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the july holiday special


Going anywhere nice? Well, it's that time of year isn't it. We know you Planet Science fans are an intrepid lot so our prize is a fab day-sack plus a map case so you'll know where you are at all times.

What? You're just lying on the beach for a fortnight? Oh, OK….you might be able to answer these holiday questions then….


Paperback?

Flip-flops?

Sun cream?


01
How do the experts define sand?

Sand can be blown by the wind but sinks in water

Sand is yellow in colour

Sand is found only on beaches


02
Most sand is made of silicon dioxide, but in coral regions the white tropical sand beaches have loads of what?

Ice crystals

Calcium Carbonate

Peat rich soil


03
When we eat a stick of seaside rock the amount of sugar in our blood rises. Which hormone in our body controls the amount of sugar in our blood?

Insulin

Osetrogen

Thyroxine


04
What chemical in the skin is responsible for the brown colour of a suntan?

Keratin

Colatin

Melanin


05
Which vitamin does our body produce in response to sunlight?

Vitamin P

Vitamin Z

Vitamin D


06
It is common in summer for the nerves in the roof of the mouth to be triggered causing blood vessels to dilate (open) and giving the person a terrible, but brief, headache. What has happened to start this off?

They have swallowed sea water

They have eaten ice cream or had a super cold drink giving them a 'freeze head'

Too much sugar has given them tooth decay


07
Where in the world do most shark attacks happen?

Florida

Wales

Scotland


08
Why would sun seekers want to avoid Kauai, Hawaii?

It is infested with fire ants

It has up to 350 days of rain every year

Temperatures drop to -30C at night, even in summer


09
Why does damp sand stick together better than dry sand for making sandcastles?

The water dissolves the sand making glue

The sand grains multiply like bacteria when wet and become more compact

The water has a surface tension and acts like loads of elastic bands holding the sand grains together


10
The plane that takes you to your holiday destination is held in the air by the principle of…

Tuft

Waft

Lift


Answers

1= Sand can be blown by the wind • 2= Calcium Carbonate • 3= Insulin • 4= Melanin • 5= Vitamin D • 6= Eating/drinking cold items gave them a 'freeze head' • 7= Florida • 8= It has up to 350 days of rain every year • 9= The water has a surface tension • 10= Lift


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