Can You Pass This Periodic Table Trivia Quiz?

By: Teresa McGlothlin
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Can You Pass This Periodic Table Trivia Quiz?
Image: Jon Feingersh Photography Inc/ DigitalVision/ Getty Images

About This Quiz

There are two types of people in the world — those who could talk about the periodic table all day, and those who hear the words and run! During this quiz, we're going to assume that you're the type of person who could talk science until your friends fall over from boredom. We're also going to put your brainy nature to the test and see how well you remember what you learned in chemistry class. 

Created by Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869, the periodic table was originally based on the game of solitaire. As it was created, index cards with each element's information were arranged into suits — and the rest is history! While new elements have been found since its creation, Mendeleev knew enough to leave room for most of them. But how much do you remember about the periodic table? 

Whether you passed the class with flying colors or this quiz will serve as your formal credit, we're curious to find out if you can get through all of our trivia questions without flaring up like magnesium when exposed to the air. Will you get as many of them right as you think you will, or will you need to take a remedial course? The elements await! Let's go find out!

Question 9 - number
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How many confirmed elements can you find on the periodic table?
118
90
14
56
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Out of the 118 elements found on the periodic table, 90 of them can be found existing in nature. The other 28 elements are man-made, and they were inspired by technetium, the first man-made element.

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Question 17 - helium
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It's frequently used to fill up party balloons, but what's the symbol for helium?
He
Ho
H
Hs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After hydrogen (H), helium is the second most common element in the known universe. Tasteless, colorless and odorless, helium (He) is used for more than giving you a wacky voice at parties. It's one of the most unique elements on the periodic table.

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Question 14 - iron
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What element corresponds with the symbol "Fe"?
Iron
Silver
Lithium
Fluorine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you were working with the element denoted as "Fe" on the periodic table, you would be working with iron. Iron is the fourth most abundant element found in the earth's crust, and it's the sixth most common element in the entire universe.

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Question 20 - Mars
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Elements found on Earth are exactly the same as elements found on which other planet?
Jupiter
Venus
Mars
Uranus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

We haven't yet been able to collect samples from Venus, Jupiter or Uranus, but we do know that the elements on Mars are identical to those found on Earth. Some of the elements found on Mars' crust are magnesium, iron and calcium.

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Question 21 - milk
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Found in milk, which of these elements is the eighth most abundant on Earth?
Calcium
Manganese
Aluminum
Silicon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Milk does do a body good, and calcium in the reason. It's not often found in its pure form, but versions of it, like calcium carbonate, can be found in the oceans and many rocks, like limestone.

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Question 35 - nitrogen
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Its symbol is N, but do you know which element is about 78% of the air you breathe?
Niobium
Nobelium
Nitrogen
Nickel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nitrogen's atomic weight of 7 puts it right beside oxygen on the periodic table. When you breathe in, you inhale both elements, but nitrogen makes up the larger percentage.

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Question 18 - periodic gap
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Do you know for which of these elements Mendeleev left a gap when he created the table? Its symbol is Ga.
Gallium
Gadolinium
Gold
Germanium
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When Mendeleev created the periodic table, he predicted that gallium — an element similar to aluminum— would soon be discovered. Only six years later, he was proven correct when a French scientist named Lecoq de Boisbaudran discovered it in 1875.

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Question 29 - metals
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Group 11 metals are called coin metals. Which metal doesn't belong in the group?
Gold
Silver
Iron
Copper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gold, copper and silver are all part of Group 11 and casually called coin metals because of their use in making currency. Along with iron, osmium and hassium, iron belongs to Group 8.

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Question 13 - card game
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When Mendeleev was creating the periodic table, which card game did he use as inspiration?
Solitaire
Rummy
Gin
Euchre
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A huge gaming enthusiast, University of St. Petersburg professor Dmitri Mendeleev decided to sort each element by its atomic weight. He then sorted them by "suit" with similar elements making up each column — just like the game of solitaire.

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Question 12 -  Argentina
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Which of these countries is named after the element with the symbol Ag?
Angola
Albania
Argentina
Algeria
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Every year, Argentina mines over 10 million pounds of silver. Known as The Land of Silver, it's the largest producer of the metal in the world. It only makes sense that it would have been named after the element Ag, or Argentum.

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Question 16 - uranium
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The heaviest naturally occurring element's atomic weight is 92, but what is it called?
Iron
Neptunium
Uranium
Sulfur
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Symbolized as "U" on the periodic table, uranium is the heaviest element on earth. Its man-made counterpart, ununoctium, carries an atomic weight of 118. When the element with the atomic weight of 120 is discovered, ununoctium will have to take a back seat.

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Question 34 - Oxygen
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You couldn't breathe without the element that appears pale blue. What is it?
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Carbon
Helium
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Both liquid and solid forms of oxygen appear as a pale blue, but it can come in other colors, too. It's the most abundant element in the human body, and it's the third most common element found in the entire universe.

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Question 31 - argos
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Named after the Greek word "argos," which of these elements did Mendeleev originally leave off the periodic table?
Argon
Americium
Oxygen
Palladium
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When argon was discovered in 1894, Mendeleev decided to ignore it because it didn't fit into his version of the periodic table. Argon's name is taken from the Greek word "argos." Argos means lazy or idle, and the element's slow, nonreactive behavior makes it a natural fit.

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Question 27 -  electron
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If you go from left to right on the periodic table, what happens to the valence electrons?
They disappear.
They increase in number.
They mutate with other numbers.
They decrease in number.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When going from left to right on the periodic table, you'll notice that the number of valence electrons increases. Likewise, you'll notice that energy levels increase as you scan from top to bottom.

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Question 10 - hydrogen
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With an atomic number of 1, which element is the lightest?
Helium
Hydrogen
Xenon
Radon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Found in the upper left-hand corner of the periodic table, you'll see the element named hydrogen. Denoted with the letter H, hydrogen makes up about 10% of the body of any living organism.

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Question 5 - periodic table
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Which of these letters is not found on the periodic table?
G
P
K
J
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In countries like Norway and Poland, iodine is often called jod. You won't see the letter "J" on the periodic table, though. Iodine is still listed by its IUPAC symbol "I." "J" is the only letter of the alphabet left out.

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Question 19 - noble
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The elements of neon, argon and krypton are considered which type of gas?
Reactive
Noble
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Along with helium, xenon, radon and radon, these elements are called noble gases. The noble gases make up group 18 on the periodic table, and they're known for being relatively unreactive with other elements.

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Question 7 - invented
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Is it true or false that the periodic table was invented in the 1800s?
True
False
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1869, a Russian chemist named Dmitri Mendeleev sorted the elements into the rows and columns that we know today. Using this method, he was able to predict the discovery of many new elements.

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Question 25 - atom
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What name is given to the outermost shell of an atom, where determining chemical properties are found?
Atom shell
Cell shell
Elemental shell
Valence shell
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The part of an atom where the determining electrons are found is called the valence shell. The electrons found in the valence shell determine the chemical property and allow them to be classified as the correct element.

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Question 15 - Atomic number
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"Atomic number" refers to the number of what in the nucleus of an atom?
Electrons
Protons
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Usually represented by the symbol "Z," the atomic number identifies elements using the number of protons found in the nucleus. Sometimes called the proton number, it gives each element a unique signature.

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Question 8 - rare
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Can you accurately guess which of these elements is the rarest?
Uranium
Francium
Argentum
Cobalt
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Francium has an atomic number of 87, and you can find it noted on the periodic table with the abbreviation "Fr." There are only a couple of ounces of it on earth, and it has no real use outside of scientific research.

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Question 28 - Mass number
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What number will you find at the bottom of each element on the periodic table?
Atomic number
Weight number
Mass number
Proton number
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Each of the elements on the periodic table has four pieces of information: the atomic number, the element's symbol, the element's name and the mass number. The mass number, found at the bottom, indicates the number of protons and neutrons found in that element's nucleus.

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Question 23 - metals
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If you look at the left part of the staircase, which elemental group will you see?
Nonmetals
Metals
Isotopes
Metalloids
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

On the left side of the staircase, you will find the elements that belong to the metal family. To the right, you'll find metalloids that can perform as either metal or nonmetal elements.

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Question 11 - metals
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Nearly 75% of all the elements on the periodic table are ...
Inert gasses
Metals
Noble gasses
Organic
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Out of the 118 elements on the periodic table, at least 91 of them are metals. Wihile some of them appear in both the metallic and non-metallic categories, those that are not considered metals are called metalloids.

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Question 30 - phosphorous
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Do you know which of these nonmetal elements glows in the dark?
Magnesium
Neon
Bohrium
Phosphorus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Both magnesium and phosphorus are considered highly reactive, but only phosphorus glows in the dark. Because phosphorus catches fire easily, it is often used on the tips of matches. It's phosphorus, not sulfur, that gives matches their stinky smell.

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Question 26 - Alkali
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Which of these metal families has the most active members?
Alkali
Alkaloid
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Found at the bottom left corner of the periodic table, the most active metals are alkali metals. The most reactive of them are helium, sodium and potassium — all of which react with water.

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Question 33 - natural
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If an element has an atomic number of 92 or higher, it ...
Does not exist naturally
Has yet to be discovered
Weighs less than other elements
Cannot combine with other elements
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Elements with an atomic number of 92 or higher are created when parts of elements combine with other elements. Any atomic weight above that point is not considered a naturally occurring element.

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Question 4 - groups
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How many groups or columns are there in the periodic table?
18
7
6
14
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Simply put, each of the 18 columns in the periodic table is made up of similar elements. Each group — such as inert or noble gases — is put together so that chemists can more accurately predict how an element may react in different situations.

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Question 6 - Carbon
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Do you know which of these chemical elements forms up to 10 million compounds?
Argon
Arsenic
Helium
Carbon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Carbon takes its name from "carbo," the Latin word for coal. Making up .032% of the earth's crust, carbon can be found in many forms, including diamonds, graphite and lithium-ion batteries.

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Question 32 -  change
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Was Mendeleev right or wrong when he assumed that the elements are unchanging?
Right
Wrong
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mendeleev assumed that all the elements were unchanging forms, but the study of radioactivity proved him wrong. Elements like uranium break down into other elements. Uranium's last breakdown is lead.

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Question 24 - liquid
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How many of the elements are liquid at room temperature?
None
Four
Two
Eight
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In their natural states, there are only two of the elements that are found in liquid form. Both mercury (Hg) and bromine (Br) are liquid at room temperature, but there are others that will melt when superheated.

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Question 2 - gold
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If you were trying to find gold on the periodic table, which abbreviation would you look for?
Go
K
Au
Ga
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When looking at the periodic table, you'll see a bunch of abbreviations that represent the elements. Some elements are easy to identify, but others, like gold, are a little harder. The correct abbreviation for it is Au — it's short for gold's Latin name, aurum.

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Question 3 - rows
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Each horizontal row on the periodic table is called what?
Period
Group
Column
Sorting
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The name "periodic table" comes from the horizontal rows that are called periods. Of the eight total periods, the first row has the least with only two elements. The sixth row has the most with 11.

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Question 22 - line
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Which name is given to the line on the periodic table that divides metals and nonmetals?
The staircase
The division
Elemental line
The metallic line
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Over the course of history, the line that separates metal and nonmetal elements has been called many names. Most commonly called the staircase, you'll sometimes hear it called the amphoteric line and the metal-nonmetal line.

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Question 1 - Mendeleev
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Who created the periodic table?
Isaac Newton
Benjamin Franklin
Dmitri Mendeleev
Albert Einstein
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Because Dmitri Mendeleev was running out of time for a publishing deadline, he opted to assign atomic weights to each element. Rather than describing each element, giving each an atomic weight provided a shortcut for grouping them together.

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