Why do we wear socks in summer and how is glass made? Try our kids’ quiz

1. Maria, 11, asks: why do we put socks on in summer?

   1. To stop sunburn

   2. Feet still get cold in the summer

   3. Socks help absorb sweat

   4. We only do this when we forget that it is summer

2. Lachlan, 9, asks: how did turtles get their shells?

   1. Early turtles used seashells for protection, which joined to their backs!

   2. Early turtles developed an outside shell which grew from the ribs and vertebrae

   3. Turtles collected pieces of different habitats, which formed shells

   4. Turtles like to build a home to carry with them

3. Verity, 6, asks: what are teeth made of?

   1. The same things as bones

   2. From keratin, the same as your fingernails and hair

   3. From cartilage, the same as the hard bits of your ears

   4. From layers of minerals like calcium phosphate

4. Lucy, 9, asks: why do we rub our eyes when we’re tired?

   1. To stop any tears coming, as you cry when tired

   2. Tired eyes get dry – we rub them to help make them wetter

   3. It acts as a tiny nap

   4. It shows people that you need to go to bed

5. Darcey, 7, asks: how is glass made?

   1. Natural materials such as sand, soda ash and limestone are melted at high temperatures

   2. It occurs naturally deep in the Earth’s crust

   3. From frozen water

   4. It is dug up from underneath ocean floors

Solutions

1:C - Socks help with sweat absorption, keeping your feet dry and comfortable. This helps stop your shoes from getting smelly. Socks stop bacteria from your shoes getting on to your feet, and also help avoid blisters., 2:B - Studies of a 220-million-year-old turtle fossil found in China have shown that turtle shells developed from the creature’s internal skeleton, specifically its ribs and vertebrae., 3:D - Teeth are made of four tissues. The tough outer layer is enamel, made from minerals including calcium phosphate. There are two more layers of hard tissue, dentin and cementum. In the centre of the tooth is the soft “pulp”, containing nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue., 4:B - Tired eyes get dry, and rubbing them stimulates the lacrimal glands in your eyes to produce more fluid, which keeps your eyes moist., 5:A - Glass is made by heating raw materials such as sand, soda ash and limestone until they melt. At first it’s a liquid. When it cools it is glass and can be turned into lots of different things – like windows, vases and microscopes!

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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