Inventions That Changed Everything

Name:

Date:

Instructions: Test your memory of the breakthroughs you watched arrive, from the first TV remote and microwave oven to Polaroid cameras and the transistor.

1.
The microwave oven was invented accidentally when a scientist noticed radar waves had melted something in his pocket. What was it?
A
A chocolate bar
B
A stick of butter
C
A candy cane
D
A peanut butter sandwich
2.
The first practical TV remote control, introduced by Zenith in 1956, was nicknamed 'Space Command.' What did it use to change channels?
A
Ultrasonic sound waves
B
Infrared light beams
C
Radio waves
D
A long wire cord
3.
Edwin Land introduced the Polaroid instant camera to the public in 1948. How long did the original model take to produce a finished photograph?
A
60 seconds
B
10 seconds
C
5 minutes
D
30 seconds
4.
The ballpoint pen was patented in 1938 by Lazlo Biro. What was Biro's occupation before he invented it?
A
Journalist
B
Chemist
C
Watchmaker
D
Dentist
5.
Velcro was invented in the early 1940s by Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral. What inspired him to create it?
A
Burr seeds stuck to his dog's fur
B
A broken zipper on his jacket
C
Snail shells he found on a hike
D
Fishing hooks tangled in a net
6.
The transistor radio brought music and news into teenagers' pockets in the 1950s. Which company sold the first commercially successful transistor radio in 1954?
A
Regency Electronics (with Texas Instruments)
B
Sony
C
RCA
D
Motorola
7.
The first Zenith TV remote control from 1950 — predating the Space Command — was nicknamed 'Lazy Bones.' How did it work?
A
It was attached to the TV by a long cable
B
It used a flashlight beam aimed at a sensor
C
It sent radio signals to the set
D
It had a dial that matched the channel selector
8.
The home microwave oven became affordable to most families during which decade?
A
The 1970s
B
The 1950s
C
The 1960s
D
The 1980s
9.
What did the name 'Velcro' come from?
A
A blend of the French words for velvet and hook
B
The inventor's initials and a Latin root for grip
C
A combination of 'velocity' and 'crochet'
D
The Swiss town where it was first manufactured
10.
Edwin Land co-founded the company that made Polaroid cameras. What does 'Polaroid' originally refer to in the company's name?
A
A polarizing plastic film Land invented to reduce glare
B
The polar opposite of traditional photography
C
The North Pole expedition that first used the cameras
D
A type of polarized color dye used in the photos
11.
Transistor radios changed popular culture by making music portable. By the end of the 1950s, what country was producing the greatest number of them?
A
Japan
B
The United States
C
West Germany
D
Great Britain
12.
The ballpoint pen was widely adopted after World War II partly because of which unexpected military use during the war?
A
Aircrew found it wrote reliably at high altitude where fountain pens leaked
B
It was used to mark maps underwater in submarines
C
Soldiers used the ink to sterilize small wounds
D
Its brass barrel was used as a miniature compass housing
13.
Polaroid introduced color instant film in 1963 under what product name?
A
Polacolor
B
InstaTone
C
ChromaLand
D
ColorPak
14.
Which of these common household items was one of the very first things NASA used Velcro for in the early 1960s?
A
Securing equipment and clothing inside spacecraft in zero gravity
B
Sealing food pouches for astronaut meals
C
Attaching patches to spacesuits
D
Fastening helmets to pressure suit collars
15.
The first commercial microwave oven, the Radarange, was marketed in 1947. About how tall was it and how much did it weigh?
A
About 6 feet tall and 750 pounds
B
About 3 feet tall and 150 pounds
C
About 4 feet tall and 300 pounds
D
About 5 feet tall and 500 pounds

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