Can you be friends with bees and why does the sun look yellow? The kids’ quiz

1. Rushda, 10, asks: can you be friends with bees?

   1. No, bees can’t form those kinds of friendships

   2. Yes, and they love to chat

   3. No, but only because they can’t speak

   4. Yes, as long as you buy their honey

2. Kathleen, 7, asks: why do we get stones inside our shoes if they have no holes in them?

   1. Shoes create stones through friction

   2. Stones love the foot smell

   3. Shoes naturally produce pebbles over time

   4. Small stones get in through gaps between the shoe and your foot

3. Naomi, 8, asks: why does counting sheep in your head make you fall asleep?

   1. It’s a spell that happens when you imagine sheep

   2. It lowers your oxygen levels, causing drowsiness

   3. Sheep are so boring that your brain turns off

   4. The repetition makes you sleepy – not the sheep

4. Betty, 7, asks: why does the sun look yellow?

   1. The sun has yellow grass

   2. It’s actually closer to white, but our atmosphere makes it appear yellow

   3. Because of pollution

   4. That’s its favourite colour

5. Maximus, 10, asks: why does water go opaque (or white) when it goes fast?

   1. Because air bubbles mixed in the water scatter the light in many directions

   2. The molecules are moving too fast to be seen

   3. Water releases tiny white particles that block light

   4. Water changes colour when it gets excited

Solutions

1:A - Bees can’t form the same kinds of friendships as we humans can – but if you plant wildflowers, they might come and visit!, 2:D - Small stones might get into your shoes through the tiny gaps around your foot and the top of your shoe, especially if you’re walking on loose gravel. Shoes with tight laces and high ankle coverage will probably help., 3:D - Counting sheep is a distraction technique to focus the mind on a repetitive task. It diverts attention from stressful thoughts and encourages you to relax, which can help you fall asleep. It’s nothing to do with the sheep, really., 4:B - The sun emits light across the visible spectrum but it looks yellow to us because of how light is scattered by Earth’s atmosphere. The sun’s colour is actually closer to white, and some studies say it’s even slightly green!, 5:A - Water appears opaque when it moves quickly because the turbulence allows more air to dissolve in the water. The trapped bubbles scatter light in many directions and make the water look white or cloudy instead of see-through.

Scores

1. 5 and above.

2. 4 and above.

3. 3 and above.

4. 2 and above.

5. 0 and above.

6. 1 and above.

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a podcast answering children’s questions. Do check out her books, Everything Under the Sun and the new Everything Under the Sun: Quiz Book.