To celebrate Science Week, our Secondary School students participated in a science riddle competition. There were several winners across all grade levels and while some students found the riddles challenging, they all put in a tremendous effort, and ultimately learnt some new scientific facts along the way!
Below are the riddles if you want to test yourself to see if you are smarter than a Secondary Schooler!
1) On a hot summer day by a lake you are determined to build a boat made of ice, using a refrigeration unit and a large mold in which you can pour water. Nearby you notice an Egyptian mummy resting on a pile of wood pulp. What is the best strategy for building an ice boat that will not melt before you sail it across the lake?
2) Little Johnny, after a science lesson on the laws of gravity, returned home, determined to prove his teacher Mr. Knowles wrong. “Not everything that goes up comes back down, and I’ll prove it!” After some brainstorming, he placed a bowl of water in the 12pm, windless, Sunday sun, and watched as it evaporated. “It all went up,” he said. The next day at school he confronted his teacher about his little science project. But Mr. Knowles told Little Johnny that he was a bit short sighted. How so?
3) Mrs. Duffus would often complain when Duffus left the door to the basement open. “The cool air from the basement makes the upstairs cold; close that door, Duffus!” she would rant. “It won’t do any such thing,” Duffus would reply and go on his way. Duffus was right, but why?
4) One day, John and Sue were out fishing in the Atlantic Ocean. When a shark swam by, Sue said, “I’ll bet you ten dollars that the shark over there doesn’t have a bone in its skeletal structure.” John thought he would win this one, but he didn’t.
How can this be?