1. In the International Space Station (ISS) is 27,000 feet more than half an acre, how many feet does the ISS cover?   (Hint: There are 43,560 feet in an acre)
2. The ISS travels at 17,500 miles per hour.  If a car could travel that fast, how long (in minutes) would it take from Los Angeles to Baltimore and back if there are 1,750 miles between?
3. The closest star to the Earth is 45 million km away.  In comparison, the next closest star is 300,000 times further away.  How far away is the second closest star from the Earth?

1. The museum is divided into five major exhibits.
2. The Energy Place has experiments to measure the body's energy, conversion of energy from one to another.
3. The Science Arcade reveals the mysteries of light, sound, magnetism, and mechanism.
4. This is not the only place in Baltimore to see the stars known to man.
5. Five floors of activity at the Science Center offer wonderful hands-on experiences that present science as a part of Maryland life.
6. A television studio is available for children to tape themselves doing the weather or sports and then see how they look.

         7.  The International Space Station (ISS) is 563 feet long.
         8.  People can live in the ISS for six months at a time.
Answers to Fact or Fiction

The Maryland Science Museum is part of the Maryland Academy of Sciences. The three-story building can be found in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore. 

All of the "hands-on" experiments are divided into six major exhibits, which change every six months. The Energy Place is the first of these exhibits. It contains experiments to measure the body’s energy, conversion of energy from one source to another, and many other unique displays. Another exhibit, the Science Arcade, reveals the mysteries of light, sound, magnetism, and mechanics. The Science Arcade also contains a distorted room and an anti-gravity mirror. Also found in this museum is the Computer Company exhibit which makes technology fun showing people microchips, computers the size of postage stamps, and other games. 

The center holds a Planetarium, in addition to the hands-on exhibits. It is not recommended for very young children, but older ones will enjoy exploring the night sky. The center is the only place in Baltimore to see the stars known to man. Unfortunately, the heavy pollution in the Baltimore area blocks your view. Fortunately, this is the place to find the stars that are hidden. Through a viewer, you can see the moon and surfaces of other planets. Shows included in the Planetarium are a laser light show and atmospheric simulations with music and sounds. 

The IMAX theater shows films on space exploration, boating through the Grand Canyon, surfing in Hawaii, and other adventures. If you sit closer to the front near the screen you may feel like the surf might actually splash on you. 

A new exhibit on structures lets children work with various-sized building blocks to create their own architecture and construction projects. A kid’s room is designed for children ages 3 to 7 years old, who may not yet understand the more advanced scientific exhibits. The exhibits include: workshop tools; a dissecting scope through which can be seen the different stages of a tadpole changing into a frog; a nature table with bones, feathers, and skins; an ant farm; X-rays on lighted table; a sound table with noise makers; books; and a computer with programs about shapes, counting, and the alphabet.

A television studio is open for children who want to tape themselves doing the weather or sports, and then see how they look. The Demonstration Stage where children are asked to participate in scientific experiments dealing with chemistry, electricity, and other branches of science is an all-time favorite. Other displays deal with the Chesapeake Bay, energy, and space.
 

Answer to word problem

1. 48,780 feet
2. 12 minutes
3. 43,500,000,000,000 km

Answers to Scavenger Hunt

        Go to http://www.mdsci.org

1. In direct sunlight temperatures can heat up to 250 degrees F.
2. How much does the International Space Station (ISS) weigh?  1,000,000 pounds
3. How many people can live in the ISS?   crew size can vary from 3 to 8 people
4. How long can people live in the ISS?    6 months
5. How old is the sun?   5,000,000,000 years
6. At the sun's core the temperature is  25,000,000 degrees F.
7. How hot are sunspots?   6,000 degrees F.
8. What is Webster's definition of light pollution?   Artificial skylight that interferes with astronomical observation. 
9. What is the museums definition of light pollution?   Light pollution affects much more than just astronomical observation.
10. Where are two strange places life exists?   Two miles on the dark ocean floor and even frozen in the ice of Antarctica.

Return to questions

 Answers to Fact and Fiction

1. Fiction-     Six major exhibits 
2. Fact
3. Fact
4. Fiction-     This is the only place in Baltimore
5. Fiction-     Three floors
6. Fact
7. Fiction-     356 feet long 
8. Fact

Return to questions

Colbert, Judy. Places to Go With Children in Washington, D.C.
                      San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1995.

Hawkins, Kelly. "Maryland Science Center." Maryland Science
                  Center. March 27, 2002. Guest Services Department. 29 March,
                     2002. <http://www.mdsci.org>.

Simpson, Jeanne. "Washington DC Unit." Maryland Science Center (1992): 00.