Question 1: Why is the chemical element mercury (Hg) liquid at room temperature?
Question 2: Where is the wettest place on Earth?
Mawsynram receives an average of 467 inches (11,872 mm) of rainfall per year. Cherrapunji, also located in India, held the record for the wettest place on Earth until recent years when Mawsynram surpassed it.
Question 3: Which type of rock is formed from molten lava?
Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. The word "igneous" comes from the Latin word "ignis" meaning fire, referencing the rock's fiery origins.
Question 4: When did the first episode of Saturday Night Live air?
The first episode was hosted by comedian George Carlin and featured musical guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston. The original cast included Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner.
Question 5: When was the Berlin Wall torn down?
The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 was a pivotal event that marked the falling of the Iron Curtain and the start of the end of the Cold War between the Eastern Bloc and Western powers. In the weeks following the fall, East and West Germans alike chipped away at the wall, which had divided the city for 28 years.
Question 6: What percentage of the human body is made up of water?
The amount of water in the human body varies by age, sex, and body fat percentage. Babies have the highest percentage of water, around 78% at birth. Adult men average around 60% water while adult women average 55% due to having more body fat.
Question 7: What is the most widely spoken language in Brazil?
Brazil is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world, with over 200 million Portuguese speakers. Portuguese was introduced to Brazil in the 16th century during the Portuguese colonization of the Americas.
Question 8: Where is Angel Falls, the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall, located?
Angel Falls drops over the edge of the Auyán-tepui mountain in the Canaima National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolívar State in Venezuela. It plunges 3,212 feet (979 meters), making it the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall.
Question 9: Who was the first surgeon to successfully perform open-heart surgery?
In 1893, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the first successful open-heart surgery, repairing a knife wound in the chest of a young man. This groundbreaking operation took place decades before open-heart surgery became common practice.
Question 10: When is the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah typically celebrated?
The dates of Hanukkah change each year since it follows the Hebrew calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar. Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE.
Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure. Its atoms are held together by weak intermolecular forces, resulting in a low melting point of -38.83°C (-37.89°F). This allows mercury to remain in a liquid state at room temperature, unlike other metals.