Inventions Quiz: 15 Questions on Inventors
From the printing press to the internet, inventions have shaped our world. Do you know the great innovations that changed the course of history? Put yourself to the test!
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Frequently asked questions: Inventions and Inventors
Here is a preview of what awaits you in this inventions and inventors quiz: 15 multiple choice questions, each with a detailed explanation so you can learn while you play. Here are a few example questions (and their answers, so no peeking before you play!).
In which year did Johannes Gutenberg invent movable-type printing in Europe?
Answer: Around 1450. Johannes Gutenberg developed printing with movable metal type around 1450 in Mainz, Germany. His Gutenberg Bible (around 1455) is considered the first book to be mass-produced in Europe.
Who is credited with inventing the commercially viable incandescent light bulb?
Answer: Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison is credited with inventing the commercially viable incandescent bulb in 1879. Although other inventors had worked on the concept, Edison found a durable carbon filament that lasted for more than 1,000 hours.
In which year did Edward Jenner develop the first vaccine?
Answer: 1796. Edward Jenner carried out the first vaccination in 1796 by inoculating a child with the cowpox virus (the disease of cows) to protect them from human smallpox. This was the birth of modern vaccination.
Which everyday object was invented by accident by Percy Spencer in 1945 after he noticed that a chocolate bar had melted in his pocket?
Answer: The microwave oven. Percy Spencer, an engineer at Raytheon, discovered the cooking properties of microwaves in 1945 when he noticed that a chocolate bar had melted in his pocket near a radar magnetron. The first commercial microwave oven came out in 1947.
Which invention, patented by Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil in 1942 and intended to guide torpedoes, is the origin of modern Wi-Fi and Bluetooth?
Answer: Frequency-hopping spread spectrum. Hedy Lamarr, a famous Hollywood actress, and the composer George Antheil patented a frequency-hopping communication system in 1942 to prevent radio-controlled torpedoes from being jammed. This principle is the basis of modern wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.
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