Why do worms have five hearts and do octopuses have ears? Try our kids’ quiz

Illustration: Hennie Haworth/The Guardian

1. Abbey, 5, asks: why do worms have five hearts?

   1. To pump blood around their bodies

   2. So that if they drop one, they have a spare

   3. They keep extra in their tails just in case someone chops their tail off

   4. They need five because they have so many feelings

2. Albert, 9, asks: is purple a flavour?

   1. Yes, it’s a flavour that tastes of grapes

   2. No, purple isn’t a flavour

   3. Yes, it tastes of berries

   4. Yes, purple flavour is any taste that turns your tongue purple

3. Ann, 5, asks: why can we not see sound vibrations?

   1. We can hear sound but not see it because our eyes can’t detect its waves

   2. Because sound doesn’t make any waves

   3. We do see sound

   4. All kids can see sound, but we lose the ability when our imagination disappears

4. Vesper, 7, asks: do octopuses have ears?

   1. Yes, they have eight ears

   2. Yes, they have three ears

   3. No, they don’t – and they can’t hear a thing!

   4. They don’t have ears but they use an organ called a statocyst to pick up sounds in the ocean

5. Sophie, 7, asks: where does the word volcano come from?

   1. Volcano originates from the name of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan

   2. Volcano means a kind of mountain

   3. Volcano comes from the Greek word meaning where falcons live – they used to be known as vulcans

   4. Volcano comes from the Egyptian way of saying hot stone

Solutions

1:A - Earthworms have five pairs of heart-like structures called aortic arches, which they use to pump oxygenated blood to the rest of their bodies., 2:B - Purple isn’t a flavour. Sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami (or savoury) are five taste elements that build our overall perception of flavour. However, the colour of food and drink packaging can mean we expect things to taste a certain way – purple is sometimes used to signify the taste of blackcurrant or blueberries., 3:A - Sound is a mechanical wave that travels through gases (such as air), liquids (such as water) or solids. Light travels in waves, too, but these are electromagnetic waves. Our eyes are equipped to detect a small proportion of the electromagnetic spectrum., 4:D - Octopuses don’t have ears but they use two small, pouch-like organs behind their eyes, called statocysts, that are lined with sensory hairs. These can pick up some soundwaves that travel through the water., 5:A - Volcano originates from the name of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan, one of ancient Rome's oldest gods.

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.

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