The 20 quiz questions
Question 1 : Which 17th-century Dutch scientist is considered the father of microbiology thanks to his microscope observations?
Possible answers:
- Antoni van Leeuwenhoek
- Robert Hooke
- Louis Pasteur
- Edward Jenner
Explanation: Antoni van Leeuwenhoek built his own microscopes and was the first to observe microorganisms, which he called "animalcules." His descriptions of bacteria, sperm cells, and red blood cells founded microbiology.
Question 2 : Which scientist improved the telescope to observe Jupiter's moons in 1610?
Possible answers:
- Galileo
- Kepler
- Copernicus
- Tycho Brahe
Explanation: Galileo used an improved astronomical telescope to discover Jupiter's four satellites (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto), proving that not all celestial bodies orbit the Earth.
Question 3 : Which famous Einstein equation relates mass and energy?
Possible answers:
- PV=nRT
- E=hν
- F=ma
- E=mc²
Explanation: E=mc² is the special relativity equation published by Einstein in 1905. It means that energy (E) equals mass (m) multiplied by the speed of light squared (c²).
Question 4 : Which ancient scholar reportedly shouted "Eureka!" upon discovering the principle of buoyancy in his bath?
Possible answers:
- Archimedes
- Pythagoras
- Aristotle
- Thales
Explanation: Archimedes of Syracuse reportedly discovered in his bath that any body immersed in a fluid experiences a vertical force equal to the weight of the displaced fluid. This principle helped verify the purity of King Hiero II's crown.
Question 5 : Which French scientist is considered the father of modern chemistry?
Possible answers:
- Antoine Lavoisier
- Louis Pasteur
- Pierre Curie
- Joseph Priestley
Explanation: Antoine Lavoisier revolutionized chemistry by identifying oxygen's role in combustion and formulating the law of conservation of mass: "Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed."
Question 6 : Which scientist discovered penicillin?
Possible answers:
- Louis Pasteur
- Alexander Fleming
- Robert Koch
- Marie Curie
Explanation: Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by accident in 1928 when he observed that a mold was killing bacteria in a forgotten Petri dish, opening the era of antibiotics and saving millions of lives.
Question 7 : Which subatomic particle did Ernest Rutherford discover in 1911?
Possible answers:
- Le noyau atomique
- Le proton
- L'électron
- Le neutron
Explanation: Rutherford discovered the atomic nucleus through his gold foil experiment, proving that atoms are mostly empty space.
Question 8 : Who formulated the theory of relativity?
Possible answers:
- Max Planck
- Niels Bohr
- Albert Einstein
- Isaac Newton
Explanation: Albert Einstein a publié la théorie de la relativité restreinte en 1905 et la relativité générale en 1915. Ces théories ont révolutionné notre compréhension de l'espace, du temps et de la gravité.
Question 9 : Which structure of DNA did Watson and Crick discover in 1953?
Possible answers:
- Triple hélice
- Chaîne simple
- Structure en anneau
- Double hélice
Explanation: Watson and Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA, with crucial help from Rosalind Franklin's work.
Question 10 : Who discovered radioactivity in 1896?
Possible answers:
- Pierre Curie
- Henri Becquerel
- Marie Curie
- Wilhelm Röntgen
Explanation: Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity by accident while studying the phosphorescence of uranium salts, paving the way for Marie Curie's work.
Question 11 : Which force did Newton describe thanks to a falling apple according to legend?
Possible answers:
- L'électromagnétisme
- La force nucléaire
- La gravitation
- L'inertie
Explanation: Isaac Newton formulated the law of universal gravitation in 1687, explaining the attraction between all bodies with mass.
Question 12 : Who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection?
Possible answers:
- Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
- Gregor Mendel
- Thomas Huxley
- Charles Darwin
Explanation: Charles Darwin published "On the Origin of Species" in 1859, presenting his theory of evolution by natural selection, one of biology's most revolutionary ideas.
Question 13 : Which scientist discovered X-rays in 1895?
Possible answers:
- Marie Curie
- Max Planck
- Henri Becquerel
- Wilhelm Röntgen
Explanation: Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays by accident while experimenting with cathode ray tubes. He received the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.
Question 14 : What particle does the Higgs boson, discovered in 2012, help explain?
Possible answers:
- La charge électrique
- L'antimatière
- The mass of particles
- Le spin
Explanation: The Higgs boson explains why particles have mass. Its discovery at CERN confirmed the standard model of particle physics.
Question 15 : Who created the first rabies vaccine in 1885?
Possible answers:
- Joseph Lister
- Louis Pasteur
- Edward Jenner
- Robert Koch
Explanation: Louis Pasteur developed the rabies vaccine and successfully tested it on Joseph Meister in 1885, saving the life of a child bitten by a rabid dog.
Question 16 : What phenomenon did Edwin Hubble discover about the universe in 1929?
Possible answers:
- The universe is expanding
- The universe is static
- The universe contracts
- L'univers est infini
Explanation: Hubble discovered that the universe is expanding by observing that galaxies are moving away from each other, the foundation of Big Bang theory.
Question 17 : Who discovered the laws of heredity by studying pea plants?
Possible answers:
- Thomas Morgan
- Gregor Mendel
- Hugo de Vries
- Charles Darwin
Explanation: Gregor Mendel, a monk and botanist, discovered the fundamental laws of heredity by crossing pea plants between 1856 and 1863.
Question 18 : Which radioactive element did Marie Curie discover in 1898?
Possible answers:
- L'uranium
- Le plutonium
- Le radium
- Le thorium
Explanation: Marie Curie discovered polonium and radium in 1898. She is the only woman to have received two Nobel Prizes in two different disciplines.
Question 19 : Which astronomer proved that the Earth revolves around the Sun?
Possible answers:
- Ptolémée
- Aristote
- Copernic
- Galilée
Explanation: Galilée a confirmé par ses observations au télescope (1610) le modèle héliocentrique de Copernic, prouvant que la Terre tourne autour du Soleil.
Question 20 : Which revolutionary gene-editing technique was developed by Doudna and Charpentier?
Possible answers:
- CRISPR-Cas9
- PCR
- Séquençage
- Clonage
Explanation: CRISPR-Cas9, developed in 2012, allows DNA to be modified with unprecedented precision. Its creators received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020.




