Chemistry! Trivia Quiz

Answer: cations

An ion is a atom that has either lost or gained electrons. The ions that have the positive charge are called cations. The ions that have the negative charge are called anions.

Here is how ions become positively or negatively charged:

Ions are atoms with a gain or loss in electrons. The charges depend on the amount of the electrons. The ion is positively charged if it has lost one or two electrons, and therefore becomes a cation. If the ion has gained one or two electrons then it is negatively charged and therefore is an anion.

Answer: Marie Curie

Marie Curie (1867-1934) won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for several reasons, including the discovery of polonium and radium. Many of Marie Curie's descendants were or are scientists. They include her daughter, Irene Joliot-Curie, and her granddaughter, Helene Langevin-Joliot. Becquerel, Pierre Curie and Marie Curie jointly shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903.

Answer: 1869

The Periodic Table of Elements has periods and groups. Some groups are transition metals, noble gases, alkali metals, and halogens. Some transition metals are titanium, iron, and scandium. The noble gases include helium, krypton, and argon. Some alkali metals are rubidium, caesium, and francium. Some halogens are chlorine and fluorine.

Answer: hydrochloric acid + zinc

If you combine hydrochloric acid plus zinc it also equals hydrogen. Zinc is a chemical compound of zinc and chloride. Zinc is a transition metal with the atomic number of 30. Chloride is another compound like salt and aluminum chloride.

Answer: four

Aristotle was a famous Greek philosopher who had Plato as a teacher. He thought the universe was made from water, fire, air, and earth. Today we see elements as substances that can't be broken down further into something new.

Answer: solid

A solid has the least energy and a gas has the most. Solids' molecules are closer together than those of a gas or liquid.

Answer: sodium

Hydrogen is the most abundant of all elements. The discoverer of this element was Henry Cavendish. Hydrogen was used in balloons but its use was discontinued because it's too flammable. The Hindenburg explosion was an example of a disaster caused by the flammability of hydrogen.

Answer: francium

Francium is an alkali metal. When alkaline earth metals are burned, they produce vibrant, eye catching, light, and are often used in fireworks. Francium's atomic number is 87. When francium decomposes, it can become other elements including radon, radium, and others. Francium was discovered by Marguerite Perey in 1939.

Answer: oxygen

Helium is the second most abundant element. Carbon is the sixth most abundant. Silicon is the seventh most abundant.

Answer: NaCl

The formula for salt is NaCl because it is a compound of sodium and chloride. The Na is sodium and the Cl is chloride.