Popular Objects of the Analogue Age

Popular Culture · 10 questions

Ten questions about records, cassette players, pagers, and consumer technology in the analogue age.

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1. Which technology became common in battery-powered portable radio receivers in the 1960s?

   1. Transistor
   2. Integrated circuit
   3. Vacuum tube
   4. Laser diode
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   A) Transistor

2. On a half-duplex two-way radio, which button does a user typically press to transmit while speaking?

   1. Channel selector
   2. Headphone jack
   3. Push-to-talk button
   4. Volume knob
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   C) Push-to-talk button

3. Which recording medium did Sony's 1979 Walkman model play?

   1. Vinyl record
   2. Compact cassette
   3. 8-track cartridge
   4. MiniDisc
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   B) Compact cassette

4. What did a phone number displayed on a numeric pager usually indicate?

   1. The radio channel number
   2. The device's serial number
   3. The caller's postal code
   4. A number to call back
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   D) A number to call back

5. At what speed does a standard long-playing (LP) record usually rotate?

   1. 33 1/3 RPM
   2. 78 RPM
   3. 16 2/3 RPM
   4. 45 RPM
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   A) 33 1/3 RPM

6. What recording medium carries the audio information on a compact cassette?

   1. Punched paper tape
   2. Optical disc
   3. Photographic film
   4. Magnetic tape
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   D) Magnetic tape

7. Which cartridge-based audio format was used in cars, especially in North America, during the 1970s?

   1. Compact cassette
   2. DAT cassette
   3. MiniDisc
   4. 8-track
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   D) 8-track

8. What physical feature of a record does a turntable stylus follow to read its sound?

   1. Holes
   2. Optical markings
   3. Grooves
   4. Magnets
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   C) Grooves

9. Which Dolby system was widely used to reduce tape hiss on cassettes?

   1. Dolby Digital
   2. Dolby Atmos
   3. Dolby B
   4. Dolby Vision
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   C) Dolby B

10. At what rate does tape move through a standard compact cassette player, in inches per second?

    1. 15 inches per second
    2. 1 7/8 inches per second
    3. 7 1/2 inches per second
    4. 3 3/4 inches per second
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    B) 1 7/8 inches per second