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

spring clean challenge...


How horrid is your home? Hopefully not as horrid as this quiz! Gross yourself out with our spring cleaning special.

If you get 10 out of 10 you stand to win a one of these little suckers, a Dirt Devil, for your car, under your bed or the tops of your wardrobes. All together now:

Vvvvrrrrooooooooooooooo...


01
Dust mites prefer to feed on which part of our house dust?

Fluff from clothing and carpets.

Dead skin cells from humans and animals.

Cigarette ash.


02
Mice sneak into houses through very small cracks. What size of hole can a mouse just squeeze through?

1 mm

6 mm

2 cm


03
Calcium bicarbonate in hard water leaves a residue of calcium carbonate on showers and sinks. If you don’t have a water softener how can you get rid of the residue?

Rinse with water - calcium carbonate is soluble.

Soak with an acid, like vinegar - the end result is soluble.

Leave with mildew growing on it - eventually the mildew will break it down.


04
Which of these pests are you very unlikely (and unlucky) to find in your home?

Biscuit beetle

Silverfish

Black widow spider


05 Most bacteria living on food multiply between what temperatures?

-20 C – 0 C

0 C – 100 C

5 C – 60 C


06 And since many bacteria can double in number every 20 minutes, in 8 hours how many bacteria can grow from just one single cell?

16,000

16,000,000

16,000,000,000


07
Dr. Charles Gerba, an environmental microbiologist has suggested that one object in the house may frequently harbour salmonella bacteria. Which object is it?

Toilet seat

Kitchen sponge

Kettle


08
This scientist went on to find out which room in the house contained the most bacteria. What room was it?

Kitchen

Bathroom

Bedroom


09
What gas can be given off if you mix the two cleaning products bleach and acidic toilet cleaner?

Carbon Dioxide

Chlorine

Nitrogen


10
People who are allergic to cats and dogs are generally allergic to what?

The mud the animals track into the house.

The parasites they catch when outside.

Proteins in their dead skin cells which they drop all over the house.


Answers

1= Dead skin cells • 2= 6mm • 3= Soak with an acid • 4= Black widow spider • 5= 5c - 60c • 6= 16,000,000 • 7= Kitchen sponge • 8= Kitchen • 9= Cholrine • 10= Proteins in their dead skin cells




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