Basic Chemistry Quiz

Answer: Bases

Metallic hydroxides are called bases. All bases have hydroxide as the only negative radical. They are soapy and bitter in taste. Their pH values are greater than seven and they turn red litmus paper blue.

Answer: Alkalis

Water soluble bases are called alkalis. They have a pH value greater than seven.

All alkalis are bases but not all bases are alkalis. The negative radical in alkalis is hydroxide.

Answer: Sodium hydroxide

Sodium hydroxide is highly soluble in water. It is white in color and can be acquired in the form of flakes and pellets. It absorbs atmospheric moisture and changes from solid state to liquid state within hours. It is very corrosive and can decompose body tissues.

Answer: Quicksilver

Mercury is an element with symbol 'Hg' and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver because it is liquid at room temperature and can flow quickly on any surface.

Mercury is known as hydragyrum in Latin.

It is used in liquid thermometers because it expands and contracts evenly with the rise or fall in temperature.

Answer: Electron

An electron has 1/1837 of the mass of a proton. This sub-atomic particle was discovered by J.J Thomson in 1897. It is negatively charged and is said to be revolving the positively charged nucleus.

Note: an atom has an equal number of protons and electrons and thus they are neutral.

Answer: Hydrogen ion

Acids are chemical substances which provide hydrogen ion as the only positively charged ion in their aqueous solution.

Answer: Uraninite

Uraninite is a uranium-rich mineral and is mainly made up of uranium dioxide. All uraninite minerals contain a small amount of radium as a radioactive decay product of uranium. It might also contain oxides of lead or helium due to radioactive decay.

Answer: Sulphuric acid

Sulphuric acid is the answer. The other acids mentioned above do not exist.

Sulphuric acids are used for metal processing, manufacturing of acid batteries, medicines and Rayon, among other uses.

Answer: Antoine Lavoisier

Antoine Lavoisier was French nobleman born in August 1743. He is considered by many scientists to be the father of modern chemistry. His discovery of oxygen and hydrogen was one of his main contributions.

Answer: Copper

Copper is an element with symbol "Cu" and atomic number 29. It is a ductile and malleable metal with a high melting and boiling point. It used for cooking utensils and to conduct heat and electricity.

Copper was discovered almost 11000 years ago. It was discovered somewhere in the middle east (most probably Iraq). Methods for refining copper from its ores were discovered around 5000 BC and a 1000 or so years later it was being used in pottery in North Africa.