Everyday Science
1 / 20How well do you understand the science behind everyday life?
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Why does ice float on water?
About Everyday Science
Give your memory a workout with Everyday Science: 20 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 10 easy, 7 medium, 3 hard questions, free to play right in your browser. How well do you understand the science behind everyday life? Expect to spend about 9 minutes; every question comes with an explanation, so you learn something even when you miss.
A few sample questions
1. Why does ice float on water?
Answer: Ice is less dense than liquid water
Water expands when it freezes, making ice less dense than liquid water. This is why ice floats — a unique property that insulates lakes in winter.
2. What causes bread to rise when baking?
Answer: Yeast producing carbon dioxide gas
Yeast ferments sugars in the dough, producing carbon dioxide gas. These gas bubbles get trapped in the gluten network, causing the bread to rise.
3. Why does a metal spoon feel colder than a wooden spoon at the same temperature?
Answer: Metal conducts heat away from your hand faster
Metal is a much better heat conductor than wood. It pulls heat away from your warm hand more quickly, making it feel colder even though both are the same temperature.
4. What makes the sky appear blue?
Answer: Blue light is scattered more by the atmosphere
Sunlight is scattered by molecules in the atmosphere, and shorter blue wavelengths are scattered more than other colors — this is called Rayleigh scattering.
5. Why do onions make you cry when you cut them?
Answer: They release a sulfur-based gas that reacts with your tears
Cutting onions releases syn-propanethial-S-oxide, a sulfur compound that reacts with the moisture in your eyes to form a mild sulfuric acid, triggering tears.
Things you'll learn along the way
- Rubbing transfers electrons from your hair to the balloon, giving the balloon a negative charge and your hair a positive charge, causing them to attract.
- Salt lowers the freezing point of water (a process called freezing point depression), causing ice to melt at temperatures below 32°F (0°C).
- Lightning heats the surrounding air to about 30,000 Kelvin. This rapid heating causes the air to expand explosively, creating the sound waves we hear as thunder.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Everyday Science take?
Most players finish Everyday Science in about 9 minutes. You can pause between questions, replay it as often as you like, and there is no penalty for taking your time — answers are explained after you submit them.
What's a good follow-up after Everyday Science?
If you enjoyed this general knowledge quiz, try the Daily Challenge — five rotating questions, refreshed every 24 hours, that count toward your streak. You can also use the Surprise Me button on the homepage to land on a different game type for variety.
Can I print Everyday Science?
Yes — use the Print button at the top of the page for a clean question sheet, or "Print with Answers" to make an answer key. Printed sheets work well for group play at home, in a classroom, or at a senior center.
Will I lose my progress if I close the page?
Your overall progress — XP, streaks, and badges — is saved in your browser automatically. A quiz that's underway restarts if you leave mid-game, but at about 9 minutes, Everyday Science fits comfortably in one sitting.
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