Perhaps the most amazing thing about our universe is that humans are capable of figuring out how it works. While plenty of mysteries remain, we have used logic and experiments to make sense of much, and we discover new things every day.

How much do you know about the amazing universe we live in? Take the Slice of PI physics quiz to see what you know – or maybe learn something new. Don’t worry: there’s no math, and there will be no report cards.

Let us know how you did by tweeting us @Perimeter.

Very simply, what’s the difference between weight and mass? A. No difference – they’re synonyms B. Mass is the amount of matter in an object, weight is the gravitational force on an object C. Mass is metric, weight is imperial D. Mass is a measure of size, weight is a measure of density

The laws of physics tell us that energy is: A. Conserved B. Concerned C. Constant D. Contained

Which two elementary particles are described as “massless”? A. Photon and gluon B. Muon and neutrino C. Electron and proton D. None of the above

The Large Hadron Collider at CERN uses 1.3 terawatt hours of electricity annually. That’s equivalent to: A. The amount needed to power roughly 300,000 middle-class homes B. The energy released by roughly 1.4 million 100-watt light bulbs in a year C. Roughly the same annual usage as Madagascar D. All of the above E. A and C

The universe is made up of three main ingredients: ordinary matter (e.g. stars, planets, people), dark matter, and dark energy. In what proportions? A. Mostly matter: 80% ordinary matter / 14% dark matter / 6% dark energy B. A good mix: 33% ordinary matter / 28% dark matter / 39% dark energy C. A dark stew: 5% ordinary matter / 27% dark matter / 68% dark energy D. Potluck: We don’t actually know

Which of these phenomena inspired Albert Einstein in his development of general relativity? A. Seeing an apple drop from tree B. Watching two trains move in opposite directions C. The vibration of strings on a violin D. Seeing a man fall off a roof

When you map out the universe from the smallest scale (the Planck length, which is 1.6×10−35 metres) to the largest (the observable universe, which is 91 billion light years across), what do you find approximately in the middle? A. An electron B. Life as we know it (cells, molecules, and the like) C. The Earth D. Our solar system

The largest known star in the galaxy is UY Scuti, in the Scutum Constellation. If it was plopped into the centre of our solar system, where our Sun is now, how much space would it take up? A. It is five times larger than our Sun, and 400 times hotter B. It would swallow up Earth and all the planets closer to the sun C. Its outer edge would sit somewhere between Mars and Jupiter D. Its outer edge would be beyond the orbit of Jupiter - basically half the size of our whole solar system

Speaking of our galaxy, there’s a black hole at the middle of the Milky Way, called Sagittarius A*. Roughly how massive is it, compared to our sun? A. 4,000 times the mass of our sun B. 400,000 times the mass of our sun C. 4,000,000 times the mass of our sun D. They’re radically different sizes, but the same mass

Planets come in a variety of sizes. The exoplanet Draugr (a.k.a. PSR B1257+12 A) is the smallest legitimate exoplanet known so far. How puny is it? A. The size of South Dakota B. Twice as massive as our moon C. 1/100,000,000th the mass of Earth D. Self-conscious about its weight and won’t divulge

Which of the following is not a form of energy? A. Light B. Friction C. Heat D. Sound

According to special relativity, when an observer at rest looks at a spaceship moving very quickly towards her, what does she see? A. The ship appears shorter and the ship’s clock is ticking more slowly B. The ship appears longer and the ship’s clock is ticking faster C. There’s no difference in either length or time D. It is impossible to ever measure length or time for a moving object

On a cosmological scale, the concept of “distance” is actually pretty tricky to define. Why’s that? A. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle says that we can’t know exactly where anything is B. Supermassive black holes in galaxies are eating matter too quickly C. The universe is expanding and the rate of expansion has changed over time D. We don’t have a long enough ruler to reach distant stars

The universe is expanding, but the galaxy, solar system, Earth, humans, and the like are not. Why’s that? A. These things are still expanding, but it’s harder to notice because of the smaller scale B. It definitely has something to do with aliens C. On these scales, gravity and the strong nuclear force are stronger than the expansion D. The presence of a mysterious “dark gluing force” keeps these things together

If energy cannot be created or destroyed, why do stars shine? A. Stars are the only exception to the law of conservation of energy B. Stars burn just like logs on a fire C. This is an active area of research in astrophysics, and answers should be coming soon D. Nuclear fusion transforms mass into energy (E=mc^2)

