Chemistry Trivia Quiz
Chemistry Trivia Quiz: Test your knowledge of the molecular world with our collection of chemistry quizzes featuring questions about famous chemists, groundbreaking discoveries, fascinating reactions, and more!
Welcome to our Chemistry Trivia Quiz collection!
Put your knowledge of the molecular world to the test – we're covering everything from the periodic table and chemical bonds to famous experiments and Nobel Prize-winning discoveries. All quizzes are totally free, no sign-up needed, and you can play as many times as you like!
Our chemistry trivia dives deep, spanning from ancient alchemy to modern pharmaceutical chemistry. We've got questions on famous chemists, laboratory techniques, chemical properties, reactions, and the stories behind major discoveries. Whether you're a chemistry student, science enthusiast, or just curious about the building blocks of matter, we've got quizzes that'll challenge and entertain you!
For each quiz, 20 questions will be randomly selected from the list below. Are you a true Chemistry Expert? Come on and test your knowledge!
1What is the chemical formula for a water molecule?
CO₂
H₂O
O₂
NaCl
2Who first proposed the periodic table of elements?
Antoine Lavoisier
Dmitri Mendeleev
John Dalton
Marie Curie
3What is the main chemical component of table salt?
Potassium chloride (KCl)
Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃)
Sodium chloride (NaCl)
Sucrose (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁)
4Which of the following scientists is famous for their research on radioactive elements (radium and polonium)?
Linus Pauling
Michael Faraday
Marie Curie
Fritz Haber
5What are the negatively charged particles in an atom called?
Protons
Neutrons
Electrons
Photons
6Iron rusting is primarily due to iron reacting with what substances in the air?
Nitrogen and water
Carbon dioxide and water
Oxygen and water
Hydrogen and oxygen
7What is the nature of a solution with a pH value less than 7?
Acidic
Alkaline (Basic)
Neutral
Saline
8Who is generally referred to as the "father of modern chemistry" and proposed the law of conservation of mass?
Robert Boyle
Antoine Lavoisier
John Dalton
Amedeo Avogadro
9What element are diamonds and graphite made of?
Silicon (Si)
Carbon (C)
Sulfur (S)
Phosphorus (P)
10What gas do plants primarily absorb during photosynthesis?
Oxygen (O₂)
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
Nitrogen (N₂)
Hydrogen (H₂)
11What is the role of a catalyst in a chemical reaction?
Increases the amount of product
Changes the direction of the reaction
Changes the reaction rate (usually speeds it up)
Provides energy for the reaction
12Which scientist proposed the atomic theory, stating that matter is composed of indivisible atoms?
Amedeo Avogadro
John Dalton
Joseph Priestley
Henry Cavendish
13Dry ice is the solid form of what substance?
Water (H₂O)
Nitrogen (N₂)
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
Oxygen (O₂)
14What is the lightest chemical element?
Helium (He)
Lithium (Li)
Hydrogen (H)
Oxygen (O)
15Which of the following metals is a liquid at room temperature?
Iron (Fe)
Aluminum (Al)
Mercury (Hg)
Copper (Cu)
16What does the ozone layer primarily absorb from solar radiation?
Infrared rays
Visible light
Ultraviolet rays
Microwaves
17What did Alfred Nobel, the founder of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, invent?
Penicillin
Dynamite
Telephone
X-rays
18What are molecules formed by the combination of, through chemical bonds?
Cells
Atoms
Quarks
Ions
19What is the main acidic component of vinegar?
Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
Acetic acid (CH₃COOH)
Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄)
Citric acid
20Which scientist discovered oxygen? (Though controversial, he is usually credited as one of them.)
Antoine Lavoisier
Joseph Priestley
Carl Wilhelm Scheele
Henry Cavendish
21What are alloys composed of?
One metal and one nonmetal
Two or more metals, or a mixture of metals and nonmetals
Two or more nonmetals
Pure metallic elements
22What is the main component of natural gas?
Ethane (C₂H₆)
Methane (CH₄)
Propane (C₃H₈)
Hydrogen (H₂)
23"Combustion" usually refers to a substance undergoing a vigorous oxidation reaction with what?
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Hydrogen
Carbon dioxide
24The Haber-Bosch process is used industrially to synthesize what important chemical?
Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄)
Ammonia (NH₃)
Nitric acid (HNO₃)
Plastics
25Which of the following is an inert gas (or noble gas)?
Oxygen (O)
Nitrogen (N)
Helium (He)
Chlorine (Cl)
26Which scientist proposed Avogadro's law, stating that equal volumes of all gases, at the same temperature and pressure, have the same number of molecules?
Gay-Lussac
Amedeo Avogadro
Robert Boyle
Jacques Charles
27Sugar dissolving in water to form sugar water is what kind of process?
Chemical change
Physical change (dissolution)
Nuclear reaction
Precipitation reaction
28Who co-discovered the double helix structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)?
Linus Pauling and Rosalind Franklin
James Watson and Francis Crick
Gregor Mendel and Charles Darwin
Marie Curie and Pierre Curie
29What is the most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere?
Oxygen (O₂)
Nitrogen (N₂)
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
Argon (Ar)
30Which of the following substances is commonly used as a bleach and disinfectant?
Table salt (NaCl)
Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO)
Baking soda (NaHCO₃)
Sucrose (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁)
31Who discovered penicillin, a discovery that ushered in the age of antibiotics?
Louis Pasteur
Alexander Fleming
Robert Koch
Gerhard Domagk
32What is the process called when a substance changes from a liquid to a gas?
Freezing
Vaporization (evaporation or boiling)
Melting
Deposition
33Where is most of the mass of an atom concentrated?
Electron cloud
Nucleus
Electron orbits
Evenly distributed throughout the atom
34Boyle's Law describes what relationship for a fixed amount of gas at constant temperature?
Volume is directly proportional to temperature
Pressure is inversely proportional to volume
Pressure is directly proportional to temperature
Volume is directly proportional to the amount of substance
35Soap's ability to clean is primarily due to what property?
Strong acidity
Emulsification (molecules have a hydrophilic end and a lipophilic end)
Strong oxidizing property
High density
36Plastics are an important class of synthetic materials. What is their main component?
Metals
Polymers
Ceramics
Glass
37What are the positively charged particles in an atom called?
Electrons
Protons
Neutrons
Positrons
38Which scientist made significant contributions to the nature of the chemical bond and structural chemistry, winning both the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the Nobel Peace Prize?
Gilbert N. Lewis
Linus Pauling
Fritz Haber
Otto Hahn
39A flame test uses the specific colors emitted by certain metals or their compounds when burned in a flame for what purpose?
Measuring temperature
Element identification
Generating energy
Synthesizing new substances
40Acid rain is primarily caused by excessive levels of which gases in the atmosphere?
Carbon dioxide and methane
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
Oxygen and ozone
Hydrogen and helium
41Elements in the same group (column) of the periodic table usually have similar what?
Atomic mass
Chemical properties (similar number of valence electrons)
Melting point
Color
42Who invented "pasteurization," a process used to kill microorganisms in liquids like milk and wine?
Robert Koch
Louis Pasteur
Joseph Lister
Alexander Fleming
43What is the nature of a solution with a pH value of 7?
Strongly acidic
Neutral
Strongly alkaline (basic)
Weakly acidic
44Which of the following is NOT an allotrope of carbon?
Diamond
Quartz
Graphite
Fullerene (C₆₀)
45The electrolysis of water experiment can prove that water is composed of which two elements?
Carbon and oxygen
Hydrogen and oxygen
Nitrogen and oxygen
Hydrogen and carbon
46Which of the following is a common food preservative?
MSG (Monosodium glutamate)
Sodium benzoate
Food coloring
Baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate)
47Nuclear fission is the process where a heavy atomic nucleus splits into lighter nuclei, releasing enormous energy. This is the principle behind what device(s)?
Solar panels
Atomic bombs and nuclear reactors
Lasers
Hydrogen bombs
48What is a "mole" a unit for in chemistry?
Mass
Amount of substance (number of particles)
Volume
Concentration
49In a redox reaction, what reaction does a substance that loses electrons undergo?
Reduction reaction
Oxidation reaction
Neutralization reaction
Hydrolysis reaction
50Which of the following phenomena is NOT a chemical change?
Wood burning
Water freezing
Iron rusting
Food spoiling
51Heavy water (D₂O) differs from ordinary water (H₂O) in that its hydrogen atoms are what?
Hydrogen ions (H⁺)
Deuterium (D), an isotope of hydrogen
Tritium (T), an isotope of hydrogen
Hydrogen molecules (H₂)
52Organic chemistry primarily studies compounds containing which element?
Silicon (Si)
Carbon (C)
Oxygen (O)
Nitrogen (N)
53What are the usual products of an "acid-base neutralization reaction"?
Acid and base
Salt and water
Oxide and hydrogen gas
Element and compound
54Which of the following gases has a pungent odor and is often used to make fertilizers and cleaning agents?
Oxygen (O₂)
Ammonia (NH₃)
Hydrogen (H₂)
Nitrogen (N₂)
55"Isotopes" are atoms with the same number of protons but a different number of what?
Electrons
Neutrons
Orbitals
Valence
56What is one of the main physical characteristics of graphite, used to make pencil lead?
Very hard
Soft, leaves marks on paper
Transparent
Insulator
57"Electronegativity" is a measure of an atom's ability to attract what in a chemical bond?
Protons
Electrons
Neutrons
Photons
58Which of the following is one of the main raw materials for making glass?
Limestone (CaCO₃)
Sand (mainly SiO₂)
Table salt (NaCl)
Clay
59"Sublimation" is the process where a substance changes directly from what state to a gaseous state?
Liquid state
Solid state
Plasma state
Supercritical fluid state
60What is the main fire extinguishing principle of a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher?
Lowering the temperature of the combustible material
Isolating air (oxygen) and cooling
Chemically reacting with the combustible material
Increasing air humidity
61Which of the following elements is the most abundant metal element in the Earth's crust?
Iron (Fe)
Aluminum (Al)
Calcium (Ca)
Sodium (Na)
62"Electrophoresis" is a separation technique that utilizes the different migration speeds of charged particles in what?
A magnetic field
An electric field
A gravitational field
A centrifugal force field
63What is characteristic of "macromolecular compounds" (or polymers)?
Very small molecular weight
Composed of many repeating structural units (monomers), with a very large molecular weight
Only exist in nature
Are all inorganic substances
64Which of the following is a common acid-base indicator that is red in acidic solutions and blue in alkaline solutions?
Phenolphthalein
Litmus solution
Methyl orange
Starch solution
65"Chemical equilibrium" refers to a state in a reversible reaction where what rates are equal?
Consumption of reactants and formation of products
Forward reaction and reverse reaction
Molecular motion and molecular collision
Energy absorption and energy release
66What liquid metal is commonly used in making thermometers?
Gallium (Ga)
Mercury (Hg)
Sodium (Na)
Lithium (Li)
67"Le Chatelier's Principle" is used to determine the direction in which a chemical equilibrium shifts when what factor changes?
Reaction time
Concentration, pressure, or temperature
Type of catalyst
Shape of the reaction vessel
68What are the basic building blocks of proteins?
Nucleotides
Amino acids
Fatty acids
Monosaccharides
69Which of the following is a common reducing agent?
Oxygen (O₂)
Hydrogen (H₂)
Chlorine (Cl₂)
Concentrated sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄)
70"Extraction" is a separation method that utilizes the difference in what property of a substance in two immiscible (or slightly miscible) solvents?
Density
Solubility or partition coefficient
Melting point
Color
71What are the horizontal rows in the periodic table called?
Groups
Periods
Series
Energy levels
72Which of the following substances is a gas at standard conditions and is colorless and odorless?
Bromine (Br₂)
Nitrogen (N₂)
Iodine (I₂)
Sulfur (S)
73"Brownian motion" refers to what kind of movement of tiny particles suspended in a liquid or gas?
Uniform linear motion
Random, ceaseless motion
Uniform circular motion
Simple harmonic motion
74Which of the following is a common food sweetener but is not a sugar?
Glucose
Aspartame
Fructose
Maltose
75An "ionic bond" typically forms between what types of elements?
Two nonmetal elements
A metal element and a nonmetal element
Two metal elements
Two noble gas elements
76"Photolysis of water" refers to using light energy to decompose water into what?
Water vapor and ice
Hydrogen gas and oxygen gas
Hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions
Heavy water and light water
77Which of the following substances is one of the main forms of energy storage in the human body?
Proteins
Fats (Triglycerides)
Vitamins
Nucleic acids
78The "Tyndall effect" is a phenomenon used to distinguish between what and what?
Acids and bases
Colloids and true solutions
Pure substances and mixtures
Conductors and insulators
79Which of the following is a common greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming?
Nitrogen (N₂)
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
Oxygen (O₂)
Argon (Ar)
80"Saponification" is the process where fats or oils are hydrolyzed under what conditions to produce salts of fatty acids (soap) and glycerol?
Acidic conditions
Alkaline (basic) conditions
Neutral conditions
High temperature and pressure
81Which of the following metals has the best electrical conductivity?
Iron (Fe)
Silver (Ag)
Aluminum (Al)
Copper (Cu)
82The "fermentation" process usually involves the action of what kind of organisms?
Viruses
Microorganisms (like yeast, bacteria)
Plants
Insects
83"Halogens" refer to which group of elements in the periodic table?
Group 1 (Alkali metals)
Group 17 (VIIA)
Group 18 (Noble gases)
Group 2 (Alkaline earth metals)
84Which of the following is a common organic solvent, often used as a paint thinner or dry-cleaning agent?
Water (H₂O)
Gasoline (mainly hydrocarbons)
Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
Sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH)
85An "endothermic reaction" refers to a reaction that undergoes what energy change?
Releases heat
Absorbs heat
No heat change occurs
Absorbs heat then releases heat
86The main chemical component of which of the following gemstones is aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃)?
Diamond (C)
Ruby/Sapphire
Pearl (CaCO₃)
Emerald (Beryllium aluminum silicate)
87"Half-life" is the time required for half of a radioactive element to decay. It is primarily used in what field?
Measuring the density of substances
Radiometric dating (like carbon-14 dating)
Determining the melting point of substances
Analyzing the color of substances
88Which of the following is the main material used for non-stick cookware coatings?
Polyethylene (PE)
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon)
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
Nylon
89A "buffer solution" is a solution that can resist changes in what property when small amounts of acid or base are added?
Temperature
pH value
Volume
Color
90Which of the following phenomena is caused by the surface tension of water?
Water boiling
Water striders walking on water
Ice floating on water
Formation of a rainbow
91A "covalent bond" typically forms between what types of atoms through the sharing of electron pairs?
Metal atoms and nonmetal atoms
Between nonmetal atoms
Between metal atoms (forming metallic bonds)
Between noble gas atoms
92Which of the following is a common food additive used to increase the acidity of food?
Table salt (NaCl)
Citric acid
Baking soda (NaHCO₃)
Saccharin
93"Electrochemical corrosion" refers to the corrosion process of metals in what medium, accompanied by the generation of electric current?
Vacuum
Electrolyte solution or moist air
Pure dry air
Inert gas
94Which of the following is an essential trace element for the human body, a deficiency of which can lead to goiter?
Iron (Fe)
Iodine (I)
Zinc (Zn)
Calcium (Ca)
95"Chromatography" is an important separation and analysis technique that utilizes the difference in what property of components in a mixture between a stationary phase and a mobile phase?
Color
Distribution or adsorption capacity
Molecular weight
Melting point
96Which of the following gases can support combustion and is known as an "oxidizer gas"?
Hydrogen (H₂)
Oxygen (O₂)
Nitrogen (N₂)
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
97A "Lewis acid" is a substance that can accept what in a chemical reaction?
A proton (H⁺)
An electron pair
A neutron
An oxygen atom
98Which of the following is a common synthetic fiber, often used to make clothing and carpets?
Cotton
Nylon
Wool
Silk
99An "electrolyte" is a compound that can conduct electricity in what state(s)?
Solid state
Molten state or in aqueous solution
Gaseous state
Cannot conduct electricity in any state
100Which of the following chemists is famous for their research on gas laws and has a law named after them relating gas volume and temperature?
Robert Boyle
Jacques Charles (or Gay-Lussac)
Amedeo Avogadro
John Dalton