Pictorial Riddles

16.3 Pictorial Riddles (From the Sourcebook for Teaching Science)

A riddle is a question or statement posed so one must use ingenuity to determine its answer or meaning.  Consider the following riddle: "What appears to lie at your feet in the morning, to follow you all day long, nearly vanish at noon, and disappear at night?"  The riddle is phrased in such a way that one might first think of a pet, but this does not fit the last two clues.  To solve the riddle, one must "think outside the box" and consider inanimate objects as well, in which case one might realize that one's shadow meets the criteria of the riddle.   Riddles are engaging and demand creative thinking.  

Pictorial riddles are riddles in graphic form.   Ingenuity is required to analyze the pictures and arrive at reasonable solutions. In the activities that follow we will work with a variety of types of pictorial riddles.

Activity 16.3.1 – Time-series pictorial riddles  

Figures 16.10-16.14 are time-series riddles.  The first pictures in a series represent earlier times, while later pictures represent later times.  To solve such riddles, one must supply a process or activity that occurs between the various pictures that can adequately explain why the pictures have changed over time.  For example, figure 16.10 shows a series of pictures of a magnetic compass.  What can explain the different orientations of the compass needle from the first moment to the final moment?  A geologist might explain that there is a tremendous amount of time between each event, and the directionality of the compass reflects the changing magnetic field of the Earth.  At some times in geological history, the magnetic north pole was near the geographic north pole (figures 16.10A, 16.10C), while at other times the polarity of the Earth’s magnetic field was reversed such that the magnetic north pole was near the geographic south pole (figures 16.10B, 16.10D9).   By contrast, a physicist might suggest that the compass needle spins because of a changing magnetic field induced by a local magnet.  For example, if one moves a magnet around a compass, the needle will follow it.  Riddles may therefore have more than one reasonable solution.  

Provide reasonable solutions for pictorial riddles 16.10-16.14.  e

(1) Figure 16.11 represents magnetic compasses.  Suggest processes or events that explain the change from A to C.  

(2) Figure 16.12 shows magnetic compasses surrounding a wire.  Suggest a process or event that can explain the changes from A to C. 

(3) Figure 16.13 represents a single cell.  Suggest processes or events that explain the change from A to C.  

(4) Figure 16.14 represents a single cell.  Suggest processes or events that explain the change from A to C. 

(5) Figure 16.15 represents a comet at different times from A to E.  Suggest processes or events that explain the changes. The comet is orbiting the Sun, which is out of the picture below the diagram. 

(6) Figure 16.16 represents a two-lane highway.  Suggest processes or events that explain the change from A to B, and from C to D. 

(7) Figure 16.17 represents radio waves emanating from a motion detector.  Examine the patterns of reflected waves and match the following descriptions with the appropriate diagrams.  

• • one nearby stationary object

  • one object moving away from the source 

  • one object moving towards the source, and one moving away from it

  • one object that is moving toward the source

  • three nearby stationary objects

  • two nearby stationary objects, one of which is closer than the other 

(8) Figure 16.18 shows electrocardiograms, made from a device that monitors the electrical activity of the heart.  Offer explanations for each of the changes seen at the time of the arrow.  

(9) Figure 16.19 shows an elephant and dog on the same beam.  Offer an explanation for the movement of the beam from A to C. 

(10) Figure 16.20 is a human skeleton. Offer an explanation for the sequence. 

Activity 16.3.2 – Analyzing diagrams for similarities and differences  

On January 28, 1986, the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.  Seventy-three seconds into flight the Challenger exploded, killing all seven crewmembers on board.  Engineers pinned the disaster on a faulty O-ring seal in the right solid rocket booster.  When the seal failed, a flame leaked from the booster and damaged the adjacent propellant tank.  Although the O-ring looked like other ones produced by the manufacturer, apparently it was different in at least one critical aspect.  Unfortunately, this difference was not detected prior to lift-off.  

Scientists, engineers, and manufacturers frequently analyze things for similarities and differences.  Manufacturers employ quality control technicians to ensure that all products meet specifications.  Quality control technicians protect the public from defective products, and employers from lawsuits.  They must develop good analytical skills so they can determine which products are good, and which are not. The ability to analyze things for similarities and differences is vital to science and industry.  In this activity you will exercise this skill as you analyze sets of plants and animals for similarities and differences.  For example, in figure 16.21A the penguin does not fit with the others.  Although all five are large marine animals, four are mammals, while the penguin is a bird.  Examine each of the sets of figures in 16.21 and determine which one does not belong with the others.

Activity 16.3.3 – What’s wrong with this picture?  

“What’s wrong with this picture?” is a popular game found in children’s magazines.  An otherwise normal picture has odd things hidden in it that the reader must discover.  These games are popular, challenging, and require the analytical skills used in scientific reasoning.  Examine the figures 16.22A-M that follow and determine what’s wrong with each picture.  Explain in complete sentences.

Activity - Science Humor

Science cartoons provide excellent material for pictorial riddles.  The cartoons are funny only if you understand the underlying science.  Write questions for selected science cartoons that test the reader's understanding of the science concepts involved.  Put the question in the file description.

Update the Collaborative Presentation on Science Humor / Pictorial Riddles