Why do I have one belly button but two eyes, arms and feet? Try our kids’ quiz

1. Luke, 9, asks: why do I have one of everything down the middle of me (nose, belly button), but two of the things on each side (eyes, arms, feet)?

   1. Humans used to have two noses but then we stopped needing to smell so much

   2. Scientists aren’t sure

   3. No reason – it’s random

   4. Your body is symmetrical so you stay balanced

2. Griffin, 6, asks: why do bubbles rise to the surface of fizzy drinks?

   1. The bubbles are excited

   2. The bubbles rise because the gas is less dense than the liquid around it

   3. The bubbles always move towards the sun

   4. The bubbles are bored

3. Isy, 6, asks: how is rain made?

   1. It’s made by birds peeing

   2. It’s from water droplets that form inside clouds

   3. Clouds start crying

   4. Clouds start sweating

4. Esther, 7, asks: where do different accents come from?

   1. People got bored of all sounding the same

   2. Accents come from the place people grow up

   3. From the food people eat

   4. Accents change based on how cold it is

5. Charlotte, 9, asks: why do cats retract their claws, but dogs can’t?

   1. Cats’ claws are rubber, but dogs’ claws are bone

   2. Dogs have forgotten how to hide their claws

   3. To keep cats’ claws sharp for hunting – dogs don’t need sharp claws

   4. Dogs can, but must learn it when they’re puppies

Solutions

1:D - Your body is designed symmetrically. Your nose and belly button don’t need a pair to work, but you have two eyes, arms and legs to help with balance, depth perception and movement., 2:B - Fizzy drinks are made by pumping carbon dioxide into liquid and sealing it in a can or bottle under pressure. When it is opened, the gas above the drink escapes and the pressure in the container decreases. Carbon dioxide is released from the liquid as a gas, forming bubbles. This gas is less dense than the liquid, so the bubbles rise., 3:B - Water from rivers, lakes and oceans heats and turns to vapour, which rises and cools into water droplets, forming clouds. When the clouds get heavy, the droplets fall as rain., 4:B - Accents come from the region people grow up in. In the fifth century, different Germanic tribes settled in Britain. Over time, these distinct dialects evolved into today’s accents, shaped by migration and social change., 5:C - Cats retract their claws, to help keep them sharp for climbing and hunting, but dogs don’t need sharp claws for hunting – they use their speed and teeth instead!

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.