Telephone — Questions and answers
Read the full story
What did Bell and Watson think was missing from the electric telegraph for true communication?
Choices
- A. It was too fast for people to understand.
- B. It allowed them to hear each other's voices perfectly.
- C. It only sent abstract symbols and didn't transmit the actual voice with tone. ✓
- D. It didn't use any electricity to send messages.
Answer: C. It only sent abstract symbols and didn't transmit the actual voice with tone.
From page 2
What kind of electrical current did Bell realize was needed for the telephone to work?
Choices
- A. A current that was always turned on.
- B. A current that only turned on and off.
- C. A continuous current that changed with the sound waves. ✓
- D. A current that only sent very loud signals.
Answer: C. A continuous current that changed with the sound waves.
From page 4
What accidental event helped Bell and Watson discover a new way to transmit sound?
Choices
- A. Bell accidentally spilled acid on his papers.
- B. Watson accidentally plucked a steel reed, and Bell heard a faint twang. ✓
- C. They accidentally broke their old harmonic telegraph.
- D. They accidentally sent a message using Morse code.
Answer: B. Watson accidentally plucked a steel reed, and Bell heard a faint twang.
From page 5
What is the main idea behind how Bell's telephone transmitter worked?
Choices
- A. It made sound waves travel faster than electricity.
- B. It used a vibrating diaphragm to change the electrical resistance in a circuit. ✓
- C. It created a series of on-off pulses to send messages.
- D. It collected sound waves in a container of water.
Answer: B. It used a vibrating diaphragm to change the electrical resistance in a circuit.
From page 6
What famous words did Alexander Graham Bell say during the first successful telephone transmission?
Choices
- A. "Hello, is anyone there?"
- B. "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you." ✓
- C. "Can you hear me now, Watson?"
- D. "Is this thing working?"
Answer: B. "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you."
From page 8
Who was the famous person who exclaimed, "My God, it talks!" after hearing the telephone for the first time?
Choices
- A. Thomas Watson
- B. Elisha Gray
- C. Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil ✓
- D. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Answer: C. Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil
From page 9