Can You Master These Basic Science Questions I
Written by Christina Loprieno
Last updated · 9 min play time
Think you're a science nerd? Put your skills to the test with this comprehensive quiz!
Do you dabble in chemistry? Geology? Physics? This test has it all! Try your hand at this quiz and find out if you're a true science pro.
Quiz written by
Christina LoprienoScience Trivia Quiz Questions
30 Questions · 13.5K Plays · 8 Comments
Question 1
What is the outermost layer of Earth?
-
AOuter core
-
BShell
-
CCrust
-
DMantle
Crust
The Earth's crust makes up a very small portion of the planet's overall volume. The crust and the upper mantle make up a portion of Earth's structure called the lithosphere.
Question 2
What's a meteorological term for an enormous tidal wave?
-
ATsunami
-
BTyphoon
-
CHurricane
-
DTropical depression
Tsunami
Tsunamis are sometimes called seismic sea waves. Unlike regular waves, these tidal waves are caused by events such as volcanic eruptions, underwater explosions, and earthquakes, rather than tides or wind.
Question 3
What is the chemical symbol for gold?
-
AAu
-
BCu
-
CPb
-
DAg
Au
The chemical symbol Au is based on the Latin word "aurum," which means gold.
Question 4
What is the formula for gravitational acceleration?
-
AE = mc^2
-
By = mx + b
-
Cg = 9.8 m/s^2
-
D2b =/= 2a
g = 9.8 m/s^2
The value for gravitational acceleration is often called "little g" to distinguish it from G, the gravitational constant. The formula for little g calculates the acceleration of a falling object without air resistance or other interference.
Question 5
The moons Charon and Styx belong to which dwarf planet?
-
APluto
-
BJupiter
-
CVenus
-
DMars
Pluto
Pluto's planetary status has been subject to debate in recent years, but scientists do agree about its moons. Pluto has five moons - Charon, Styx, Nyx, Hydra, and Kerberos - which are named for figures associated with Pluto/Hades in Greek mythology.
Question 6
What is the term for the study of birds?
-
AIchthyology
-
BApiology
-
COrnithology
-
DHerpetology
Ornithology
Ornithology gets its name from the Greek word "แฝฯฮฝฮนฯ/ornis," which means "bird." Records of formal bird-related studies date back as far as 1500 BCE.
Question 7
Which plant species is considered carnivorous?
-
AWolf fern
-
BVenus flytrap
-
CVenus flyeater
-
DPiranha plant
Venus flytrap
The hairs on a Venus flytrap act as triggers that cause it to shut on its prey, such as an insect, which it then consumes. "Muscipula," the flytrap's species name, is the Latin word for "mousetrap."
Question 8
What superlative status does the blue whale have?
-
ALoudest animal in the ocean
-
BBiggest animal on Earth
-
CSlowest moving mammal
-
DMost ancient living species
Biggest animal on Earth
Blue whales have been known to grow as long as 98 feet, making them the largest animals on land or in the sea. The African Elephant is considered the largest animal on land.
Question 9
Which of these is NOT part of the circulatory system?
-
AHeart
-
BAorta
-
CLungs
-
DArteries
Lungs
The circulatory system, also called the vascular/cardiovascular system, consists of parts such as veins, arteries, and the heart. Its main purpose is to circulate blood throughout the body, providing oxygen and nutrients.
Question 10
Which of these is NOT an era in which dinosaurs lived?
-
AJurassic Period
-
BCretaceous Period
-
CTriassic Period
-
DStone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a prehistoric era in which humans lived. Despite depictions like "The Flintstones," paleontologists generally agree that humans and dinosaurs never coexisted.
Question 11
Which element has the symbol "Cu"?
-
ACarbon
-
BGold
-
CCopper
-
DNickel
Copper
The Latin word "cuprum," meaning "copper," derives from the island of Cyprus, where it was often mined by the ancient Romans.
Question 12
What mnemonic device is used to help you remember the colors of the visible spectrum?
-
AROY G. BIV
-
BFANBOYS
-
CHOMES
-
DPEMDAS
ROY G. BIV
The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be seen by the human eye is called the visible spectrum. When light passes through a prism, it is dispersed into red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, hence the mnemonic ROY G. BIV.
Question 13
Which of these is not the name of a known galaxy?
-
ABlack Eye Galaxy
-
BSombrero Galaxy
-
CCartwheel Galaxy
-
DThey're all real.
They're all real.
Galaxies are often named after their general shape. Other galaxies include the Tadpole Galaxy, Sunflower Galaxy, and the Cigar Galaxy. Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is named for the milky appearance it takes on when viewed from Earth.
Question 14
What is used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake?
-
AScoville scale
-
BAnemoscope
-
CBarometer
-
DRichter scale
Richter scale
The Richter magnitude scale refers to a method of classifying the severity of earthquakes. Anything below a 4 is considered fairly minor, and a 7 or above is considered much more destructive.
Question 15
What is the term for the naming system used for living species, like plants and animals?
-
ABinary coding
-
BBinomial nomenclature
-
CDouble naming
-
DTwo-party system
Binomial nomenclature
Carl Linnaeus is formally credited with coining this naming system in his 1753 work, "Species Plantarum." The two names refer to a living thing's genus and species, respectively. "Homo sapiens" is one example.
Question 16
Which of these is NOT one of the three main rock types?
-
AMetamorphic
-
BLithographic
-
CSedimentary
-
DIgneous
Lithographic
The names of the three main rock types refer to how each is formed. Igneous forms from cooling lava, sedimentary forms from fragments of other rocks, and metamorphic rocks form when another rock is transformed through a change in temperature and pressure.
Question 17
What do you call the green pigments that give plants their green color?
-
AChloropigments
-
BCyanophyll
-
CCyanopigments
-
DChlorophyll
Chlorophyll
Photosynthesis, a vital process for plants, wouldn't be possible without chlorophyll. These green pigments help plants and algae absorb light.
Question 18
Octopuses and squid are classified as what type of animal?
-
AFish
-
BArthropod
-
CCrustacean
-
DCephalopod
Cephalopod
Sometimes fishermen colloquially call this class of animal "inkfish." There are currently over 800 known species of cephalopod.
Question 19
What organelle is sometimes referred to as the "powerhouse" of a cell?
-
AMitochondrion
-
BFlagellum
-
CNucleolus
-
DCytoskeleton
Mitochondrion
Mitochondria generate chemical energy for cells. They also contain a separate portion of DNA, mitochondrial DNA, which is only passed down from the mother.
Question 20
What is amber?
-
AA mineral
-
BA form of lava
-
CFossilized tree sap
-
DA naturally occurring plastic
Fossilized tree sap
Amber has long been valued as a gemstone. The sap of trees sometimes traps small creatures and insects inside before it hardens, preserving the animal inside.
Question 21
What is the name of the chart that arranges elements into categories?
-
ABloom's taxonomy
-
BPeriodic table
-
CMaslow's hierarchy
-
DTonti diagram
Periodic table
The periodic table shows the symbols and atomic numbers of the known chemical elements. It also divides the elements into categories such as noble gases and metals.
Question 22
What is the physics term used to measure an object's resistance against an applied force?
-
ADensity
-
BViscosity
-
CMass
-
DVelocity
Mass
There is a slight difference between weight and mass, but scales are often used to determine the mass of an object, much like what would be done with weight. In physics, mass is typically measured by kilograms.
Question 23
Which of these is NOT one of Jupiter's moons?
-
APandora
-
BGanymede
-
CEuropa
-
DIo
Pandora
Pandora is one of Saturn's moons. Jupiter has 79 moons, the four largest - Ganymede, Io, Callisto, and Europa - of which are named after Jupiter's/Zeus's lovers in Roman and Greek mythology.
Question 24
Which of these is NOT a type of cloud?
-
AStratus
-
BCirrus
-
CCumulonimbus
-
DBrontide
Brontide
The word "brontide" actually refers to the rumbling sound of thunder. Other types of clouds include cirrocumulus, altostratus, and nimbostratus, named by the level of altitude at which they usually appear.
Question 25
Besides the platypus, which of the following is another egg-laying mammal?
-
ACivet
-
BEmu
-
CEchidna
-
DDolphin
Echidna
Echidnas and platypuses are characterized as monotremes, one of the three main groups of mammals. The entire monotreme group consists solely of the duck-billed platypus and four species of echidna.
Question 26
What is this gemstone that is actually a form of silica?
-
ATourmaline
-
BQuartz
-
CPearl
-
DOpal
Opal
Opal is generally found in fissures of other rocks, and its color and level of iridescence can vary. It is the birthstone for October, as well as Australia's national gemstone.
Question 27
What is the term for when life begins to sprout from a seed?
-
AGermination
-
BInception
-
CGestation
-
DConception
Germination
Germination often takes place within seeds, but it can take place in fungal spores as well. Germination occurs when the seed has been introduced to the conditions needed to grow life, such as having enough sunlight, water, or oxygen.
Question 28
What is the term for a group of fish?
-
AMurder
-
BFlock
-
CHerd
-
DSchool
School
"Schooling" generally refers to when fish are swimming in a group, almost in a synchronized way. When fish gather with less coordination, it's called "shoaling" instead.
Question 29
What is the name of the appendage that some cells use to move around and sense their environment?
-
ARibosome
-
BMitochondria
-
CFlagellum
-
DEjectosome
Flagellum
The word flagellum means "whip," referring to its appearance and way of moving. There are multiple types of flagella, and not all cells rely on this organelle to get around.
Question 30
The apatosaurus was once thought to be a related species of which similar dinosaur?
-
AStegosaurus
-
BBrontosaurus
-
CPterodactyl
-
DT-Rex
Brontosaurus
The apatosaurus is now thought to be a separate genus from the brontosaurus. The first discovery of its kind was in 1877, with a second species being discovered in 1916.
Comments (8)
We want to hear your feedback! Share your scores and discuss the quiz, but keep it civil.
The adds complicate taking the test and when you press what you know is the correct answer the ad interferes and you get it wrong. This has happened to me on several occasions.
to many ads
too many ads popping up at bottom
To many adds couldn't keep tract of questions
come up with something better!
Easy peasy LOL!
A "form of silica" as opposed to just "silica". Oof.
Nice quiz! ?