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National Science Week Trivia
Science
A comprehensive trivia quiz covering various scientific disciplines, including space, extreme, living, medical, tiny, earth, chemical, prehistoric, cutting-edge, and adult-only science. It includes multiple-choice questions, true/false, and short answer formats.
Astronomy
Biology
Physics
45 Questions
Medium
Ages 12+
Mar 7, 2026
About this Study Set
This study set covers Science through
45 practice questions.
A comprehensive trivia quiz covering various scientific disciplines, including space, extreme, living, medical, tiny, earth, chemical, prehistoric, cutting-edge, and adult-only science. It includes multiple-choice questions, true/false, and short answer formats. Every question includes the correct answer so you can learn as you go — pick any format above to get started.
Questions & Answers
Browse all 45 questions from the
National Science Week Trivia study set below.
Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.
1
National Science Week is Australia's annual celebration of what?
-
A
All things art and culture
-
B
All things science and technology
-
C
All things history and heritage
-
D
All things literature and language
2
What is the name of the astronaut who hit a golf ball on the Moon?
-
A
Buzz Aldrin
-
B
Neil Armstrong
-
C
Alan Shepard
-
D
John Glenn
3
Which planet in the Solar System has a surface gravity closest to that of Earth?
-
A
Mars
-
B
Jupiter
-
C
Saturn
-
D
Venus
4
What type of animal was the first living thing launched into space by humans?
-
A
Dog
-
B
Monkey
-
C
Cat
-
D
Mouse
5
What was the name of the first living thing launched into space?
-
A
Laika
-
B
Belka
-
C
Strelka
-
D
Ham
6
What is thought to be at the centre of most galaxies in the Universe?
-
A
Supernova
-
B
Supermassive black hole
-
C
Pulsar
-
D
Planetary nebula
7
Apart from the Sun, what is the closest star to the Earth?
-
A
Sirius
-
B
Alpha Centauri
-
C
Proxima Centauri
-
D
Betelgeuse
8
How long does it take light from the surface of the Sun to reach the Earth?
-
A
8 seconds
-
B
8 minutes
-
C
8 hours
-
D
8 days
9
Eris, Haumea, Makemake and Ceres are all examples of what?
-
A
Comets
-
B
Asteroids
-
C
Dwarf planets
-
D
Moons
10
According to stories from many Indigenous Australian groups, what animal can be seen in the dark patches of the Milky Way?
-
A
Kangaroo
-
B
Emu
-
C
Koala
-
D
Dingo
11
The International Space Station orbits the Earth at a speed of nearly:
-
A
30 kilometres per hour
-
B
300 kilometres per hour
-
C
3000 kilometres per hour
-
D
30 000 kilometres per hour
12
Who was the first person to observe a moon orbiting a planet other than the Earth?
-
A
Isaac Newton
-
B
Galileo Galilei
-
C
Johannes Kepler
-
D
Nicolaus Copernicus
13
Where is the coldest place on Earth?
-
A
Siberia
-
B
Greenland
-
C
Antarctica
-
D
Mount Everest
14
Which Australian state or territory has recorded the highest maximum daily temperature?
-
A
New South Wales
-
B
Victoria
-
C
Western Australia
-
D
Queensland
15
What is the largest living organism on Earth?
-
A
Blue whale
-
B
Giant sequoia tree
-
C
Honey fungus
-
D
Great Barrier Reef
16
What racquet sport has the fastest recorded hit?
-
A
Tennis
-
B
Badminton
-
C
Squash
-
D
Table Tennis
17
Where is the smallest bone in the human body?
-
A
Finger
-
B
Toe
-
C
Ear
-
D
Nose
18
Where is the largest muscle in the human body?
-
A
Thigh
-
B
Arm
-
C
Back
-
D
Buttocks
19
What is the strongest known material?
-
A
Diamond
-
B
Graphene
-
C
Spider silk
-
D
Steel
20
What is the hottest planet in the Solar System?
-
A
Mercury
-
B
Venus
-
C
Earth
-
D
Mars
21
What is the deadliest animal on Earth?
-
A
Shark
-
B
Snake
-
C
Mosquito
-
D
Lion
22
What was the loudest reported sound on Earth?
-
A
A rocket launch
-
B
A nuclear explosion
-
C
The eruption of Mount Krakatoa
-
D
A thunderclap
23
Which of the following might you find communicating by doing a 'waggle dance'?
-
A
Brolga
-
B
Bee
-
C
Brown bear
-
D
Beyoncé
24
True or false? The male platypus is venomous.
25
What does a female spider wasp usually do with a captured huntsman spider?
-
A
Eat it
-
B
Use it for nest building
-
C
Lay an egg inside it
-
D
Release it
26
What Australian national symbol could be described as featuring living things with the scientific names: Dromaius, Macropus and Acacia?
-
A
Australian Coat of Arms
-
B
Australian Flag
-
C
Great Seal of Australia
-
D
Australian Parliament
27
In Australia, what animal is most likely to kill you?
-
A
Snake
-
B
Spider
-
C
Shark
-
D
Horse
28
Why was the cane toad introduced to Australia?
-
A
To control pests in sugarcane crops
-
B
As a food source
-
C
For scientific research
-
D
To create a new pet species
29
What animal has the greatest recorded bite force?
-
A
Great White Shark
-
B
Hippopotamus
-
C
Saltwater crocodile
-
D
Tiger
30
The world's largest species of earthworm is native to a small area of Victoria. To the nearest metre, how long can these worms grow?
-
A
1 metre
-
B
2 metres
-
C
3 metres
-
D
5 metres
31
In addition to the senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing, sharks have another sense. What can they detect?
-
A
Heat
-
B
Magnetic fields
-
C
Electrical fields
-
D
Infrared radiation
32
If a human's average heart rate is about 60-100 beats per minute, what is the heart rate of a hummingbird in flight?
-
A
500 beats per minute
-
B
800 beats per minute
-
C
1200 beats per minute
-
D
2000 beats per minute
33
Which of the following structures is NOT part of the human body?
-
A
Islets of Langerhans
-
B
Canal of Schlemm
-
C
Ampullae of Lorenzini
-
D
Bowman's capsule
34
What is the main organ of the body that would be treated by a nephrologist?
-
A
Liver
-
B
Kidney
-
C
Lungs
-
D
Heart
35
Which of the following illnesses is not caused by a virus?
-
A
Common cold
-
B
Whooping cough
-
C
Polio
-
D
Chicken pox
36
Name the three chemical elements that make up most of the human body.
-
A
Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen
-
B
Oxygen, Hydrogen, Carbon
-
C
Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen
-
D
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen
37
If there are 270 bones in the body of a human at birth, how many bones are in the body of an adult human?
38
What is a metatarsal?
-
A
A type of cell
-
B
A bone in the foot
-
C
A muscle in the arm
-
D
A nerve in the leg
39
Allergic reactions are a response by what body system?
-
A
Nervous system
-
B
Endocrine system
-
C
Immune system
-
D
Digestive system
40
To the nearest metre, what is the length of the adult human digestive tract?
-
A
4 metres
-
B
6 metres
-
C
9 metres
-
D
12 metres
41
How many weeks does a human taste bud typically live?
-
A
1 week
-
B
2 weeks
-
C
4 weeks
-
D
8 weeks
42
What is the medical term for low blood sugar?
-
A
Hyperglycaemia
-
B
Hypoglycaemia
-
C
Diabetes
-
D
Anaemia
43
In molecular biology, what term is commonly used for the technology that utilises 'clusters of regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats'?
-
A
PCR
-
B
CRISPR
-
C
RNAi
-
D
ELISA
44
The scanning tunnelling microscope kick started which field of tiny science?
-
A
Genetics
-
B
Astrophysics
-
C
Nanoscience
-
D
Quantum mechanics
45
When tiny particles of gold, less than 100 nanometres in size, are suspended in water, what colour do they appear?
-
A
Blue
-
B
Green
-
C
Red
-
D
Yellow
