AP World History : Science and Technology

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Science And Technology 1750 To 1900

Which of the following is not an advantage that Britain had in the Industrial Revolution?

Possible Answers:

Government aide to businesses 

Many colonies

Many rivers

Britain's large academic population

Correct answer:

Britain's large academic population

Explanation:

While Britain did have large academic societies surrounding their many universities, they did not have substantially larger academic groups than any other nation. For example, the nation of Prussia overall was the most educated nation on the planet at this point in history due to their compulsory school system.

Example Question #2 : Science And Technology 1750 To 1900

Louis Pasteur is a famous scientist of the Industrial period. What was his field of expertise? 

Possible Answers:

Earth Science

Chemistry

Biology

Physics

Correct answer:

Biology

Explanation:

Pasteur was a famed Medical Biologist. He was the man that invented the process of pasteurization. He also revolutionized the field of vaccinations with his rabies vaccine. He was also the one to bring the concept of cleanliness as a means to fight disease to the fore as a public policy. 

Example Question #3 : Science And Technology 1750 To 1900

What was the purpose of Crop Rotation?

Possible Answers:

To prevent soil erosion

To allow the soil to recover lost nutrients

To improve diets by having different food stuffs

To avoid widespread pest problems

Correct answer:

To allow the soil to recover lost nutrients

Explanation:

Every plant takes a different amount of nutrients out of the soil. This means if you grow the same plant in the same place for years, then the soil will stop yielding much for food because there is not enough nutrients to sustain the plants. Crop rotation means that if you grow something different in the same spot then the soil has a year to recoup the nutrients it lost thus making the yield constantly high.

Example Question #321 : Ap World History

Following the Industrial Revolution there was a movement to take common lands like town greens and give them to farmers to make large farms. What was this movement called?

Possible Answers:

The Enclosure Movement

The Green Movement

The Fencing Movement

The Commons Movement

Correct answer:

The Enclosure Movement

Explanation:

The Enclosure movement was born from the idea that large farms were the most productive and therefore it was in society's best interest to give the large farms exclusive rights to these formerly public lands. The name enclosure comes from the name for the border fences that were put up across the English Countryside, called enclosures. 

Example Question #322 : Ap World History

During the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions a process of choosing which animals to breed based off of their useful physical characteristics rather than allow free breeding began. What was this process called?

Possible Answers:

Darwinian heredity 

Scientific mating

Specific breeding

Selective breeding

Correct answer:

Selective breeding

Explanation:

Selective Breeding was revolutionary for farming and the agricultural business. This new process meant that only the strong animals on any given farm would be bred so as to keep the herds at their best. This also meant that there would be lines of animals that were physically superior to any seen before due to the strong being breed while the week died out over successive generations.

Example Question #4 : Science And Technology 1750 To 1900

When it was originally invented a spinning jenny was powered by hand, however, to give it more constant power a new invention was made to power it. What was this invention called?

Possible Answers:

Water wheel

Spinning wheel

Water frame

Electric motor

Correct answer:

Water frame

Explanation:

In order to keep a spinning jenny operating at all times at the same pace the Water frame was invented to power it. Most mills of the time were situated on rivers so they could use the flowing of the river to power the mill. The same idea worked to power a spinning jenny as a water frame uses the flow of water to constantly operate the machine.

Example Question #4 : Science And Technology 1750 To 1900

Which one of these is an advantage that Britain had in beginning the Industrial Revolution?

Possible Answers:

Britain's highly educated workforce

Large iron and coal deposits 

Large smelting facilities

Britain is an island

Correct answer:

Large iron and coal deposits 

Explanation:

Iron and coal were essential needs of any nation attempting to be an industrial power. Britain had access to some of the largest deposits of these resources anywhere in the world at the time. This gave them a serious leg up on the competition because they could expand much more rapidly due to this supply. 

Example Question #72 : Science And Technology

Which of the following is not an invention of famed inventor Thomas Edison?

Possible Answers:

The Phonograph

Direct current

The light bulb

The telegraph

Correct answer:

The telegraph

Explanation:

Edison had over  patents filed during his lifetime. While he did invent a part to improve the telegraph in the late 1800's, he did not invent the telegraph. 

Example Question #331 : Cultural History

During the Industrial Revolution a process of varying where certain food was grown each year was implemented. What was the name for this process?

Possible Answers:

Soil Enrichment

Crop Rotation

Vertical Farming

Cover Crops

Correct answer:

Crop Rotation

Explanation:

Crop Rotation was meant to help farmers improve their yield each year. This process consisted of changing which field farmers grew each crop in each year. This meant that since each crop took certain nutrients out of the soil, the soil had a chance to recover before growing that same plant again.

Example Question #332 : Ap World History

During the Industrial Revolution a machine was invented that was the first to be widely used for planting seeds and covering them for a farmer. What was it called?

Possible Answers:

The seed plow

The seed drill

The farm planter

The planting

Correct answer:

The seed drill

Explanation:

The seed drill was not a new invention; however, until the mid 1800's the seed drill had never been a practical or effective machine. This changed in the Industrial Revolution when inventing hit a new high. The newly made seed drill could effectively plant seeds in the ground and cover them up, saving farmers countless hours.

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