Discussly

Chemistry Trivia Questions

287 trivia questions with answers, all ages. Multiple-choice trivia with answers, sorted by topic and level. Reveal the answers below, pick one at random, or present them full-screen.

All agesTriviaPage 1 of 6
  1. 1.

    Which one of the following statements is true:

    • AProtons have orbital and spin angular momentum, neutrons have spin angular momentum.
    • BProtons and neutrons have orbital and spin angular momentum.
    • CProtons and neutrons possess orbital angular momentum only.
    • DProtons and neutrons possess spin angular momentum only.
    Answer: Protons and neutrons possess orbital angular momentum only.
  2. 2.

    Which of the following is a balanced chemical reaction?

    • ANa2SO4 + Ba(NO3)2 → BaSO4 + NaSO4
    • B5 FeCl2 + 8 HCl + KMnO4 → 5 FeCl3 + MnCl2 + 4 H2O + KCl
    • CAl(NO3)3 + 3 KOH → Al(OH)3 + KNO3
    • DAgNO3 + K2CrO4 → Ag2CrO4 + 2 KNO3
    Answer: 5 FeCl2 + 8 HCl + KMnO4 → 5 FeCl3 + MnCl2 + 4 H2O + KCl
  3. 3.

    Bromine has a normal boiling point of 59 °C, and iodine boils at 184 °C. The I2 molecule is much larger than Br2 (atomic radii are 114 and 133 pm, respectively). Which is the best reason for the large difference in boiling points?

    • AThe mass of iodine is much greater than the mass of bromine.
    • BThe intramolecular bonds in I2 are much weaker than those in Br2.
    • CThe I2 electron clouds are much more polarizable than the Br2 electron clouds, resulting in much stronger London forces.
    • DBromine is a liquid and boils; iodine is a solid and sublimes.
    Answer: The I2 electron clouds are much more polarizable than the Br2 electron clouds, resulting in much stronger London forces.
  4. 4.

    Choose the reaction expected to have the greatest decrease in entropy.

    • ACH4(g) + 2 O2(g) → CO2(g) + 2 H2O(g)
    • BC(s) + CO2(g) → 2 CO(g)
    • C2 NI3(s) → 3 I2(s) + N2(g)
    • D2 Na(s) + O2(g) → Na2O2(s)
    Answer: 2 Na(s) + O2(g) → Na2O2(s)
  5. 5.

    Identify the Brønsted-Lowry conjugate acid-base pair in the following list.

    • AH3O+ and OH-
    • BH3PO4 and H3PO3
    • CSO32- and SO22-
    • DHC2H3O2 and C2H3O2-
    Answer: HC2H3O2 and C2H3O2-
  6. 6.

    Which of the following types of spectroscopy is a light-scattering technique?

    • AUltraviolet-visible
    • BInfrared
    • CRaman
    • DNuclear magnetic resonance
    Answer: Raman
  7. 7.

    Chemical reactions can be classified as either heterogeneous or homogeneous. Which of the following equations below is best classified as a heterogeneous reaction?

    • AC2H5OH(aq) + O2(aq) → HC2H3O2(aq) + H2O(aq)
    • BC(s) + H2O(g) → H2(g) + CO(g)
    • CC2H2(g) + 5N2O(g) → CO2(g) + H2O(g) + 5N2(g)
    • D2C2H2(g) + 5O2(g) → 4CO2(g) + 2H2O(g)
    Answer: C(s) + H2O(g) → H2(g) + CO(g)
  8. 8.

    A metal is reacted with HCl to produce hydrogen gas. If 0.0623 gram of metal produces 28.3 mL of hydrogen at STP, the mass of the metal that reacts with one mole of hydrochloric acid is

    • A49.3 g
    • B493 g
    • C24.7 g
    • D98.6 g
    Answer: 24.7 g
  9. 9.

    Which of the following does not contain oxygen?

    • AAn alcohol
    • BAn ether
    • CAn aldehyde
    • DAn alkane
    Answer: An alkane
  10. 10.

    At 25°C, the maximum amount of PbI2 that can be dissolved in 1.00 L of pure water is 1.0 mmol. Assuming complete dissociation, the solubility product, K_sp, for lead iodide at 25°C is

    • A1.0 × 10^−6
    • B4.0 × 10^−9
    • C1.0 × 10^−3
    • D1.0 × 10^−9
    Answer: 4.0 × 10^−9
  11. 11.

    An ideal solution is a

    • Amixture where two solvents can be dissolved in all ratios
    • Bmixture that is colorless
    • Cmixture where the potential energy of the mixture is the same as that of the individual solvents
    • Dmixture that has the same physical properties as the individual solvents
    Answer: mixture where the potential energy of the mixture is the same as that of the individual solvents
  12. 12.

    Monatomic ions of the representative elements are often

    • Ahighly colored
    • Bvery soluble
    • Cvery electronegative
    • Disoelectronic with a noble gas
    Answer: isoelectronic with a noble gas
  13. 13.

    The name for CH3CHBrCHClCH2CH3 is

    • A2,3-bromochloropentane
    • Bdibromotrichloropentane
    • C2-bromo, 3-chloropentane
    • Ddibromotrichloropropane
    Answer: 2-bromo, 3-chloropentane
  14. 14.

    Which of the following indicates that a reaction is spontaneous?

    • Athe value of ΔG° is greater than zero
    • Bthe value of Keq is less than one
    • Cat equilibrium there are more products than reactants
    • Dthe value of ΔS° is greater than zero
    Answer: at equilibrium there are more products than reactants
  15. 15.

    In the vibrational-rotational spectrum of a diatomic molecule, the R-branch of the spectrum is the result of which of the following transitions?

    • AΔJ = 1; Δu = 0
    • BΔJ = 2; Δu = 0
    • CΔJ = 1; Δu = 1
    • DΔJ = 0; Δu = 0
    Answer: ΔJ = 1; Δu = 1
  16. 16.

    A buffer is made from equal concentrations of a weak acid and its conjugate base. Doubling the volume of the buffer solution by adding water has what effect on its pH?

    • AIt has little effect.
    • BIt significantly increases the pH.
    • CIt changes the pH asymptotically to the pKa of the acid.
    • DIt significantly decreases the pH.
    Answer: It has little effect.
  17. 17.

    The Henry's law constant for CO2 dissolved in water at 25°C is 30.0 atm M^−1. The concentration of dissolved CO2 in a vessel pressurized with 2.0 atm of CO2 is

    • A0.067 M
    • B0.015 M
    • C1.5 M
    • D0.15 M
    Answer: 0.067 M
  18. 18.

    Calculate the Larmor frequency for a proton in a magnetic field of 1 T.

    • A23.56 GHz
    • B42.58 MHz
    • C74.34 kHz
    • D13.93 MHz
    Answer: 42.58 MHz
  19. 19.

    Estimate the β-hyperfine value for the cyclobutyl radical (C4H7•) assuming the radical is flat and the HCH angle is 115°.

    • A27 G
    • B4.6 mT
    • C3.8 mT
    • D5.4 mT
    Answer: 4.6 mT
  20. 20.

    How many electrons, neutrons, and protons are in an atom of Cr?

    • A24 electrons, 28 protons, 24 neutrons
    • B24 electrons, 24 protons, 24 neutrons
    • C27 electrons, 27 protons, 24 neutrons
    • Dmore information is needed to answer this question
    Answer: more information is needed to answer this question
  21. 21.

    A sample of liquid NH3 is brought to its boiling point. Which of the following occurs during the boiling process?

    • AThe N-H bonds within the NH3 molecules break apart.
    • BThe amount of energy within the system remains constant.
    • CThe overall temperature of the solution rises as the NH3 molecules speed up.
    • DThe hydrogen bonds holding separate NH3 molecules together break apart.
    Answer: The hydrogen bonds holding separate NH3 molecules together break apart.
  22. 22.

    Hund's rule requires that

    • Ano two electrons can pair up if there is an empty orbital at the same energy level available
    • Bno two electrons with the same spin can occupy an orbital
    • Cno two electrons can have the same four quantum numbers
    • Dno two electrons can occupy separate orbitals
    Answer: no two electrons can pair up if there is an empty orbital at the same energy level available
  23. 23.

    What is the orbital angular momentum quantum number, l, of the electron that is most easily removed when ground-state aluminum is ionized?

    • A3
    • B1
    • C2
    • D0
    Answer: 1
  24. 24.

    The 13C chemical shifts of benzene and chloroform are 128.4 ppm and 77.2 ppm respectively. What is the difference in the 13C NMR frequencies of the two compounds on a 600 MHz spectrometer?

    • A122 kHz
    • B7.73 kHz
    • C30.7 kHz
    • D91.6 kHz
    Answer: 7.73 kHz
  25. 25.

    An ester is made by reacting

    • Aan amine and an alcohol
    • Ban alcohol and an acid
    • Ctwo different alcohols
    • Dan acid and a base
    Answer: an alcohol and an acid
  26. 26.

    para-dichlorobenzene is used as "mothballs." This compound can also be named

    • A2,4-dichlorobenzene
    • B1,4-dichlorobenzene
    • C1,2-dichlorobenzene
    • D1,3-dichlorobenzene
    Answer: 1,4-dichlorobenzene
  27. 27.

    A sample of solid MgCl2 would be most soluble in which of the following solutions?

    • AAlCl3(aq)
    • BCBr4(aq)
    • CMg(NO3)2(aq)
    • DLiOH(aq)
    Answer: LiOH(aq)
  28. 28.

    The equilibrium constant of a certain reaction is 2.6 × 10^8 at 25 °C. What is the value of ΔG°?

    • A-48.0 kJ/mol
    • B-4.03 kJ mol-1
    • C20.8 J mol-1
    • D4.68 × 10^-3 kJ/mol
    Answer: -48.0 kJ/mol
  29. 29.

    Predict the number of lines in the EPR spectrum of a solution of 13C-labelled methyl radical (13CH3•), assuming the lines do not overlap.

    • A3
    • B4
    • C6
    • D24
    Answer: 4
  30. 30.

    How many electrons, neutrons, and protons are in an atom of 52Cr?

    • A24 electrons, 28 protons, 24 neutrons
    • B24 electrons, 24 protons, 28 neutrons
    • C24 electrons, 24 protons, 24 neutrons
    • D27 electrons, 27 protons, 24 neutrons
    Answer: 24 electrons, 24 protons, 28 neutrons
  31. 31.

    An electron and a proton are placed in a 1.0 T magnetic field at 300 K. What is the ratio of the equilibrium polarizations: |pe / pH| ?

    • A[|ɣe| = 1.761 x 10^11 T^-1 s^-1]
    • B658
    • C820
    • D329
    Answer: 820
  32. 32.

    A substance that is NOT generally considered to be a toxic pollutant in water is

    • Acarbonic acid
    • Bmercury
    • Ca halogenated hydrocarbon
    • Dlead
    Answer: carbonic acid
  33. 33.

    Hydrogen fluoride, HF, is a liquid at 15°C. All other hydrogen halides (represented by HX, where X is any other halogen) are gases at the same temperature. Why?

    • AHF is smaller than any other H-X molecule; therefore it exhibits stronger London dispersion forces.
    • BThe H-F bond is the most ionic in character compared to all other hydrogen halides.
    • CFluorine has a very high electronegativity; therefore the H-F bond is stronger than any other H-X bond.
    • DThe dipoles in a HF molecule exhibit a particularly strong attraction force to the dipoles in other HF molecules.
    Answer: The dipoles in a HF molecule exhibit a particularly strong attraction force to the dipoles in other HF molecules.
  34. 34.

    Consider the following reaction showing photosynthesis: 6CO2(g) + 6H2O(l) → C6H12O6(s) + 6O2(g) DH = + 2800 kJ/mol Which of the following is true regarding the thermal energy in this system?

    • AIt is transferred from the reactants to the products.
    • BIt is transferred from the surroundings to the reaction.
    • CIt is transferred from the reaction to the surroundings.
    • DIt is transferred from the products to the reactants.
    Answer: It is transferred from the surroundings to the reaction.
  35. 35.

    Which following pair of substances can be used to make a buffer solution?

    • AHIO3 and KClO3
    • BHC2H3O2 and KC2H3O2
    • CNaCl and HCl
    • DNaBr and KBr
    Answer: HC2H3O2 and KC2H3O2
  36. 36.

    The collision theory of reaction rates does not include

    • Athe energy of each collision
    • Bthe number of collisions per second
    • Cthe orientation of each collision
    • Dthe transition state
    Answer: the transition state
  37. 37.

    Three half-lives after an isotope is prepared,

    • A25% of the isotope is left
    • B12.5% of the isotope decayed
    • C12.5% of the isotope is left
    • D25% of the isotope decayed
    Answer: 12.5% of the isotope is left
  38. 38.

    The units for R, the ideal gas law equation constant, may be

    • AL atm mol-1 K-1
    • Bvolt coulomb mol-1 K-1
    • C(A), (B), and (C)
    • DJ mol-1 K-1
    Answer: (A), (B), and (C)
  39. 39.

    0.25 mol of a weak, monoprotic acid is dissolved in 0.25 L of distilled water. The pH was then measured as 4.26. What is the pKa of this weak acid?

    • A3.66
    • B4.26
    • C8.52
    • D7.52
    Answer: 8.52
  40. 40.

    Which one sentence explains most accurately why spin trapping is often used to detect free radical intermediates?

    • Aspin trapping makes it easy to quantify free radical intermediates
    • Bdetection of spin adducts requires lower power than direct detection of radical intermediates
    • Csteady state concentration of free radical intermediates is often too low to enable direct detection by EPR
    • Dspin trapping provides more structural information than direct detection by EPR
    Answer: detection of spin adducts requires lower power than direct detection of radical intermediates
  41. 41.

    When using the ideal gas law, standard conditions for temperature and pressure are

    • A0 °F and 1 atmosphere pressure
    • B0 K and 0 torr
    • C25 °C and 1 atmosphere pressure
    • D0 °C and 760 torr
    Answer: 0 °C and 760 torr
  42. 42.

    Which of the following is the strongest Brønsted-Lowry acid?

    • AHBrO3
    • BHBrO2
    • CHBrO
    • DHBrO4
    Answer: HBrO4
  43. 43.

    Which of the following is not a good measure of relative intermolecular attractive forces?

    • AVapor pressures
    • BHeat of fusion
    • CBoiling points
    • DHeat of vaporization
    Answer: Heat of fusion
  44. 44.

    Calculate the Q-factor for an X-band EPR cavity with a resonator bandwidth of 1.58 MHz.

    • AQ = 1012
    • BQ = 6012
    • CQ = 2012
    • DQ = 3012
    Answer: Q = 6012
  45. 45.

    The photoelectron spectrum of carbon has three equally sized peaks. What peak is at the lowest energy?

    • AThe 2s peak has the lowest energy.
    • BThe 1s peak has the lowest energy.
    • CThe 2p peak has the lowest energy.
    • DThe 1p peak has the lowest energy.
    Answer: The 2p peak has the lowest energy.
  46. 46.

    An unknown substance is found to have a high melting point. In addition, it is a poor conductor of electricity and does not dissolve in water. The substance most likely contains

    • Acovalent network bonding
    • Bionic bonding
    • Cmetallic bonding
    • Dnonpolar covalent bonding
    Answer: covalent network bonding
  47. 47.

    Argon can be liquefied at low temperature because of

    • Athe very low temperature
    • Binstantaneous and induced dipoles
    • Cdipole-dipole attractive forces
    • Dhydrogen bonding
    Answer: instantaneous and induced dipoles
  48. 48.

    A sample of a compound known to consist of only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen is found to have a total mass of 29.05 g. If the mass of the carbon is 18.02 g and the mass of the hydrogen is 3.03 g, what is the empirical formula of the compound?

    • AC2H6O3
    • BC2H4O
    • CC3H6O
    • DC3H8O2
    Answer: C3H6O
  49. 49.

    Which of the following is required for both paramagnetism and ferromagnetism?

    • AUnpaired electrons
    • BMetallic physical properties
    • CStrong oxidizing conditions
    • DLow-spin electron configuration
    Answer: Unpaired electrons
  50. 50.

    Iron(III) hydroxide has Ksp = 1.6 × 10^-39. What is the molar solubility of this compound?

    • A7.4 × 10^-14 mol/L
    • B2.0 × 10^-10 M
    • C9.4 × 10^-6 mol/L
    • D8.8 × 10^-11 M
    Answer: 8.8 × 10^-11 M

How to use these trivia questions

  • Warm-up. Open a lesson or meeting with 3–5 questions — enough to wake the room, short enough to keep the agenda.
  • Review game. Pick 10 questions on the topic you just taught and play them in teams; discuss every wrong answer.
  • Quiz night. Mix two or three topics, read each question twice, and give 20 seconds before revealing the answer.

Run them live

Want every person to answer on their own phone, with a timer and a live leaderboard? Use these questions in an EngageSlide Quiz with a live leaderboard — free to start.

Tick questions on any page — your set is kept while you browse (or take the first 10 here) — and they become ready-to-play slides. What is EngageSlide?

More question collections

Questions adapted from MMLU (Hendrycks et al.) (MIT), edited for clarity. This collection may be reused under the same terms — see sources & licenses.