How many stars are in the sky and why do magnets repel? Try our kids’ quiz

1. Matilda, 8, asks: how many stars are in the sky?

   1. 7,126,486,003,465

   2. About 200 billion trillion

   3. There are too many to even have an idea

   4. About 6,000

2. Adam, 7, asks: do insects feel pain?

   1. Yes, insects can feel pain just like humans

   2. Insects can’t feel pain because they’re too small

   3. It depends on the type of insect and their nervous system

   4. Maybe a little, but not the same way humans do

3. Esther, 7, asks: how many genes do we share with spinach?

   1. None – spinach and humans have completely different genes

   2. Lots – when you eat it, you adopt some of its genes

   3. Humans share about 50% of their genes with plants

   4. We share one or two – that’s why it’s good for us!

4. Blake, 6, asks: what is the lightest known particle in the world?

   1. Specks of dust

   2. Atoms

   3. The cell of an animal

   4. Neutrinos

5. Felix, 9, asks: why do magnets repel?

   1. They produce a magnetic field around them which, when two similar poles come together, pushes them apart

   2. To maintain balance in the universe

   3. Magnetic force is like the opposite of gravity, so it pushes things apart instead of pulling them together

   4. Magnets are just shy and prefer their space!

Solutions

1:B - Scientists think that there are a whopping 200 billion trillion stars. That’s the number of stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way (about 100 billion), multiplied by the number of galaxies (about 2 trillion)., 2:C - Some insects may feel sensations similar to what we perceive as pain, depending on their nervous system. But scientists aren’t sure how they experience pain – there is lots more research to be done!, 3:C - We’re not sure exactly how many genes we share with spinach, but we have about 50% of our genes in common with plants. Genes account for only about 2% of our actual DNA, though, so our DNA is still very different from that of spinach!, 4:D - Neutrinos are the lightest particle – they weigh almost nothing! They are the lightest of all the particles smaller than an atom that have mass. Roughly 100 trillion of them pass through your body every second!, 5:A - Magnets produce a magnetic field around them because of the way the particles in the material are aligned, which can act as a force on other things – especially other magnets.

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 weekly podcast answering children’s questions, out now as a book.

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