Otto Stern — Questions and answers

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What exciting thing were Otto Stern and Walter Gerlach trying to find out with their experiment?

Choices

  1. How to make atoms disappear.
  2. The hidden magnetic powers of individual atoms. ✓
  3. Why classic science was always right.
  4. How to build bigger magnets.

Answer: The hidden magnetic powers of individual atoms.

From page 1

What surprising pattern did Stern and Gerlach see on the glass plate after the experiment?

Choices

  1. A very wide, blurry line of silver.
  2. Two clear, separate lines of silver. ✓
  3. Lots of tiny silver dots all over.
  4. A big, round silver spot.

Answer: Two clear, separate lines of silver.

From page 6

After studying silver atoms, what new challenge did Otto Stern take on in the 1930s?

Choices

  1. He tried to find a new type of atom.
  2. He tried to measure the magnetic power of a proton. ✓
  3. He wanted to make a stronger magnet.
  4. He tried to count how many atoms were in a beam.

Answer: He tried to measure the magnetic power of a proton.

From page 7

What surprising thing did Otto Stern's measurement of the proton's magnetic moment show?

Choices

  1. That protons were exactly as simple as scientists thought.
  2. That protons were much bigger than atoms.
  3. That protons had a complicated structure inside them. ✓
  4. That protons could fly through walls.

Answer: That protons had a complicated structure inside them.

From page 8

Which amazing medical technology that helps doctors see inside our bodies was helped by Otto Stern's work?

Choices

  1. Microscopes to see tiny germs.
  2. X-ray machines that show bones.
  3. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) that looks inside us. ✓
  4. Stethoscopes to listen to hearts.

Answer: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) that looks inside us.

From page 9

What special award did Otto Stern receive for his important discoveries in physics?

Choices

  1. A trophy for the best experiment.
  2. The Nobel Prize in Physics. ✓
  3. A certificate for being a great teacher.
  4. The Golden Science Award.

Answer: The Nobel Prize in Physics.

From page 10