Here are the correct answers, along with the percentage of those
surveyed who had the correct responses.

1. The center of the Earth is very hot.

True (78 percent)

2. The oxygen we breathe comes from plants.

True (85 percent)

3. Electrons are smaller than atoms.

True (44 percent)

4. The continents on which we live have been moving their location for
millions of years and will continue to move in the future.

True (79 percent)

5. Humans beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier
species of animals.

True (44 percent)

6. The earliest human beings lived at the same time as the dinosaurs.

False (48 percent)

7. Which travels faster: light or sound?

Light (75 percent)

8. How long does it take for the Earth to go around the sun: one day,
one month, or one year?

One year (47 percent)

9. Tell me, in your own words, what is DNA?

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a large molecule in the chromosomes
that contains the genetic information for each cell. (21 percent)

10. Tell me, in your own words, what is a molecule?

A molecule is the smallest unit of a chemical compound capable of
existing independently while retaining properties of the original
substance. (9 percent)

Note: The survey was conducted by researchers at the International
Center for the Advancement of Scientific Literacy a Foundation. The
sample size of the survey quiz was 2,006. The people were selected by
random digital dialing from among American adults who have
telephones. The survey was conducted by telephone in October 1995. The
margin of error was plus or minus 3 percent.