I’ve always been a huge fan of trivia nights with friends and family. There’s something so satisfying about showing off your knowledge or learning something new in a fun way. Chemistry might seem intimidating to some people, but trust me—turning the periodic table into a trivia game makes it way more entertaining!
I’ve put together this collection of 100+ periodic table trivia questions that are perfect for science classes, chemistry-themed parties, or just testing your knowledge. My nephew is actually studying chemistry in high school right now, and we’ve been using some of these questions to help him prepare for tests (he actually enjoys studying this way!).
When I was in college, my chemistry professor would start each class with a quick element trivia question. It got us engaged right away and made chemistry feel less intimidating. The periodic table is basically a treasure map of scientific knowledge, and turning it into trivia questions makes learning about elements and their properties actually enjoyable!
These questions are great for science teachers looking to engage students, trivia enthusiasts wanting to expand their knowledge, or anyone planning a science-themed game night. I’ve organized them by difficulty level so you can find the perfect questions for your audience.
If you’re looking for conversation starters beyond science topics, you might also enjoy our collection of interesting topics to talk about for any social situation.
Basic Periodic Table Questions
Let’s start with some fundamental questions about the periodic table. These are perfect for beginners or as warm-up questions before diving into the more challenging ones. I’ve found these work great with middle school students or as icebreakers at science events.
- How many elements are currently on the periodic table? Answer: 118
- Who is credited with creating the first version of the periodic table? Answer: Dmitri Mendeleev
- What is the symbol for gold? Answer: Au
- What is the most abundant element in the Earth’s crust? Answer: Oxygen
- What is the lightest element on the periodic table? Answer: Hydrogen
- Which noble gas is used in advertising signs that glow red? Answer: Neon
- What is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust? Answer: Aluminum
- Which element has the atomic number 1? Answer: Hydrogen
- What is the chemical symbol for silver? Answer: Ag
- Which element is liquid at room temperature and is commonly found in thermometers? Answer: Mercury
- What is the most common element in the universe? Answer: Hydrogen
- Which element’s name comes from the Greek word meaning “inactive”? Answer: Argon
- What element has the symbol K? Answer: Potassium
- Which element is essential for human bone structure? Answer: Calcium
- What is the symbol for lead? Answer: Pb
- Which gas makes up most of Earth’s atmosphere? Answer: Nitrogen
- What element has the atomic number 6? Answer: Carbon
- Which element is represented by the symbol Fe? Answer: Iron
- What element is the main component of natural gas? Answer: Methane (which contains Carbon)
- Which halogen is essential for thyroid function? Answer: Iodine
Looking for more mind-bending questions? Check out our philosophical questions that will get everyone thinking deeply.
Element Discovery Trivia
The stories behind element discoveries are fascinating! I once visited Marie Curie’s laboratory in Paris and was amazed thinking about how these brilliant scientists worked to identify new elements, often with much more primitive tools than we have today. These questions explore the history and discovery of various elements.
- Which radioactive element was discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898? Answer: Radium
- What element was named after Albert Einstein? Answer: Einsteinium
- Which element was discovered in the sun before it was found on Earth? Answer: Helium
- What was the first artificially produced element? Answer: Technetium
- Which element was named after the Swedish village Ytterby? Answer: Yttrium
- What element was named after the Manhattan Project research laboratory? Answer: Berkelium
- Which element was named after America? Answer: Americium
- What element was discovered by Glenn Seaborg and his team in 1944? Answer: Plutonium
- Which element was named after Niels Bohr? Answer: Bohrium
- What element was discovered by Marie Curie and named after her native country? Answer: Polonium
- Which element was named after the scientist Enrico Fermi? Answer: Fermium
- What element was discovered in 1940 and named after the Greek word for “artificial”? Answer: Technetium
- Which element was named after the Russian city of Dubna? Answer: Dubnium
- What element was discovered by English chemist Humphry Davy in 1808? Answer: Sodium
- Which element was named after Alfred Nobel? Answer: Nobelium
- What element was discovered in uranium pitchblende residues by Marie Curie? Answer: Polonium
- Which element was named after the state of California? Answer: Californium
- What element was predicted by Mendeleev before it was actually discovered? Answer: Germanium
- Which element was named after Lise Meitner? Answer: Meitnerium
- What element was discovered by William Ramsay and Morris Travers in 1898? Answer: Neon
For those who enjoy mathematical challenges along with chemistry, our math trivia questions offer a great complement to this section.
Chemical Properties Questions
The chemical properties of elements determine how they interact with other substances. My daughter’s science teacher uses these kinds of questions to help students understand why certain elements behave the way they do. These questions focus on the properties and behaviors of different elements.
- What is the only letter not used in the periodic table symbols? Answer: J
- Which element has the highest melting point? Answer: Carbon (in diamond form)
- What is the most electronegative element? Answer: Fluorine
- Which element is the best conductor of electricity? Answer: Silver
- What element has the most isotopes? Answer: Tin (with 10 stable isotopes)
- Which element is essential for semiconductor manufacturing? Answer: Silicon
- What is the densest naturally occurring element? Answer: Osmium
- Which element is the least reactive? Answer: Helium
- What element is the most abundant in the human body by mass? Answer: Oxygen
- Which transition metal is liquid at room temperature? Answer: Mercury
- What is the softest metal on the periodic table? Answer: Cesium
- Which element is known as the “King of Chemicals”? Answer: Sulfuric Acid (contains Sulfur)
- What is the most malleable metal? Answer: Gold
- Which noble gas is used in deep-sea diving mixtures? Answer: Helium
- What element has the highest electrical resistance? Answer: Carbon (as diamond)
- Which element has the greatest atomic mass? Answer: Oganesson
- What is the only element that is liquid at room temperature and standard pressure besides mercury? Answer: Bromine
- Which alkali metal explodes when it comes into contact with water? Answer: Sodium
- What element is essential for making steel from iron? Answer: Carbon
- Which element is used in fluorescent lighting? Answer: Mercury
Are you interested in having deeper conversations about science? Take a look at our collection of deep topics to talk about for more thought-provoking discussions.
Periodic Table Fun Facts
I love surprising people with these lesser-known facts about the periodic table! At a dinner party last month, I shocked everyone by mentioning that bananas are naturally radioactive. These trivia questions focus on interesting and sometimes quirky facts about elements.
- Which element’s name comes from the Latin word for “ray”? Answer: Radium
- What element is named after a Norse god? Answer: Thorium (after Thor)
- Which element makes flamingos pink? Answer: Carotenoids (containing Carbon)
- What element was named after a Greek word meaning “hidden”? Answer: Krypton
- Which radioactive element is found naturally in bananas? Answer: Potassium (K-40 isotope)
- What element’s name comes from the Latin word for “rainbow”? Answer: Iridium
- Which element was named after the German state of Hesse? Answer: Hassium
- What element is named after the continent of Europe? Answer: Europium
- Which element was named after a Greek word meaning “green”? Answer: Chlorine
- What element’s name means “new” in Greek? Answer: Neon
- Which element is named after the Latin word for “stone”? Answer: Silicon
- What element is named after a village in Scotland? Answer: Strontium
- Which element was named after the Greek word for “smell”? Answer: Osmium
- What element has the same name as a famous fictional detective? Answer: Holmium (Sherlock Holmes)
- Which element’s name comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for “living force”? Answer: Zinc
- What element is named after the Greek word for “blue”? Answer: Cesium
- Which element was named after a Swedish chemist? Answer: Gadolinium (after Johan Gadolin)
- What element is named after the Titan who held up the world? Answer: Tantalum (after Tantalus)
- Which element’s name means “lazy” in Greek? Answer: Argon
- What element is named after Copenhagen? Answer: Hafnium (from Hafnia, the Latin name for Copenhagen)
If you enjoy sharing fascinating facts with others, you might want to explore our random questions to ask a guy for more conversation starters.
Challenging Chemistry Questions
Ready to really test your chemistry knowledge? These questions get into some of the more complex aspects of the periodic table. I once used these at a science faculty party, and even the chemistry professors were stumped by a few! These are perfect for advanced students or serious trivia buffs.
- What is the only element named after a person who was alive when the element was named? Answer: Seaborgium (Glenn Seaborg)
- Which two elements are liquid at a temperature of exactly 20°C? Answer: Mercury and Bromine
- What is the rarest naturally occurring element in the Earth’s crust? Answer: Astatine
- Which element has the highest ionization energy? Answer: Helium
- What element has the electron configuration [Xe]6s24f145d10? Answer: Gold
- Which synthetic element has the longest half-life? Answer: Dubnium-268
- What is the heaviest element that can be formed by stellar nucleosynthesis? Answer: Iron
- Which element has the most stable isotope with the shortest half-life? Answer: Francium
- What is the only element that can form more than eight bonds in a compound? Answer: Carbon
- Which element was first isolated from the mineral gadolinite? Answer: Gadolinium
- What is the only element that forms compounds with every other element on the periodic table? Answer: Carbon
- Which element has the highest second ionization energy? Answer: Helium
- What element is produced when uranium-238 undergoes alpha decay? Answer: Thorium-234
- Which element has the highest electronegativity after fluorine? Answer: Oxygen
- What is the only element that decreases in density when it changes from liquid to solid? Answer: Silicon
- Which element is essential for the production of CFCs? Answer: Chlorine
- What element has the highest specific heat capacity? Answer: Hydrogen
- Which transition metal has the highest melting point? Answer: Tungsten
- What element is used as a catalyst in the Haber process? Answer: Iron
- Which element’s isotopes have the largest known nuclear magnetic moment? Answer: Indium
- What is the only element that can be found in all three states of matter (solid, liquid, gas) in normal Earth conditions? Answer: Carbon
- Which element is required for all nuclear chain reactions? Answer: Uranium or Plutonium
For those who enjoy challenging their minds in different ways, check out our hypothetical questions for some fascinating thought experiments.
Final Thoughts
I hope these periodic table trivia questions have been both entertaining and educational! Chemistry doesn’t have to be intimidating—breaking it down into fun trivia questions makes it accessible and engaging for everyone.
Whether you’re a teacher looking to spark interest in your classroom, a parent trying to help your kids study, or just someone who loves learning new things, these questions are a great way to explore the fascinating world of elements.
So, how many did you know? I’d love to hear which questions surprised you or which ones you found most interesting! Did you learn something new about an element you use every day?
If you enjoyed these chemistry trivia questions, you might also want to check out our space trivia questions and answers for another scientific adventure!