Famous Scientific Inventions Quiz

Humphry Davy invented the first electric light in 1802 (the electric arc lamp), which was the precursor to the incandescent bulb. While Edison is credited with the practical long-lasting incandescent bulb (1879), Davy's earlier invention established the principle. Lord Kelvin, Ida Hyde, and Huygens are not associated with electric lighting inventions.

Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays in 1895 while experimenting with cathode ray tubes. The 'X' stood for unknown. This discovery earned him the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.

Evangelista Torricelli invented the mercury barometer in 1643, building on Galileo's work. His invention provided the first direct measurement of atmospheric pressure and explained how suction pumps worked.

Percy Spencer, an American engineer, invented the microwave oven in 1945 after noticing that a magnetron had melted his chocolate bar. His first commercial microwave was the Radarange, introduced in 1947.