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10th December 2004 Issue: 13

In this week’s Hay-Wire, put yourself in Father Christmas’s boots...

Are you sussed up enough on science to be Santa? Answer the following questions, check your answers at the end and add up your score to find out.
Question 1

As Father Christmas you have lots of reindeer to look after. Reindeer have antlers to fight off other animals and to dig for food in the snow. They also have large hooves to walk on the snow and to stop them from slipping over, but what would you feed your reindeers?

a) Mince pies

b) Chicken curry

c) Grasses, plants and mushrooms
Question 2

Once you’ve fed the reindeer, it’s time to check the weather to prepare for your trip around the world. If it snows then it could take you longer to deliver all the presents. At what temperature does water freeze and become ice?

a) 0ºC

b) 100ºC

c) 1000ºC
Question 3

Now it’s time to attach your sleigh to the reindeer. The sleigh is smooth underneath so that it slides easily along the snow. If the sleigh was rough then a force called friction would make it difficult for the sleigh to move. Snow is also smooth and slippery so we can say it:

a) causes lots of friction

or

b) causes little friction
Question 4

As you deliver the presents, you stop your reindeer to take a look at a beautiful Christmas tree. Do you know the special name for trees that keep their leaves all year round?

a) Magic

b) Deciduous

c) Evergreen
Question 5

Finally, you need a good sense of humour to be Santa. If Rudolph told you this joke would you think it was funny?

Q) What does Santa suffer from when he gets stuck down a chimney?

A) ‘CLAUS-trophobia!’

a) That joke was funny!

b) I did not laugh...
CHECK YOUR SCORES:

1 a) 0 points, b) 0 points, c) 5 points
2 a) 5 points, b) 0 points, c) 0 points
3 a) 0 points, b) 5 points, c) 0 points
4 a) 0 points, b) 0 points, c) 5 points
5 a) 5 points, b) 0 points, c) 0 points
IF YOU SCORED:

0 – 10 points

Unfortunately you’d really get stuck up a chimney if you had to fill Santa’s boots for one day. I suggest you start as one of Santa’s little helpers and maybe work your way up!

15 – 25 points

You certainly wouldn’t forget the magic dust if you had to deliver all those presents. You are a science Santa in the making so go straight to the top of your science class!
INFORMATION OVERLOAD

Until next week, why not ask your friends to join the Hay-Wire Club? They can visit the Clubhouse for more details at:

http://www.planet-science.com/wired/hay-wire/clubhouse

We still have some Frisbees left for the new members!

Bye for now!