Electronic Quizoo
October 1962 Popular Electronics

October 1962 Popular Electronics Table of Contents Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Popular Electronics, published October 1954 - April 1985. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.

Here is a unique quiz by überquizmaker Robert Balin, from Popular Electronics. Names of components we use in electronics - particularly ones that have been around for a long time - were given nomenclature that come from the animal kingdom because they happen to resemble one in some way. Probably the most familiar are examples like the alligator clip, pigtails, and rabbit ears - although the younger you are the less likely you might be to have heard the names. Recent election results in Colorado and Oregon may give a resurgence in popularity of and familiarity with alligator clips by potheads. 

Electronic Quizoo

By Robert P. Balin

When an electronic part can be likened to some member of the animal kingdom, we often name it after the animal or insect it resembles. See if you can match the drawings (A - J) in our electronic zoo with the ten names listed at bottom of page.

 

1   Alligator ___

2   Butterfly ___

3   Rabbit ___

4   Bat ___

5   Horse ___

6   Crocodile ___

7   Bug ___

8   Cat ___

9   Pig ___

10   Spider ___

 

See answers below. 

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Popular Electronics published many quizzes over the years - some really simple and others not so simple. Robert Balin created many of the quizzes. This is a listing of all I have posted thus far.

Electronics IQ Quiz - May 1967 Plug and Jack Quiz - December 1967 Electronic Switching Quiz - October 1967 Electronic Angle Quiz - September 1967 International Electronics Quiz - July 1967 Bridge Circuit Quiz -December 1966 Diode Function Quiz - August 1965 Diagram Quiz, August 1966 TV Trouble Quiz, July 1966 Electronics History Quiz, December 1965 Scope-Trace Quiz, March 1965 Electronic Circuit Analogy Quiz, April 1973 Test Your Knowledge of Semiconductors, August 1972 Ganged Switching Quiz, April 1972 Lamp Brightness Quiz, January 1969 Lissajous Pattern Quiz, September 1963 Electronic Quizoo, October 1962 Electronic Photo Album Quiz, March 1963 Electronic Alphabet Quiz, May 1963 Quiz: Resistive? Inductive? or Capacitive?, October 1960 Vector-Circuit Matching Quiz, June 1970 Inductance Quiz, September 1961 RC Circuit Quiz, June 1963 Diode Quiz, July 1961 Electronic Curves Quiz, February 1963 Electronic Numbers Quiz, December 1962 Energy Conversion Quiz, April 1963 Coil Function Quiz, June 1962

Semiconductor Quiz - February 1967 Unknown Frequency Quiz - September 1965 Electronics Metals Quiz - October 1964 Electronics Measurement Quiz - August 1967 Meter-Reading Quiz, June 1966 Electronic Geometry Quiz, January 1965 Electronic Factor Quiz, November 1966 Electronics Math Quiz, November 1965 Series Circuit Quiz, May 1966 Electrochemistry Quiz, March 1966 Electronic Analogy Quiz, November 1961 Electronic Coupling Quiz, August 1973 Electronics Analogy Quiz, August 1960 Audio Quiz, April 1955 Electronic Unit Quiz, May 1962 Capacitor Circuit Quiz, June 1968 Quiz on AC Circuit Theory, December 1970 Magnetic Phenomena Quiz, February 1962 Electronics Geography Quiz, April 1970 Electronic Menu Quiz, August 1963 Electronic Noise Quiz, August 1962 Electronic Current Quiz, October 1963 Electronic Inventors Quiz, November 1963 Resistor Function Quiz, January 1962 Electronic Measurement Quiz, January 1963 Vacuum Tube Quiz, February 1961 Kool-Keeping Kwiz, June 1970

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Electronic Quizoo Answers

  1 - H   An alligator clip has teeth that mesh without overlapping.

  2 - C   A butterfly capacitor has wing-shaped rotor plates.

  3 - J   The rabbit-ear antenna is used with VHF television receivers.

  4 - G   The bat-wing antenna is used with UHF television receivers.

  5 - I   Horsepower ratings are given to electric motors.

  6 - A   Crocodile clips have overlapping jaws.

  7 - E   Bug refers to a telegraph key used by hams that makes "dots" automatically,

  8 - B   A cat whisker is a crystal detector probe.

  9 - F   Pigtails are the wire leads on resistors and capacitors.

10 - D   Spider is the name for the support (large black dot) that centers and holds the loudspeaker cone in place.

 

 

Posted September 3, 2014