Disasters Narrowly Avoided Quiz – Printable Version
20 multiple-choice questions with an explained answer key, ready to print.
Print the sheet (or save it as a PDF from the print window), hand it out, then mark it together using the answer page: every answer is explained. Perfect for a party, a birthday, a classroom, a care home or a team activity.
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- Which trajectory allowed Apollo 13 to loop around the Moon and head back to Earth without landing?
- A. A free-return trajectory
- B. A geostationary orbit
- C. A direct re-entry from lunar orbit
- D. A Mars gravity assist
- In September 1983, what did Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov decide when the system reported incoming U.S. missiles?
- A. He judged it was probably a false alarm
- B. He ordered an immediate retaliation
- C. He shut down all Soviet satellites
- D. He ordered Moscow evacuated
- In 1995, what Norwegian scientific object was briefly interpreted by Russian radars as a possible ballistic threat?
- A. A sounding rocket
- B. A weather balloon
- C. A failed satellite
- D. A supersonic aircraft
- In a nuclear power plant, what is the general role of a containment building?
- A. To limit radioactive releases in an accident
- B. To speed up the nuclear reaction
- C. To store generated electricity
- D. To cool high-voltage lines
- Why do high-risk facilities often have emergency electrical power supplies?
- A. To maintain essential functions if the grid is lost
- B. To produce more at peak times
- C. To power decorative lighting only
- D. To permanently replace the public grid
- Which aircraft device records flight parameters and helps investigators understand an accident or incident?
- A. The flight data recorder
- B. The weather transponder only
- C. The autopilot
- D. The backup Pitot tube
- Why can an airliner keep gliding after all its engines stop?
- A. Its wings still create lift if it keeps enough speed
- B. The jets still produce full thrust
- C. The autopilot creates electric thrust
- D. Cabin pressure holds the aircraft up
- After an engine failure during takeoff in a multi-engine aircraft, why is minimum control speed important?
- A. Enough directional control is needed against asymmetric thrust
- B. It automatically deploys parachutes
- C. It closes the landing gear
- D. It prevents icing
- Why does a dam have spillways?
- A. To discharge excess water without overtopping the dam
- B. To increase dam height
- C. To directly produce drinking water
- D. To prevent evaporation
- In a building, why are some areas separated by fire doors?
- A. To slow the spread of fire and smoke
- B. Only to improve sound insulation
- C. To stop summer drafts
- D. To improve Wi-Fi reception
- In a road tunnel, why are emergency exits spaced along the route?
- A. To allow evacuation without reaching the tunnel ends
- B. To serve as permanent garages
- C. To store rescue fuel
- D. To improve commercial radio reception
- Why can closing a watertight door be vital after a ship collision?
- A. It limits water spreading between compartments
- B. It immediately increases engine power
- C. It automatically empties the bilges
- D. It stabilizes GPS
- What is the benefit of a residual-current device (RCD/GFCI) in a home electrical installation?
- A. Detect leakage current that may flow through a person or earth
- B. Increase outlet voltage
- C. Prevent every power outage
- D. Replace grounding in all cases
- Why are tanks containing hazardous liquids often surrounded by a containment bund?
- A. To contain a leak and prevent its spread
- B. To cool the product by evaporation
- C. To increase internal pressure
- D. To make filling easier
- Why do critical alarms sometimes use both audible and visual signals?
- A. To increase the chance the alarm is noticed
- B. To automatically double electrical power
- C. To eliminate maintenance
- D. To make the alarm more pleasant
- Why do emergency exits in crowded buildings often open in the direction of escape?
- A. So crowd pressure toward the exit does not prevent opening
- B. To keep outside air out
- C. To make cleaning easier
- D. To reduce noise
- Why are emergency-exit signs designed to remain visible if normal lighting fails?
- A. Because a power failure may accompany the emergency
- B. Because green light extinguishes fires
- C. Because they are only used at night
- D. Because they replace alarms
- What is the main purpose of an emergency cooling system in a thermal or nuclear facility?
- A. Remove heat when normal cooling is lost
- B. Deliberately speed up heating
- C. Produce more steam for offices
- D. Prevent instruments measuring temperature
- Why must a safety system be tested periodically even if it has never been used?
- A. A hidden failure may remain unnoticed until it is needed
- B. Tests always extend its life
- C. Unused equipment automatically gets stronger
- D. Standards prohibit new systems
- Why can modern railway signalling automatically enforce braking?
- A. To prevent a single human error causing a dangerous overrun
- B. To improve seat comfort
- C. To synchronize station clocks
- D. To reduce wheel noise
Answer key — Disasters Narrowly Avoided Quiz
- A. A free-return trajectoryThe free-return path used lunar gravity to send the spacecraft naturally back toward Earth, with later course corrections.
- A. He judged it was probably a false alarmPetrov judged the satellite warning inconsistent with a real attack.
- A. A sounding rocketThe Black Brant XII research rocket, launched to study auroras, triggered an alert until its non-threatening trajectory was recognized.
- A. To limit radioactive releases in an accidentContainment is a physical barrier intended to limit radioactive releases during serious reactor accidents.
- A. To maintain essential functions if the grid is lostGenerators, batteries and independent supplies keep essential pumps, controls, communications and instruments available after grid loss.
- A. The flight data recorderThe flight data recorder, often paired with the cockpit voice recorder, helps reconstruct events and improve future safety.
- A. Its wings still create lift if it keeps enough speedWithout thrust an aircraft does not drop vertically; it trades altitude for distance while maintaining an appropriate glide speed.
- A. Enough directional control is needed against asymmetric thrustWith one engine failed and the other producing thrust, yaw becomes strong; sufficient airspeed gives the controls enough authority to counter it.
- A. To discharge excess water without overtopping the damSpillways safely pass exceptional inflows; uncontrolled overtopping can seriously endanger a dam.
- A. To slow the spread of fire and smokeFire compartmentation buys evacuation and firefighting time by temporarily limiting the spread of fire and smoke.
- A. To allow evacuation without reaching the tunnel endsNearby exits reduce the distance people must travel through smoke or fire to reach a protected route.
- A. It limits water spreading between compartmentsA local breach becomes far worse if water can spread freely; watertight doors preserve compartmentation.
- A. Detect leakage current that may flow through a person or earthAn RCD compares outgoing and returning current and trips quickly when an abnormal difference indicates dangerous leakage.
- A. To contain a leak and prevent its spreadSecondary containment provides another barrier so a leaking hazardous liquid is less likely to spread into the environment.
- A. To increase the chance the alarm is noticedUsing more than one sensory channel reduces the chance an alarm is missed because of noise, attention or sensory impairment.
- A. So crowd pressure toward the exit does not prevent openingAn outward-opening exit is easier to use when many people are pressing toward it at once.
- A. Because a power failure may accompany the emergencyEmergency lighting or backed-up signs preserve guidance when the normal electrical supply is unavailable.
- A. Remove heat when normal cooling is lostEven after a heat source is shut down, residual heat may still need to be removed to prevent dangerous overheating.
- A. A hidden failure may remain unnoticed until it is neededEmergency equipment may sit idle for years; testing reveals dead batteries, stuck valves or failed sensors before they are actually needed.
- A. To prevent a single human error causing a dangerous overrunSpeed-control and signalling systems can intervene if a train exceeds a safe speed or fails to obey a restrictive signal.