What makes apples red and where does air come from? Try our kids’ quiz

1. Zoe, 6, asks: what makes apples red?

   1. They’re coloured in by squirrels

   2. Apples turn red when they are embarrassed

   3. Apple are red when they’re hot

   4. Some apples are red due to anthocyanin, a pigment made in the apple as it grows

2. Wahyu, 10, and Devan, 7, ask: why is the Earth round?

   1. Because of gravity

   2. It’s round because it loves that shape

   3. It’s round because it got rolled around over time like a piece of clay

   4. It’s flat, not round

3. Adhe, 10, asks: where does air come from?

   1. Air is made at night by the moon

   2. From the sun

   3. From outer space

   4. The air we breathe is the Earth’s atmosphere, and the oxygen in it comes from oceans and plants

4. Deniz, 6, asks: what is water made of?

   1. Oxygen and hydrogen

   2. Fish pee

   3. Rainwater

   4. Oxygen and nitrogen

5. Aruna, 9, asks: why can’t fish live on land?

   1. Because they don’t have legs

   2. Because they feel sad if they’re not swimming

   3. Because they breathe through parts of their bodies called gills that only work in water, not on land

   4. Fish can’t live on land because they don’t know how to grow food to survive, or go to the shops

Solutions

1:D - Some apples are red because they contain the pigment anthocyanin. The same pigment is in other red and purple foods, like cranberries and raspberries., 2:A - Earth is round because of gravity. Gravity pulls from its centre to its edges like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. This makes its overall shape a sphere – though not a perfect sphere as it bulges slightly at the equator., 3:D - The air in Earth’s atmosphere is made up of about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, as well as small amounts of other gases. The oxygen in the air comes from oceans and plants. About half of the world’s oxygen – the part of air that humans and animals need to breathe and live – has come from the ocean, made by plankton, algae and bacteria., 4:A - Water molecules are made of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. That’s why water is sometimes referred to as H2O., 5:C - Most fish can’t live on land because they take in oxygen from the water around them through their gills. A fish’s gills collapse if they’re not in the water, so the fish can’t breathe.

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.

Does your child have a question? Submit one here