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Rock on! This quiz is all about metal. From octopus blood to bass guitars, you’ll need to be a metal master to get 5/5.

#1. Human blood is red because of iron. What metal makes octopus blood blue?

Octopus blood uses copper to transport oxygen.

#2. What metal element is found in magnetite?

Magnetite is an oxide of iron, and it’s a magnetic mineral. Magnets are named after the ancient Greek name for magnetite: lithos magnes.

#3. A 200-kilometre-wide object called 16 Psyche might be made of metal, but where is it?

16 Psyche was the 16th asteroid to be found in the asteroid belt. NASA is making a spacecraft to visit 16 Psyche, due to launch next year!

#4. Which of the following elements is a metal?

Tin is a metal. Many food cans are made from tin-coated steel.

#5. If you wanted to make a guitar string one octave lower, without making it thicker or looser, how much longer would it need to be?

To make a note one octave lower, the string needs to vibrate at half the frequency. To do that, it needs to be twice as long. In real life, bass guitars are usually a bit longer than guitars, but the strings also tend to be thicker and looser to reach those low notes!

Was I right?

Results

Congratulations! You are a real science whiz!

Oh dear! Better brush up before the next quiz!

 

If you’re after more fun science for kids, subscribe to Double Helix magazine!

 

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