30+ Fun and easy periodic table trivia questions

Were you a chemistry class nerd back in the day? Do you believe you’ve still got it? Well, then, this periodic table trivia is for you. These choice collections cover a very wide range of periodic table knowledge. Are you a master of atomic numbers? Or are you more of a chemical properties person? In any case, this trivia game is for you. 

The answer key to these periodic table quiz questions has been provided. This gives you a fun way to keep track of who does a great job and who the high scores belong to. Let’s see who was really paying attention in science class!

Easy periodic table trivia 

If you only pay attention half the time in chemistry class, then this periodic table trivia is for you. These are the most elementary questions about the elements that you will find. Go ahead and see how well you will do. 

1. The periodic table of elements features how many known elements? 118 substances. 
2. What is the atomic number of sodium? 11. 
3. What is the most abundant element on Earth? Oxygen. 
4. What chemical element is the most abundant element in the Universe? Hydrogen. 
5. What is the chemical symbol for iron? Fe. 
6. What is the most abundant element in the human body? Oxygen. 
7. What is the most abundant element in the Earth’s atmosphere, and what percentage does it take up? Nitrogen takes up 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere. 
8. What real element with the symbol ‘C’ makes up diamonds? Carbon. 
9. Which of the heavy metals is a vital component of analog thermometers? Mercury. 
10. The chemical element with the symbol ‘h’ combines twice with an element with the symbol ‘o’ to form what ubiquitous substance? Water, H20. 
11. What are the two major elements that the sun is made out of? Hydrogen and Helium. 
12. Which group of elements comprises the halogens? Florine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine, Astatine, and Tennessine. 
13. What Latin word does “element” come from? Elementum. 
14. What two elements are most abundant in the Earth’s core? Iron and Nickel. 
15. What is the atomic number of boron? 5.

Related: Fun geology trivia questions with answers

Hard periodic table trivia 

If you consider yourself a hardcore chemistry nerd, why don’t you do ahead and try your hands on this periodic table trivia? These questions are a step above basic and are sure to separate the masters from the students. Dive in. 

1. How many noble gases are there on the periodic table? Seven – Helium, Neon, Argon, Xenon, Krypton, and Organesson. 
2. Which two elements are liquid at room temperature and pressure? Bromine and Mercury. 
3. What was the very first element to be produced artificially and what is its atomic number? Technetium, with an atomic number of 43. 
4. What is the atomic weight of uranium? Uranium 238. 
5. What is the atomic mass of carbon? Carbon 12. 
6. Which elements comprise the group known as the Alkaline Earth Metals? beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and radium (Ra).
7. What is the Latin name for the chemical element commonly referred to as gold? Aurum. 
8. Which common element is produced as a byproduct of the photosynthesis of both plants and algae? Oxygen. 
9. Which Russian chemist is best known for formulating the periodic law and creating an early version of the periodic table? Dmitri Mendeleev. 
10. What is the most conductive metal in the world? The element silver. 

Trivia about elements

Each element is unique, and the below assortment of questions shows us why. If you know a lot of facts about the elements, or are looking to learn new facts, then go ahead and try this particular periodic table trivia quiz. 

1. What is the cover of molten Sulphur? Red. 
2. What are the major elements that make up the Earth’s crust, comprising about 88%? Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminum, and Iron.  
3. The atomic symbol ‘nd’ refers to which element? Neodymium. 
4. Why are nobel gases referred to as nobel gases? Because they are unreactive with other elements and rarely participate in chemical reactions. 
5. What does the number of electrons an element have tell you? It lets you know how reactive it is. 
6. How many valence electrons does chlorine have? Eight. 
7. Out of all of gold’s chemical properties, why is it so valuable? It’s lustrous nature. 
8. Which chemical element has the element symbol ‘w’? Tungsten.
9. Which chemical element has the symbol ‘se’? Selenium. 
10. Which chemical element has the symbol ‘ag’? Silver.
11. What is the rarest element on Earth? Francium. 
12. How many different compounds is carbon known to combine into? 10 million compounds. 
13. Which US State has an entire element named after it? California/Californium.
14. Which country was the element Silver named after? Argentina. 
15. The element number 30 corresponds to which element? Zinc. 
16. What is the most common element referred to as an inheritance powder? Arsenic.
17. Which two synthetic elements are named after heavenly bodies? Neptunium and Plutonium. 
18. What are the two most common elements used to make nuclear weapons? Plutonium and Uranium. 
19. What is the name of the alchemist that discovered phosphorous? Hennig Brand. 
20. What is the chemical symbol of sodium? Na. 

Facts about the periodic table

As one of the major staples of science itself, allowing us to understand the fundamentals of our reality, the periodic table is a very awesome tool. For how ubiquitous it is though, how well do you know it? Take the following periodic table trivia to find out. 

1. What element group occupies the leftmost column of the periodic table? The Alkali Metals. 
2. What year was Mendeleev’s periodic table drawn up? 1869. 
3. How many vertical columns does the periodic table have? 18 vertical columns. 
4. What is the only letter in the English alphabet that is not on the periodic table? The letter J. 
5. What special name is given to the rows of the periodic table? Periods. 
6. Is Mendeleev’s periodic table the same one used today? No. 
7. What is the heaviest element on the periodic table? Oganneson. 
8. What is the lightest element on the periodic table? Hydrogen. 
9. Do elements always get heavier with increasing atomic number on the periodic table? No. 
10. What types of games inspired Mendeleev to create the period table? Card games.