185 Chemistry Trivia Questions and Answers
How much do you know about the subject Chemistry alongside its history and all the chemical elements? We have over 180 chemistry trivia questions and answers to help you learn more.
For more educational quiz, see also Are you smarter than a 5th grader, and Pi Day Trivia Questions and Answers.
Basic Chemistry Trivia Questions and Answers
1. What is the product of 2Na + H2O?
Answer: 2NaOH + H2
2. How many elements does the actinide group encompass?
Answer: 15 actinides
3. What is the chemical symbol for carbon?
Answer: C
4. What is the chemical symbol for hydrogen?
Answer: H
5. What are the salts derived from nitric acid called?
Answer: Nitrates
6. Compounds that, in a water solution, dissociate into positive metal ions and negative ions of the conjugate base are called:
Answer: Salts
7. Organic chemistry studies compounds that contain:
Answer: Carbon and Hydrogen
8. A molecule of nitrogen contains:
Answer: 2 atoms
9. Sodium chloride (NaCl) is also known as:
Answer: Kitchen salt
10. Which element has chemical properties most similar to magnesium?
Answer: Calcium
11. The electron configuration of helium is:
Answer: 1s2
12. What is the proper order of atomic orbitals?
Answer: K, L, M, N, O, P, Q
13. What is the formula for sulphur trioxide?
Answer: SO3
14. The formula for sulphuric acid is:
Answer: H2SO4
15. What is the least abundant hydrogen isotope in nature?
Answer: Tritium
16. The boiling point of ethanol is:
Answer: 78.37°C
17. What does an atom consist of?
Answer: A nucleus and an electron cloud
18. The instrument used for crushing and grinding substances is called:
Answer: Mortar and pestle
19. Boyle’s law states that at constant temperature for a fixed mass, the absolute pressure and the volume of a gas are:
Answer: Inversely proportional
20. What is the atomic number?
Answer: The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom
21. Which bonds are broken up by heating water to the temperature of 100’C?
Answer: Hydrogen bonds only
22. What does Nitrogen pentoxide yield in reaction with water?
Answer: Nitric acid
23. Which chemist is the author of the “The Sceptical Chymist” book?
Answer: Robert Boyle
24. The chemical compound with the formula AgCl is called:
Answer: Silver chloride
25. The electron configuration of hydrogen is:
Answer: 1s1
26. What is the first element in the PSE?
Answer: Hydrogen
27. Who published the first periodic table of elements?
Answer: Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev
28. What is the chemical symbol for oxygen?
Answer: O
29. What is the state of matter of sulphuric acid?
Answer: Pungent, ethereal, colorless liquid
30. Alkali metals are elements belonging to which group in the PSE?
Answer: Group 1 (1a)
31. What is the formula for a sulphur molecule?
Answer: S8
32. The atomic mass of carbon is:
Answer: 12.011 u
33. What is the formula for nitrogen-(I)oxide?
Answer: N2O
34. When was the periodic table of elements first published?
Answer: 1,871
35. What is the chemical symbol for gold?
Answer: Au
36. Chalk, limestone and marble all share the same chemical formula:
Answer: CaCO3
37. The temperature at which liquid substances turn to gas is called:
Answer: The boiling point
38. The maximal number of energy levels in an atom is:
Answer: 7
39. What is the chemical symbol for sodium?
Answer: Na
40. Neutral and highly reactive chemical species that contain a singly occupied orbital are called:
Answer: Radicals
41. What is the formula for sodium bicarbonate?
Answer: NaHCO3
42. Liquid homogeneous mixtures are called:
Answer: Solutions
43. What is the valency of phosphorus in P2O5?
Answer: 5
44. What is the atomic number of sulphur?
Answer: 16
45. What is the atomic number of hydrogen?
Answer: 1
46. The pH value is measured based on the activity of which ions in a solution?
Answer: Hydrogen ions
47. The temperature at which liquid substances turn to solids is called:
Answer: The freezing point
48. What is an atom?
Answer: The smallest unit of an element
49. What is the chemical symbol for aluminium?
Answer: Al
50. What is the chemical symbol for platinum?
Answer: Pt
51. What is the chemical symbol for chlorine?
Answer: Cl
52. What is the chemical symbol for mangan?
Answer: Mn
53. What is the correct distribution of electrons in a calcium atom?
Answer: K=2,L=8,M=8,N=2
54. Where can diluted hydrochloric acid be found in mammals?
Answer: In the stomach
55. What does nitric acid cause in contact with skin?
Answer: Severe burns
56. Carbon dioxide and water combine in the presence of sunlight to produce:
Answer: Oxygen and glucose
57. The process of separating a complex substance into elements or simpler compounds is called:
Answer: Decomposition
58. Compounds that, in a water solution, dissociate into positive metal ions and negative hydroxide ions are called:
Answer: Bases
59. How many chemical elements are found as gases?
Answer: 11 elements
60. What color is hydrochloric acid?
Answer: Colorless
General Chemistry Trivia Questions and Answers
61. A pipette, or a chemical dropper is used for:
Answer: Measuring the volume of liquids
62. What is the chemical symbol for zinc?
Answer: Zn
63. The temperature at which solid substances turn to liquids is called:
Answer: The melting point
64. Where was germanium discovered?
Answer: Germany
65. What are elements which possess the properties of both metals and nonmetals called?
Answer: Metalloids
66. A device that produces vacuum by means of the Venturi effect is called:
Answer: Aspirator
67. Which prefix denotes a factor of 10^-6?
Answer: Micro
68. What is the chemical symbol for phosphorous?
Answer: P
69. Nitrogen builds ammonia in reaction with:
Answer: Hydrogen
70. What is the formula for formic acid?
Answer: HCOOH
71. What is an ideal gas?
Answer: A gas that does not exist in nature
72. How many d-orbitals are there?
Answer: five orbitals
73. The formula for hydrogen chloride is:
Answer: HCl
74. What is the name of the mineral made up exclusively of carbon atoms?
Answer: Diamond
75. How many neutrons does a magnesium nucleus contain?
Answer: 12 neutrons
76. The branch of chemistry that studies compounds that contain carbon is called:
Answer: Organic chemistry
77. What is the name of the bond that occurs between two metals?
Answer: The metallic bond
78. The temperature at which gases turn to liquids is called:
Answer: The condensation point
79. What is the chemical symbol for nitrogen?
Answer: N
80. What is the formula for acetic acid?
Answer: CH3COOH
81. What is the formula for ethanol?
Answer: C2H5OH
82. Compounds that, in a water solution, dissociate into positive hydrogen ions and negative ions of the conjugate base are called:
Answer: Arrhenius acids
83. What does copper(II)sulphate look like?
Answer: A blue stone
84. What type of bonding occurs between group 1 and 2 metals on one side, and group 7 nonmetals on the other?
Answer: Ionic bonding
85. What is the chemical symbol for iron?
Answer: Fe
86. Treating lime with water yields:
Answer: Calcium hydroxide
87. What is the measuring unit for substance concentration?
Answer: mol/l
88. What is alchemy?
Answer: The art of turning metal into gold
89. Out of 118 known elements, how many are nonmetals?
Answer: 18
90. What is the chemical symbol for lead?
Answer: Pb
91. Spontaneous dissociation of electrolytes in a water solution to positive and negative ions is called:
Answer: Ionisation
92. The unit of measurement for the amount of a substance is:
Answer: mole
93. How many valance electrons does a calcium atom possess?
Answer: 2 electrons
94. What is the molecular formula for ammonia?
Answer: NH3
95. In beer production, yeast turns sugar into alcohol. The process is called:
Answer: Alcoholic Fermentation
96. The only nonmetal with a liquid state of matter is:
Answer: Bromine
97. What is the chemical symbol for magnesium?
Answer: Mg
98. Which scientist developed the modern system of chemical formula notation?
Answer: J. J. Berzelius
99. Which gas is used to fill weather balloons?
Answer: Hydrogen
100. What are the basic states of matter
Answer: Solid, liquid, gas
101. What is the oxidation state of oxygen in most compounds?
Answer: -2
102. How did bromine get its name?
Answer: After its unpleasant scent
103. What is the formula for sulphuric acid
Answer: H2SO4
104. What instruments are used in the filtration process?
Answer: Funnel and filter paper
105. The attraction between atoms that allows the formation of chemical substances is called:
Answer: A chemical bond
106. Aqua regia can break down what noble metals?
Answer: Gold, Platinum and Palladium
107. What is the reaction for MgO and H2O?
Answer: Mg(OH)2
108. The process of breaking up complex compounds using direct current is called:
Answer: Electrolysis
109. What is the pH value of blood?
Answer: About 7.35 to 7.45
110. The number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom is called:
Answer: The Atomic number
111. Esters are derived from:
Answer: Carboxylic acids
112. Neutral solutions have a pH of:
Answer: 7
113. The number of molecules in one mole of a substance is called:
Answer: Avogadro’s number
114. Where does pottery first appear?
Answer: Ancient Egypt
115. Carbonic acid breaks down to produce carbon dioxide gas and:
Answer: Liquid water
116. The subatomic particle with a negative elementary electric charge is called:
Answer: An electron
117. Phosphorus is classified according to color. These colors are:
Answer: White, red, black
118. Which process does not take place during distillation?
Answer: Filtration
119. What color will red litmus paper take on in a solution of sodium bicarbonate?
Answer: Blue
120. The second lightest element, after Hydrogen, is:
Answer: Helium
Interesting Chemistry Questions and Answers
121. What are elements belonging to group 0 of the PSE called?
Answer: Noble gases
122. What is the percentage of oxygen in the human body?
Answer: 65%
123. Oxidation of secondary alcohols produces:
Answer: Ketones
124. What is the chemical symbol for zinc?
Answer: Zn
125. Wine becomes sour with age and exposure to the air due to the conversion of alcohol to:
Answer: Acetic acid
126. How many elements did the first PSE contain?
Answer: 63
127. The process of ethanol production is called:
Answer: Fermentation
128. What are acids with an acidity greater than that of 100% pure sulphuric acid called?
Answer: Superacids
129. The molecular model of a diamond is represented by:
Answer: A diamond lattice structure
130. Nitric acid is produced by mixing water with:
Answer: Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
131. A 2:1 solution of hydrogen and oxygen produces:
Answer: Water
132. What does chemistry study?
Answer: Substances
133. What is the chemical symbol for silicon?
Answer: Si
134. The chemical process for making nitric acid is called:
Answer: The Ostwald process
135. Where in the PSE would an element with an electronic configuration of 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3 be found?
Answer: The 3rd period
136. Which alkaline earth metal has the lowest atomic number?
Answer: Beryllium (Be)
137. What is the chemical symbol for cobalt?
Answer: Co
138. What is the chemical symbol for silver?
Answer: Ag
139. What is the correct way to denote 4 four-atom phosphorus molecules?
Answer: P4
140. In which group of the PSE can nitrogen be found?
Answer: Group 15
141. What is the chemical symbol for mercury?
Answer: Hg
142. What is the chemical symbol for selenium?
Answer: Se
143. What is the smallest unit of matter that defines the chemical elements?
Answer: An atom
144. The range of the pH scale is:
Answer: 0-14
145. Which substance is the most abundant solvent on Earth?
Answer: Water
146. What is the only liquid metallic element?
Answer: Mercury
147. The valency of alkali metals is:
Answer: 1
148. What is the chemical symbol for sulphur?
Answer: S
149. Hydrogen gas and nitrogen gas are combined to produce:
Answer: Ammonia gas
150. Who is the inventor of dynamite?
Answer: Alfred Bernhard Nobel
151. When two or more simple substances combine to form a more complex substance, the process is called:
Answer: Synthesis
152. What is the name of the primary alcohol produced by substituting one atom of hydrogen with an -OH group in methane?
Answer: Methanol
153. What is the chemical symbol for nickel?
Answer: Ni
154. What is the formula for methanol?
Answer: CH3OH
155. What color is iron?
Answer: Silver-Gray
156. A mixture of copper and iron can be separated by using:
Answer: A magnet
157. What is the general formula for carboxylic acids?
Answer: R-COOH
158. What should be done if one spills a strong acid on one’s arm?
Answer: Wash it out with a 5% solution of bicarbonate soda
159. CuSO4 is the formula for:
Answer: Cupric sulphate
160. Who discovered the first radioactive element?
Answer: Henri Becquerel
161. What is the water solubility of ethanol?
Answer: Miscible
162. Chemical elements that make up living beings are called:
Answer: Biogenic elements
163. If the pH value of a solution changes from 2 to 4, that means the concentration of the H+ ion has been:
Answer: Decreased 100 times
164. How many protons does a Ca2+ ion contain?
Answer: 20 protons
165. How many atoms of hydrogen does a propene molecule contain?
Answer: 6 hydrogen atoms
166. What is the simplest element in the PSE?
Answer: Hydrogen
167. What is the chemical symbol for iodine?
Answer: I
168. A reaction between ethene and HCl produces ethyl chloride. What is this reaction called?
Answer: Addition reaction
169. What is the chemical symbol for fluoride?
Answer: F
170. How many bromine atoms are there in bromoform?
Answer: three bromine atoms
171. In Ancient Greece, the atom was named after the word atomos, which means:
Answer: That which can’t be split
172. In the human body, hydrochloric acid breaks up:
Answer: Proteins
173. The magnitude of electric charge per mole of electrons is denoted by:
Answer: The Faraday constant
174. How many protons does an ozone molecule contain?
Answer: 24 protons
175. Solutions with a pH higher than 7 are called:
Answer: Base solutions
176. Which chemical element is most abundant in the air?
Answer: Nitrogen
177. What is the most abundant element in space?
Answer: Hydrogen
178. Acidic solutions have a pH of less than:
Answer: 7
179. Which quality of a substance does a weighing scale measure?
Answer: The mass
180. What causes a hangover after wine consumption?
Answer: A sulphur compound
181. Salts of nitric acid are called:
Answer: Nitrates
182. When was urea first synthesized?
Answer: 1828
183. What is the chemical symbol for calcium?
Answer: Ca
184. What is the chemical symbol for helium?
Answer: He
185. What is the chemical symbol for potassium?
Answer: K
