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Periodic Table Basics
Everything around you is made from about 90 naturally occurring elements. Get to know the essentials — no chemistry degree required.
About this topic
The periodic table looks like a wall chart, but it is really one of the great pieces of pattern-spotting in science: every element in the universe, arranged so that its properties fall into place. This quiz covers the basics, the common elements, their symbols, and why the table is shaped the way it is, without assuming you remember much from chemistry class. The explanations make the logic clear, so the table stops being a grid to memorize and starts being a map you can read. It is a friendly way back into the chemistry that everything, including you, is built from.
Questions & answers
Periodic Table Basics: all 10 questions and answers
Every question in this quiz is listed below with its correct answer and the reasoning behind it. Play first if you would rather not see the answers — or read through as a study sheet.
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1What is the chemical symbol for gold?
- A Au Correct
- B Gd
- C Ag
- D Go
Answer: A. Au
Why: Gold's symbol Au comes from its Latin name, aurum.
-
2Which element does the symbol O represent?
- A Gold
- B Oganesson
- C Osmium
- D Oxygen Correct
Answer: D. Oxygen
Why: Oxygen makes up about 21% of the air we breathe and is essential to most life.
-
3What is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe?
- A Carbon
- B Helium
- C Hydrogen Correct
- D Oxygen
Answer: C. Hydrogen
Why: Hydrogen is element number 1 and makes up about three-quarters of all normal matter in the cosmos.
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4Which element has the symbol Na?
- A Nitrogen
- B Sodium Correct
- C Nickel
- D Neon
Answer: B. Sodium
Why: Na, from the Latin natrium, is sodium — a soft metal that reacts violently with water.
-
5What is the symbol for iron?
- A In
- B Fe Correct
- C Fr
- D Ir
Answer: B. Fe
Why: Iron's symbol Fe comes from its Latin name, ferrum.
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6Elements in the same vertical column of the periodic table share what?
- A The same colour
- B The same discovery date
- C The same weight
- D Similar properties Correct
Answer: D. Similar properties
Why: Columns, called groups, contain elements with similar chemical behaviour because they have the same number of outer electrons.
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7Which element is the main component of both diamond and graphite?
- A Boron
- B Silicon
- C Carbon Correct
- D Sulfur
Answer: C. Carbon
Why: Carbon forms both the hardest natural material (diamond) and one of the softest (graphite), depending on how its atoms bond.
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8What is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust?
- A Iron
- B Aluminium Correct
- C Copper
- D Gold
Answer: B. Aluminium
Why: Aluminium is the most common metal in the crust and the third most abundant element overall, after oxygen and silicon.
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9Who is credited with creating the modern periodic table in 1869?
- A Dmitri Mendeleev Correct
- B John Dalton
- C Antoine Lavoisier
- D Marie Curie
Answer: A. Dmitri Mendeleev
Why: Dmitri Mendeleev arranged the elements by their properties and even left gaps to predict elements not yet discovered.
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10What do the noble gases, like helium and neon, have in common?
- A They are liquids
- B They are metals
- C They are radioactive
- D They rarely react Correct
Answer: D. They rarely react
Why: The noble gases are almost completely unreactive because their outer electron shells are full.
Frequently asked questions about Periodic Table Basics
How many questions are in Periodic Table Basics?
Periodic Table Basics has 10 questions and takes about 6 minutes to finish. It is rated Easy and sits in our Science & Nature category.
How is Periodic Table Basics scored?
Each of the 10 correct answers adds 10 XP, up to 100 XP for a clean run. Wrong answers cost you nothing, and your full question-by-question review is shown at the end.
Are the answers to Periodic Table Basics explained?
Yes. All 10 questions carry a written explanation of why the correct answer is right, so the quiz works as a study sheet as well as a test.
Can I replay Periodic Table Basics?
Yes, as often as you like. The questions and the answer options are reshuffled on each run, and you can use Practice Mistakes afterwards to retry only the ones you missed. No account is needed to play.
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