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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What unusual occurrence helped in early navigation at sea?
(a) Storms.
(b) Asteroids.
(c) Solar and lunar eclipses.
(d) Comets.

2. How many men of the original 500 perished on Centurion's voyage to the South Pacific?
(a) All but two.
(b) 500.
(c) One quarter.
(d) Half.

3. How is the fog described at the beginning of Chapter 2: The Sea Before Time?
(a) "Smokestacks.:
(b) "Pea soup."
(c) "London fog."
(d) "Dirty weather."

4. How was John Harrison educated?
(a) He learned alongside Newton.
(b) He attended elementary school in his town.
(c) He went to Oxford.
(d) He had no formal education.

5. Early clocks weren't up to measuring longitude at sea for two reasons. They were not accurate and changed because of what while at sea?
(a) Wind.
(b) Temperature.
(c) Rocking of the boat.
(d) Speed of the boat.

6. What was the powder of sympathy method to determine longitude called?
(a) The wounded dog theory.
(b) The barking animal theory.
(c) The magical powder theory.
(d) The healing bird theory.

7. When the Centurion set sail for the South Pacific, what did they not take with them?
(a) Smith's map.
(b) A compass.
(c) Medication to ward off scurvy.
(d) Harrison's clock.

8. The moon travels a distance roughly equal to its own width every _________.
(a) Day.
(b) Second.
(c) Minute.
(d) 30 minutes.

9. What year was Harrison born?
(a) 1693.
(b) 1727.
(c) 1715.
(d) 1650.

10. What was the punishment for mutiny on the Association?
(a) Water boarding.
(b) Thrown overboard.
(c) Hanging.
(d) Decapitation.

11. What toy does the narrator play with at the beginning of Chapter 1: Imaginary Lines?
(a) A globe.
(b) A yo-yo.
(c) A spinning top.
(d) A beaded wire ball.

12. What did Huygens and Hooke fight over?
(a) A patent.
(b) A woman.
(c) A map.
(d) A ship.

13. What was one disadvantage to using the magnetic variation method to determine longitude?
(a) It led to misalignment with the stars.
(b) Compasses weren't continuously accurate.
(c) Compasses were to large to take on ships.
(d) It could only be used on clear nights.

14. Where did Harrison go to present his case to the Board of Longitude?
(a) Edinburgh.
(b) Oxford.
(c) Paris.
(d) London.

15. Who was Harrison's right-hand man in building clocks?
(a) His father, Joe.
(b) His son, William.
(c) His friend, Newton.
(d) His son, Jon.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was Flamsteed's title?

2. Who helped Harrison build a clock that never lost more than a second per month?

3. Where was the destination the Centurion was sailing for?

4. After the Association ran aground and the captain's body was found, what of value was found on him?

5. What was one of Harrison's innovations?

(see the answer keys)

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