Nobel Prize Winners Practice Questions
20 free Nobel Prize Winners practice questions for the General Science. Tap an option to answer — you get instant feedback, the correct answer, and a detailed explanation for every question.
Who was the first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize, winning in Physics in 1903 for her work on radiation?
- A Rosalind Franklin
- B Lise Meitner
- C Irene Joliot-Curie
- D Marie Curie
Correct answer: Marie Curie
Marie Curie shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics with Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel. She later became the first person to win a second Nobel Prize in a different scientific field (Chemistry).
Which scientist won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect?
- A Albert Einstein
- B Niels Bohr
- C Max Planck
- D Werner Heisenberg
Correct answer: Albert Einstein
Although Einstein is most famous for relativity, his Nobel Prize was specifically awarded for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect. This work was pivotal in the development of quantum mechanics.
The 1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Alexander Fleming, Ernst Chain, and Howard Florey for the discovery and development of which substance?
- A Insulin
- B Streptomycin
- C Vitamin C
- D Penicillin
Correct answer: Penicillin
Fleming discovered the mold's antibacterial properties in 1928, but Chain and Florey were instrumental in isolating and mass-producing it as a usable medicine. Their combined efforts revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections.
Which scientist produced the X-ray diffraction images that were central to solving the DNA structure but died in 1958, before the Nobel Prize for that work was awarded?
- A Maurice Wilkins
- B Erwin Chargaff
- C Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin
- D Rosalind Franklin
Correct answer: Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Franklin's X-ray diffraction work at King's College London, including the image known as Photo 51, revealed the helical dimensions of DNA. She died in 1958, and because the Nobel Prize is not awarded posthumously the 1962 prize went to Wilkins, Watson, and Crick.
In 1923, Frederick Banting and John Macleod were awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery of which life-saving hormone?
- A Adrenaline
- B Thyroxine
- C Insulin
- D Glucagon
Correct answer: Insulin
Banting and Macleod's work at the University of Toronto led to the isolation of insulin. This discovery transformed Type 1 diabetes from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable chronic condition.
Which scientist won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911, making her the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific disciplines?
- A Marie Curie
- B Dorothy Hodgkin
- C Barbara McClintock
- D Ada Yonath
Correct answer: Marie Curie
After her Physics prize in 1903, Marie Curie won the Chemistry prize in 1911 for the discovery of the elements radium and polonium. Her work laid the foundation for modern nuclear chemistry.
The Nobel Prize in Physics 1918 was awarded to which scientist for his discovery of energy quanta, marking the birth of quantum theory?
- A Max Planck
- B Erwin Schrödinger
- C Richard Feynman
- D Paul Dirac
Correct answer: Max Planck
Max Planck's work showed that energy is radiated in discrete units called quanta. This discovery fundamentally changed the understanding of atomic and subatomic processes.
Which researcher won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her discovery of 'jumping genes' (transposable elements)?
- A Elizabeth Blackburn
- B Jennifer Doudna
- C Barbara McClintock
- D Tu Youyou
Correct answer: Barbara McClintock
Barbara McClintock studied maize genetics and discovered that genetic elements can move between different locations on the genome. Her work was largely ignored for decades before its significance in genetics was fully realized.
Who is the only person to have been awarded two unshared Nobel Prizes, one for Chemistry (1954) and one for Peace (1962)?
- A Linus Pauling
- B John Bardeen
- C Frederick Sanger
- D Marie Curie
Correct answer: Linus Pauling
Linus Pauling won for his research into the nature of the chemical bond and his activism against nuclear weapons testing. He is the only individual to win two Nobel Prizes that were not shared with any other recipient.
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for the development of which technology?
- A CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing
- B Lithium-ion batteries
- C Cryo-electron microscopy
- D Click chemistry
Correct answer: CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing
Charpentier and Doudna developed a method for high-precision genome editing. This technology allows scientists to change the DNA of animals, plants, and microorganisms with extremely high accuracy.
Which scientist is a two-time Nobel laureate in Chemistry, winning in 1958 and 1980, primarily for work on protein and DNA sequencing?
- A Frederick Sanger
- B Kary Mullis
- C Francis Collins
- D Venki Ramakrishnan
Correct answer: Frederick Sanger
Frederick Sanger is one of very few people to win two Nobel Prizes. He won first for the structure of insulin and later for developing the 'Sanger method' of DNA sequencing.
The first Nobel Prize in Physics, awarded in 1901, went to which scientist for his discovery of X-rays?
- A Wilhelm Röntgen
- B Henri Becquerel
- C Guglielmo Marconi
- D Max von Laue
Correct answer: Wilhelm Röntgen
Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays in 1895 while working with cathode rays. His discovery immediately revolutionized medical diagnostics and remains a cornerstone of modern healthcare.
Which Nobel laureate won the Physics prize in 1922 for his investigations of the structure of atoms and the radiation emanating from them?
- A Niels Bohr
- B Ernest Rutherford
- C Max Planck
- D Louis de Broglie
Correct answer: Niels Bohr
Niels Bohr proposed the Bohr model of the atom, which introduced the idea of electrons orbiting the nucleus in fixed energy levels. This was a critical step in bridging classical physics and quantum mechanics.
The 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Kary Mullis for his invention of which fundamental molecular biology technique?
- A Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis
- B Mass Spectrometry
- C Polymerase Chain Reaction
- D DNA Microarray Analysis
Correct answer: Polymerase Chain Reaction
PCR allows scientists to amplify small segments of DNA into millions of copies. It is now an essential tool in medical research, forensics, and diagnostic testing.
Who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1935 for the discovery of the neutron?
- A James Chadwick
- B Enrico Fermi
- C Otto Hahn
- D Robert Oppenheimer
Correct answer: James Chadwick
Chadwick's discovery of the neutron provided the missing piece of the atomic nucleus. This particle, having no charge, was later used as an ideal projectile for inducing nuclear fission.
The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Tu Youyou for her discovery of which anti-malarial drug?
- A Quinine
- B Chloroquine
- C Artemisinin
- D Doxycycline
Correct answer: Artemisinin
Tu Youyou turned to traditional Chinese herbal medicine to find a new treatment for malaria. Artemisinin has since saved millions of lives, particularly in the developing world.
Which scientist won the Nobel Prize in Physics 1932 for the creation of quantum mechanics?
- A Werner Heisenberg
- B Paul Dirac
- C Erwin Schrödinger
- D Wolfgang Pauli
Correct answer: Werner Heisenberg
Heisenberg is best known for the Uncertainty Principle, which states that certain pairs of physical properties cannot be known simultaneously with high precision. His work was fundamental to the mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics.
Which Nobel laureate is the only person to have won two Nobel Prizes in Physics (1956 and 1972)?
- A John Bardeen
- B Richard Feynman
- C Murray Gell-Mann
- D Lev Landau
Correct answer: John Bardeen
John Bardeen shared his first prize for the invention of the transistor and his second for the theory of superconductivity (BCS theory). He remains the only individual to win the Physics prize twice.
The 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was shared by John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka for which discovery?
- A The role of telomerase in protecting chromosomes
- B The reprogramming of mature cells into stem cells
- C The mechanism of RNA interference by double-stranded RNA
- D The discovery of the Hepatitis C virus
Correct answer: The reprogramming of mature cells into stem cells
Their research proved that specialized cells can be reverted into stem cells (iPS cells). This discovery has massive implications for regenerative medicine and avoiding the ethical issues of embryonic stem cells.
Which scientist shared the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with his rival Camillo Golgi for work on the structure of the nervous system?
- A Santiago Ramón y Cajal
- B Ivan Pavlov
- C Robert Koch
- D Charles Scott Sherrington
Correct answer: Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Cajal used Golgi's staining method to prove the 'Neuron Doctrine'—that the nervous system is made of individual, discrete cells. This discovery laid the foundation for modern neuroscience.