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41 chemistry trivia questions and answers

From element symbols and everyday substances to pH, bonding, reactions and separating mixtures.

41 questions · Chemistry trivia questions and answers · answers included

Updated

Chemistry trivia questions and answers

Choose a score button to add a point. Scores last for this page visit.

Space shows the answer, then the next card. Arrow keys move. With scores on, keys 1 to 6 add a team point. F fills the screen. Escape closes play.

Questions 1–20

  1. 1

    What element has the chemical symbol O?

    easy

    Answer

    Oxygen

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen?oldid=1356586589

  2. 2

    Which element has the symbol Au?

    easy

    Answer

    Gold

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold?oldid=1364204831

  3. 3

    Which familiar substance is an inorganic compound?

    hard

    Answer

    Water

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water?oldid=1365146386

  4. 4

    Which gas fills many party balloons so they float safely?

    easy

    Answer

    Helium

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium?oldid=1366031206#Flight

  5. 5

    What element makes up diamond and graphite?

    medium

    Answer

    Carbon

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon?oldid=1356422152#Characteristics

  6. 6

    Which element has a form that becomes ferromagnetic below its Curie point?

    hard

    Answer

    Iron

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron?oldid=1364467036#Magnetic_properties

  7. 7

    Which scale tells you how acidic or basic a solution is?

    medium

    Answer

    The pH scale

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PH?oldid=1365068287

  8. 8

    Which element gives table salt the first half of its chemical name, sodium chloride?

    easy

    Answer

    Sodium

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_chloride?oldid=1361150387

  9. 9

    Rust forms when iron reacts with which gas, helped by water?

    medium

    Answer

    Oxygen

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust?oldid=1361494391

  10. 10

    Which noble gas produces a reddish-orange glow in signs?

    easy

    Answer

    Neon

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon?oldid=1363486808#Lighting_and_signage

  11. 11

    What does an atomic nucleus consist of?

    easy

    Answer

    Protons and neutrons

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_nucleus?oldid=1358772000

  12. 12

    How does a catalyst change a chemical reaction?

    hard

    Answer

    An alternative reaction mechanism

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalysis?oldid=1358271976#Catalytic_reaction_mechanisms

  13. 13

    Which element was named after the planet Uranus?

    easy

    Answer

    Uranium

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranium?oldid=1364652270

  14. 14

    What is it called when a solid turns straight into a gas without melting first?

    medium

    Answer

    Sublimation

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublimation_(phase_transition)?oldid=1362966876

  15. 15

    Which element forms more kinds of compounds than any other, because it bonds so well with itself?

    hard

    Answer

    Carbon

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon?oldid=1356422152#Characteristics

  16. 16

    By the law of conservation of mass, can mass be created or destroyed in a closed system?

    medium

    Answer

    Neither (mass can neither be created nor destroyed)

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_mass?oldid=1365127168

  17. 17

    Does an exothermic reaction release energy or take it in?

    medium

    Answer

    Releases energy (usually as heat)

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exothermic_process?oldid=1343544837

  18. 18

    What does an endothermic process absorb?

    medium

    Answer

    Absorbs heat from its surroundings

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endothermic_process?oldid=1346147892

  19. 19

    What force holds oppositely charged ions together in ionic bonding?

    medium

    Answer

    Electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionic_bonding?oldid=1359556665

  20. 20

    In a covalent bond, what do the atoms share?

    medium

    Answer

    Electrons (in pairs)

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covalent_bond?oldid=1347405474

Questions 21–40

  1. 21

    How many elementary entities are in one mole?

    hard

    Answer

    6.02214076×10^23 elementary entities

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(unit)?oldid=1363520051

  2. 22

    How do isotopes of the same element differ in their nuclei?

    medium

    Answer

    Different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotope?oldid=1364129642

  3. 23

    What count gives an element its atomic number?

    easy

    Answer

    The number of protons

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_number?oldid=1364260281

  4. 24

    In a redox reaction, what is oxidation?

    medium

    Answer

    Oxidation is the loss of electrons

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redox?oldid=1361520460

  5. 25

    What is exchanged when a Brønsted-Lowry acid reacts with a base?

    hard

    Answer

    A proton

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C3%B8nsted%E2%80%93Lowry_acid%E2%80%93base_theory?oldid=1364155633

  6. 26

    How does blue litmus paper react in an acidic medium?

    medium

    Answer

    Blue litmus paper turns red

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litmus?oldid=1357365761

  7. 27

    Distillation separates a liquid mixture by boiling it, followed by what?

    medium

    Answer

    The condensation of the vapors

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distillation?oldid=1360136339

  8. 28

    What is chromatography used to separate?

    hard

    Answer

    A mixture into its components

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatography?oldid=1360629607

  9. 29

    What is the solid formed during precipitation called?

    hard

    Answer

    The precipitate

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipitation_(chemistry)?oldid=1349299573

  10. 30

    When is a solution considered aqueous?

    medium

    Answer

    The solvent is water

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqueous_solution?oldid=1354245868

  11. 31

    What are the non-solvent substances in a solution called?

    medium

    Answer

    Solutes

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solution_(chemistry)?oldid=1364066841

  12. 32

    How does a buffer solution respond to dilution or a small acid or base addition?

    hard

    Answer

    The pH does not change significantly

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffer_solution?oldid=1357017702

  13. 33

    How can a polymer be recognized from its structure?

    medium

    Answer

    Many repeating subunits

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymer?oldid=1358323290

  14. 34

    How does an electrolyte conduct electricity?

    hard

    Answer

    Through the movement of ions

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolyte?oldid=1361995977

  15. 35

    What chemical does the Haber process produce industrially?

    hard

    Answer

    Ammonia

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haber_process?oldid=1352979226

  16. 36

    Which two metals are the main constituents of brass?

    medium

    Answer

    Copper and zinc

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass?oldid=1364113336

  17. 37

    Which metal is the primary constituent of bronze?

    medium

    Answer

    Copper

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze?oldid=1364724780

  18. 38

    What word describes a compound that can act both as an acid and as a base?

    hard

    Answer

    Amphoteric

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphoterism?oldid=1360318972

  19. 39

    What can a flame test quickly detect in a sample?

    medium

    Answer

    The presence of some elements

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_test?oldid=1362632327

  20. 40

    What substance is dry ice the solid form of?

    easy

    Answer

    Carbon dioxide

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_ice?oldid=1364696874

Question 41

  1. 41

    Chemically, what is soap?

    hard

    Answer

    A salt of a fatty acid

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap?oldid=1363901391

How to play

Read chemical symbols letter by letter (Au is "A, U"), but don't say a symbol when it is the answer. For questions about a process, players should say what changes, not just name it.

Timer and team scores

8 turns × 60 seconds = 8 minutes of play, plus instructions and breaks.

60

Pause whenever the group needs more time.

Team Lime's turn

Team Lime: 0

Team Violet: 0