10 Fun Questions Kids Can Answer with Wolfram|Alpha

Here at Wolfram|Alpha we’re always asking questions and seeking answers in an effort to make all of the world’s knowledge computable and understandable by everyone (big or small).

We’ve put together a short list of common questions asked by preschool- and kindergarten-aged children that can be answered with Wolfram|Alpha. We hope these examples inspire your child to dream up more!

Is the Moon bigger than the Earth? Ask Wolfram|Alpha to compare “size of earth, size of moon”, and you’ll discover numerical and graphic size comparisons showing that the Earth is indeed larger than the Moon.

Chances are your little artists will discover the answer to this question on their own, but they can try asking Wolfram|Alpha what color they get when they “mix red and blue”?

Whether it’s because they’re excited about the party or just turning a year older, the birthday countdown is always on! Simply ask Wolfram|Alpha about the date of the child’s upcoming birthday, such as “October 8 2010”, to learn the number of days, weeks, or months until the big day.

Are there other people who have my name? Simply enter your child’s name, for example, “Jacob“,  in Wolfram|Alpha and learn how the name ranks in popularity among children born in the United States along with the number of people born with that name each year, the estimated number and the most common age of people with that name alive today, and much more.

Help your child learn shapes by asking Wolfram|Alpha questions such as “How many sides does a triangle have?”. In return, Wolfram|Alpha will provide an answer and a visual representation.

Working on number recognition or basic addition and subtraction? Ask Wolfram|Alpha to answer “What’s 10 plus 4” to get a result a result in words, numbers, and pictures.

Does your little archaeologist stop a bedtime story about dinosaurs to ask questions such as “Is a brachiosaurus taller than a triceratops?” Answer this question and more when you ask Wolfram|Alpha to “compare a brachiosaurus and a triceratops”.

“When I grow up, will I be as tall as you?” Enter your child’s gender, age, and height into Wolfram|Alpha and you’ll discover a projected growth chart along with distribution plots showing how your child’s height and weight compare to other children of the same age. For example, enter “growth chart male, 7yr, 4’2”.  Click the image below to see the full result.

It doesn’t take long for young ones to start building up their vocabulary. They can have fun learning new words by exploring rhyming words in Wolfram|Alpha. For example, ask Wolfram|Alpha for “words that rhyme with bear”:

Has the tooth fairy been making frequent trips to your house? Do your children wonder when they will get their two front teeth? By asking Wolfram|Alpha about a tooth, such as “lower right first baby molar”, you can see a visual representation of the tooth, learn about its function, and find out at what age the permanent tooth is expected to arrive.

These are just a few fun questions kids can answer with Wolfram|Alpha. We hope these examples inspired you and your child to dream up more! Did your youngster ask Wolfram|Alpha a great question? Feel free to share your stories in the comments section below.