= The Sahara • 2= Quartz • 3= Hydrophobic • 4= Pyrex • 5= Isle of Wight • 6= The Desert Rats • 7= Sidewinder • 8= Brighton • 9= Resonance • 10= Sand-yachting

Go to Quiz Menu

<< Go Back