Quiz: Can you work out what Benjamin Franklin did?
Benjamin Franklin is most famous for his work on electricity.
1. He proved that lightning was electricity by doing what dangerous activity during a
thunderstorm?
a. Tightrope walking
b. Flying a kite
c. Walking his dog
2. What did he invent, following what he had learnt in this experiment?
a. A battery
b. A lightning rod
c. A solar panel
3. Electricity flows through conductors. Which of these materials is a good conductor,
and could have been used to make this invention?
a. Glass
b. Wood
c. Metal
4. Towards the end of his life, Franklin needed
glasses for seeing long distances and for
reading. He invented a pair of glasses that
would do both. What do we call these?
a. Bifocals
b. Biography
c. Biology
5. When he was postmaster in Philadelphia in 1775, Benjamin Franklin had to work out
the fastest route for delivering mail. He did this by inventing an odometer. What does
an odometer measure?
a. The number of letters carried
b. The distance travelled
c. The number of letter boxes
6. Benjamin Franklin invented the Franklin stove, a wood burning fireplace which was
safer than a normal open fire. Apart from its safety, what made it so popular?
a. It was very attractive
b. It was more efficient, giving out more heat while burning less wood.
c. It was light and portable
7. While travelling from America to Britain he
studied the Gulf Stream, a warm current
which flows like a giant river across the
ocean. Which ocean?
a. The Pacific Ocean
b. The Indian Ocean
c. The Atlantic Ocean
8. Benjamin Franklin noticed that wearing wet clothes on a warm day makes you cooler,
because the water carries off heat as the clothes dry. When liquid water turns into a
gas - water vapour - what is this called?
a. Freezing
b. Evaporation
c. Melting
9. One of Benjamin Franklin's first inventions was swim fins, which went on a
swimmer's hands. Which animal might have inspired this invention?
a. A squirrel
b. A cat
c. A frog
10. While living in London Franklin invented his 'armonica', a musical instrument. What
type of material made the sound?
a. Metal
b. Glass
c. Wood