What is the wingspan of a bald eagle, and what is a shadow? Try our kids’ quiz

Illustration: Hennie Haworth/The Guardian

1. Thomas, 9, asks: what is the wingspan of a bald eagle?

   1. 1 metre

   2. 2.1 metres

   3. 3.8 metres

   4. 7 metres

2. William, 6, asks: which birds make the smallest nests in the world?

   1. Australian weebills

   2. Sparrows

   3. Wrens

   4. Hummingbirds

3. Blythe, 6, asks: what is a shadow?

   1. A shadow is something attached to your body that you can never get rid of

   2. A shadow forms when light hits an object it can’t travel through

   3. It is caused by darkness coming out of objects

   4. We don’t know why shadows form

4. Earle, 9, asks: can tortoises feel it if you touch their shells?

   1. No, there are no nerve endings connected to the shell, so they can’t feel anything

   2. A tortoise can feel a hard poke but nothing else

   3. Yes, tortoises can feel it when you touch their shells

   4. Tortoises can feel heat and cold, but not touch through their shells

5. Kitty, 6, asks: why do your cheeks go red?

   1. When you have eaten too much red foot, like ketchup or strawberries

   2. If a ladybird flies close to you, your cheeks will turn red

   3. As a sign that you are in distress and possibly angry

   4. To relax the muscles in your face in times of stress, anxiety or heat

Solutions

1:B - Although each bird is different, a female bald eagle has a wingspan of about 2.1 metres and a male 1.9 metres. Females are larger than male bald eagles with longer wingspans., 2:D - Hummingbirds build the world’s smallest nests; the bee hummingbird’s is the size of a thimble and the vervain hummingbird’s is half the size of a walnut shell., 3:B - Shadows form when light (for example from the sun) hits an object it cannot travel through (such as a tree, or your body). When you see your shadow on a sunny day, your body has blocked light from the sun. Light travels in straight lines – it can’t bend around your body., 4:C - Yes, they can! Tortoises can feel when you touch or stroke their shell as it is covered in nerve endings. So if you touch one, be gentle., 5:D - When your cheeks go red if you feel stressed, hot or embarrassed, it’s called blushing. A strong emotional feeling sends a message of stress to the nervous system, which tells your face muscles to relax, meaning the blood vessels widen and more blood flows to the skin, which makes it turn red.

Scores

1. 4 and above.

2. 3 and above.

3. 2 and above.

4. 0 and above.

5. 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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