45 general knowledge trivia questions and answers
This assortment uses calendars, clocks, shapes, arithmetic, symbols, books, codes, games, language curiosities, logic, probability, and ordinary objects to create a deliberately varied round.
Updated
Questions 1–20
How many days are in a leap year?
easy
366
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_year?oldid=1365633748
What pale tint of red is named after a flower?
easy
Pink
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink?oldid=1364283451
What is frozen water called?
easy
Ice
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice?oldid=1364560962
Which hand on an analog clock usually shows the minutes?
easy
A long minute hand
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_face?oldid=1358818568
How many sides does a triangle have?
easy
Three
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle?oldid=1365649475
Which currency replaced Tokugawa coinage?
medium
The yen
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_yen?oldid=1365819261
Which month is the tenth in the Julian and Gregorian calendars?
easy
October
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October?oldid=1359863433
Which ancient numeral system uses different symbols for each power of ten?
medium
Roman numerals
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_numerals?oldid=1365177558#Description
About 70 percent of soda-lime glass is made from which substance?
hard
Silica
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass?oldid=1360678580
Which part of a book lists chapter titles and page numbers?
easy
The table of contents
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_contents?oldid=1347569847#Form
What is the result of division called?
easy
The quotient
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_(mathematics)?oldid=1363470529
Which traffic-light color means stop?
easy
Red
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_light?oldid=1365810055
What shape has four equal sides and four right angles?
easy
A square
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square?oldid=1359762716#Other_geometries
Which month gains an extra day in a leap year?
easy
February
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February?oldid=1358896942#History
What is the unit of temperature on the Celsius scale?
easy
The degree Celsius
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celsius?oldid=1363467624
When does the Gregorian calendar year begin and end?
easy
Begins on January 1 and ends on December 31
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_year?oldid=1354854738
Which six types can a chess piece be?
medium
King, queen, rook, bishop, knight, or pawn
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_piece?oldid=1356336050
How many items are in a baker’s dozen?
easy
Thirteen
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dozen?oldid=1343471035#Baker's_dozen
Which gemstone is traditionally associated with an engagement ring?
medium
Diamond
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engagement_ring?oldid=1363183387#Industry
Why does a mirror reverse left and right only in the way we describe it?
hard
The third axis (front-back) is reversed
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_image?oldid=1341408793#In_three_dimensions
Questions 21–40
Did SOS originally stand for a phrase?
hard
Was initially not an abbreviation
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOS?oldid=1346960186
Which game has a remix featuring Park Place and Boardwalk?
medium
Monopoly
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly_(game)?oldid=1365029127#Television_game_show
What is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers?
easy
A prime number
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number?oldid=1363371252
Which calendar date is known as April Fools’ Day?
easy
The 1st of April
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools'_Day?oldid=1365593059
What do the letters RSVP ask an invited guest to do?
medium
Please respond
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSVP?oldid=1365198805
What is the most common pack of playing cards used today?
easy
The standard 52-card deck
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_52-card_deck?oldid=1361841647
What is the dot-and-dash communication system called?
easy
Morse code
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_code?oldid=1364531517#Operator-led_change_from_graphical_to_audible_code
Which direction does a compass point halfway between north and east?
easy
Northeast
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Points_of_the_compass?oldid=1364748457
What does a barometer measure?
medium
Atmospheric pressure
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barometer?oldid=1365704103#Mercury_barometers
Which number has no Roman numeral in the classical system?
medium
Zero
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_numerals?oldid=1365177558#Zero
What is the mathematical name for the answer to a multiplication?
medium
A product
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplication?oldid=1366033971#Notation
How does a QR code differ visibly from a traditional bar code?
easy
Two-dimensional matrix barcode
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code?oldid=1364678158
Where does the word alphabet come from?
medium
The first two letters of the Greek alphabet
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabet?oldid=1366003767#Etymology
What literary technique makes words the main subject for intended effect or amusement?
easy
Wordplay
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wordplay?oldid=1365705352
What are numbers formed by adding one to products of the smallest primes called?
hard
Euclid numbers
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number?oldid=1363371252#Infinitude
How does sepia toning change metallic silver?
hard
The metallic silver in the print is converted to a sulfide compound
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_print_toning?oldid=1359369026#Sepia_toning
Sixty seconds to a minute, 60 minutes to an hour, and 360 degrees in a circle all reflect which number base?
hard
Base 60
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexagesimal?oldid=1365865067
Which probability puzzle involves switching doors after a host reveals a goat?
medium
The Monty Hall problem
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem?oldid=1365828996
Which natural number follows 5 and precedes 7?
easy
Six
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6?oldid=1356173128
How many distinct ways can a standard necktie knot be tied according to the classic Fink-Mao study?
hard
Exactly 85 ways
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_85_Ways_to_Tie_a_Tie?oldid=1311371846
Questions 41–45
Name one use of a pangram.
medium
Test equipment
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangram?oldid=1362879795
Which logical fallacy attacks the person instead of the argument?
medium
An argument to the person
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem?oldid=1361682138
Who invented the equals sign in 1557?
hard
The Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equals_sign?oldid=1365057023
Which paradox uses a liar’s statement that they are lying?
medium
Liar paradox
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liar_paradox?oldid=1344302746
How does Benford’s law describe leading digits?
hard
The leading digit is likely to be small
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benford's_law?oldid=1363676039
How to play
Because the subject changes quickly, identify the expected answer type when the wording could allow several forms. Read symbols and abbreviations exactly as the question presents them, without expanding them into an unintended clue.
Plan the round and team scores
8 turns × 60 seconds = 8 minutes of play, plus instructions and breaks.
60
These are adjustable house rules. Pause whenever the group needs more time.
Team 1: 0
Team 2: 0