Take Quiz
Do you have your PhD in chemistry trivia, or is your knowledge a bit base-ic?
YEARS
Find out how much you know about chemistry with this interactive quiz showcasing some of the topics C&EN has reported on over the last century and share your results.
Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1
Who is largely considered the "Father of Modern Chemistry"?
Michael Faraday
D
Jöns Jacob Berzelius
C
Antoine Lavoisier
B
Robert Boyle
A
Source Link
Next Question
Credit: Shutterstock
2
What was the first analytical method developed in analytical chemistry?
X-ray crystallography
Chromatography
Spectrophotometry
Titration
Credit: Research Center for Conservation
3
What technique was used in 2021 to decipher crossed-out text in letters exchanged between Marie Antoinette and her rumored lover?
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
X-ray fluorescence
Credit: flicker
4
What are the main amino acids of collagen?
Glycine, phenylalanine, alanine
Glycine, proline, valine
Hydroxyproline, valine, alanine
Glycine, proline, hydroxyproline
Credit: Pixels
5
What causes wrinkles in cotton clothes after they have been washed and dried?
Cellulose degradation
Bond breakage in the cellulose
Re-formation of hydrogen bonds
New chemical bonds within the cellulose
6
What’s the mechanism behind all anesthetics?
Disrupting lipid bilayer in nerve cells
Inhibiting acetylcholine receptor
Blocking sodium ion channels
Blocking nerves from passing pain signals to the brain
Credit: Wikipedia
7
How does ultraviolet C light deactivate viruses?
It causes mutations on the DNA
It causes bases in DNA and RNA to fuse
It denatures DNA
It doesn’t deactivate them
Credit: Beth Zaiken/Cambridge University
8
In 2022, in an effort to help identify plants and animals that populated northern Greenland 2 million years ago, researchers sequenced the oldest DNA ever analyzed. What was the sample they used?
Claws
Fur
Hair
Sediment
9
What’s the ingredient in sunblock that kills coral?
Zinc oxide
Oxybenzone
Titanium dioxide
Fragrance
10
Which of these factors are among green chemistry’s primary principles?
All the above
Developing energy-efficient chemical processes
Reducing or eliminating the use and generation of hazardous substances
Using renewable and sustainable resources
11
What is the most commonly used material in the semiconducting components of solar panels?
Silicon
Aluminum
Cadmium telluride
Gold
Credit: C&EN
12
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)?
They have been linked to liver effects in humans
They repel water and stains
They have been found in freshwater fish
They break down quickly in the environment
13
Chemists isolated salicylic acid, a precursor to aspirin, from the bark of what kind of tree?
Honey locust
Elm
Willow
Cedar
14
What was the first antiviral drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration?
Saquinavir
Remdesivir
Acyclovir
Idoxuridine
15
What type of vaccines are Moderna's and Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines?
Recombinant vector
Messenger RNA
Inactivated
Live attenuated
Get Results
Ultra-Advanced Level
Retake the quiz
Stay on top of C&EN 100th Anniversary news and events. Subscribe to the C&EN Weekly Newsletter and get the latest chemistry news distilled to your inbox every week.
Share a screenshot of your results with #cen100, and be entered into a drawing for a special package of C&EN 100th Anniversary swag.
My chemistry trivia knowledge is
You're the rarest of earth metals! Congrats on your perfect score. Share your wins and encourage friends to try this quiz. Looking for another trivia challenge? Try our C&EN's 100 Chemistry crossword and see if you can crack the secret code word.
Winners will be selected once a month!
Share your results and win!
Email a screenshot
You nearly have your PhD in chemistry trivia! The conditions were almost right for this reaction. Want to prove you have what it takes? Try our C&EN's 100 Chemistry crossword and see if you can crack the secret code word.
Advanced Level
Your chemistry trivia knowledge is certainly impressive, but there's always room to improve. Read up on chemistry news at cen.acs.org.
Intermediate Level
Your last chemistry class was a while ago, so your knowledge is a bit base-ic. Never fear! Brush up on your chemistry knowledge at cen.acs.org.
Base Level
