The Periodic Table Quiz

1. Who is credited with creating the first widely recognised periodic table?

1. Antoine Lavoisier
2. Dmitri Mendeleev
3. Henry Moseley
4. John Dalton

2. How many elements are in the modern periodic table?

1. 108
2. 118
3. 120
4. 92

3. What is the atomic number of an element?

1. The element's mass number
2. The number of neutrons in the nucleus
3. The number of protons in the nucleus
4. The total number of subatomic particles

4. What is the chemical symbol for Gold?

1. Ag
2. Au
3. Gd
4. Go

5. What are the noble gases, and why are they called 'noble'?

1. Gases found only in noble metal ores
2. Group 18 gases that are largely unreactive due to full electron shells
3. Rare and expensive gases
4. The lightest gases in the table

6. Which element is the most abundant in Earth's atmosphere?

1. Argon
2. Carbon dioxide
3. Nitrogen
4. Oxygen

7. What is the lightest element in the periodic table?

1. Helium
2. Hydrogen
3. Lithium
4. Neon

8. What property is used to arrange elements in the modern periodic table?

1. Alphabetical order
2. Atomic mass
3. Atomic number (number of protons)
4. Boiling point

9. Alkali metals (Group 1) react vigorously with water. Which of these is an alkali metal?

1. Aluminium
2. Calcium
3. Magnesium
4. Sodium

10. What is the chemical symbol for Iron?

1. Fe
2. In
3. Io
4. Ir

11. Halogens (Group 17) are highly reactive non-metals. Which is a halogen?

1. Chlorine
2. Helium
3. Hydrogen
4. Neon

12. What does the 'period' (row) in the periodic table tell you?

1. How many electron shells (energy levels) the atom has
2. The element's reactivity
3. The element's state at room temperature
4. The number of neutrons

13. What does the 'group' (column) in the periodic table tell you?

1. The atomic mass
2. The element's melting point
3. The number of electrons in the outermost shell (valence electrons)
4. The number of protons

14. Which element has the chemical symbol 'K'?

1. Calcium
2. Krypton
3. Kurchatovium
4. Potassium

15. What are transition metals and where are they found on the periodic table?

1. All metallic elements
2. Group 1 and 2 metals
3. Metals in group 17 and 18
4. Metals in groups 3–12 (the middle block)

16. Carbon can exist in different forms (allotropes). Which is NOT a carbon allotrope?

1. Diamond
2. Graphene
3. Graphite
4. Silicon

17. What is the most electronegative element (most strongly attracts electrons)?

1. Chlorine
2. Fluorine
3. Nitrogen
4. Oxygen

18. Which element is liquid at room temperature and is a metal?

1. Bromine
2. Caesium
3. Gallium
4. Mercury

19. What is the most abundant element in the universe?

1. Carbon
2. Helium
3. Hydrogen
4. Oxygen

20. Radioactive elements decay over time. What does 'half-life' mean?

1. The age of a radioactive element
2. The time for all of a radioactive sample to decay
3. The time for half of the atoms in a radioactive sample to decay
4. The time for radioactivity to become harmless