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Trivial Electronics: How Much Do You Know?

June 1, 2009

On May 13, 2009, the IEEE celebrated more than a century of innovation and ingenuity as it officially turned 125 years old. To include the readers of

Sam Davis

On May 13, 2009, the IEEE celebrated more than a century of innovation and ingenuity as it officially turned 125 years old. To include the readers of Power Electronics Technology in that celebration, and just to make science, engineering, and technology fun, they sent in the following trivia questions for you to ponder over. Answers are at the end of the page.

In what year did the first home computer games appear?

A. 1958

B. 1963

C. 1974

D. 1980
How small is the world's smallest radio?

A. The size of a marble

B. The size of a golf ball

C. The size of a tennis ball
The first model of this groundbreaking home entertainment device was announced on September 9, 1976, by a team of engineers headed by Shizuo Takano and Yuma Shiraishi.

A. Rear-Projection Television

B. VHS Format

C. High-Definition

D. Film Projector
During which time period did Benjamin Franklin live and work in London popularizing the study of electricity, performing experiments, and serving as an advisor on lightning conductors?

A. 1732-1756

B. 1757-1775

C. 1776-1782
The creation in 1962 of the Centre Electronique Horloger of Neuchâtel in Switzerland enabled production of the first prototypes of which of the following items?

A. Quartz Electronic Wristwatch

B. Self-Starting Gas-Powered Engine
Early developments of this extremely popular device began as early as 1901 with Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres-Quevedo.

A. Electronic Calculator

B. Microwave Oven

C. Remote Control
How fast is the speed of light?

A. 100,000 km/sec

B. 200,000 km/sec

C. 300,000 km/sec
In 1928 the Detroit Police Department was the first to prove the practicality of this pioneering advancement, which led to its adoption throughout the country?

A. One-Way Radio Communication

B. Two-Way Radio Communication

C. Grid Tracking
What type of plants did Mendel use for his genetic experiments?

A. Corn plants

B. Bean plants

C. Pea plants
Who made the first electric light bulb?

A. Thomas Edison

B. Humphry Davy

C. Joseph Swan

Questions 1 - 10 and their answers were provided by the IEEE. I added the next bunch. If you disagree with my answers, let me know. There have been many developments and court cases to determine who was first, so the answers could be controversial.
Where was the first diffusion transistor developed?

A. Bell Labs

B. Stanford University

C. RCA's Sarnoff Labs
What company produced the first commercial junction transistor?

A. RCA

B. Raytheon

C. General Electric
What company developed the planar transistor?

D. RCA

E. Fairchild

F. General Electric
What company produced the first commercial power MOSFETs?

A. Siliconix

B. International Rectifier

C. Texas Instruments
What company produced the first integrated circuits?

A. American Microsystems

B. Texas Instruments

C. Intel
What company produced the first monolithic operational amplifiers?

A. Maxim

B. National Semiconductor

C. Linear Technology

1: 1974. 2: The size of a marble. 3: VHS Format. 4: 1757-1775 5: Quartz Electronic Wristwatch. 6: Remote Control. 7: 300,000 km/sec. 8: One-Way Radio Communication. 9: Pea Plants. 10: Humphry Davy. 11. Bell Labs (1954). 12: Raytheon (CK722 - 1952). 13: Fairchild (1959). 14: Siliconix. 15: Texas Instruments. 16: National Semiconductor.

About the Author

Sam Davis

Sam Davis was the editor-in-chief of Power Electronics Technology magazine and website that is now part of Electronic Design. He has 18 years experience in electronic engineering design and management, six years in public relations and 25 years as a trade press editor. He holds a BSEE from Case-Western Reserve University, and did graduate work at the same school and UCLA. Sam was the editor for PCIM, the predecessor to Power Electronics Technology, from 1984 to 2004. His engineering experience includes circuit and system design for Litton Systems, Bunker-Ramo, Rocketdyne, and Clevite Corporation.. Design tasks included analog circuits, display systems, power supplies, underwater ordnance systems, and test systems. He also served as a program manager for a Litton Systems Navy program.

Sam is the author of Computer Data Displays, a book published by Prentice-Hall in the U.S. and Japan in 1969. He is also a recipient of the Jesse Neal Award for trade press editorial excellence, and has one patent for naval ship construction that simplifies electronic system integration.

You can also check out his Power Electronics blog.