100 Trivia Questions and Answers

100 trivia questions with answers on science, nature, history, the arts, food and sport.

100 questions · tap “Show answer” under each one · Answer key

1. What is the chemical symbol for silver?

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   Ag

   Ag comes from argentum, the Latin word for silver. Source

2. Which gas makes up most of Earth's air?

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   Nitrogen

   About 78 percent of the air is nitrogen. Source

3. Where is most of a cell's DNA kept?

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   In the nucleus

   Mitochondria hold a little DNA of their own too. Source

4. Which force keeps the planets in orbit around the Sun?

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   Gravity

   The Sun's gravity bends each planet's path into an orbit. Source

5. Roughly how fast does sound travel through air?

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   About 343 m/s

   That's why you hear thunder after you see lightning. Source

6. Which particle has a negative electric charge?

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   Electron

   Protons are positive; neutrons have no charge. Source

7. Which vitamin does your skin make when it's in sunlight?

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   Vitamin D

   Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium for bones. Source

8. What is the pH of pure water?

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   7

   Below 7 is acidic; above 7 is alkaline. Source

9. Which organs filter the blood to make urine?

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   Kidneys

   Your kidneys filter about 180 liters of blood fluid a day. Source

10. Which is the largest internal organ in the human body?

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    Liver

    An adult liver weighs about 1.5 kg. Source

11. How many chromosomes do most people have?

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    46

    They come in 23 pairs: one of each pair from each parent. Source

12. Which gas is the Sun mostly made of?

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    Hydrogen

    The Sun fuses hydrogen into helium in its core. Source

13. Who wrote 'On the Origin of Species' (1859)?

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    Charles Darwin

    The book set out the theory of evolution by natural selection. Source

14. What does DNA stand for?

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    Deoxyribonucleic acid

    DNA carries the instructions for building and running living things. Source

15. Which metal conducts electricity best?

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    Silver

    Copper is used in wires because it is almost as good and much cheaper. Source

16. What is absolute zero in degrees Celsius?

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    −273.15 °C

    Nothing can be colder; −459.67 is the same point in Fahrenheit. Source

17. Which blood cells fight infections?

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    White blood cells

    Red blood cells carry oxygen; platelets help blood clot. Source

18. What is the scientific study of earthquakes called?

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    Seismology

    Seismologists measure earthquakes with seismometers. Source

19. What is the hardest substance in the human body?

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    Tooth enamel

    Enamel is harder than bone but can't grow back. Source

20. Which gas is used to make party balloons float?

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    Helium

    Helium is lighter than air and doesn't burn. Source

21. Which animal has the largest eyes in the world?

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    Colossal squid

    Its eyes can be about 27 cm across — the size of a dinner plate. Source

22. How many legs does a crab have, counting its claws?

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    10

    Crabs are decapods: 'ten-footed' in Greek. Source

23. What does a caterpillar turn into?

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    A butterfly or moth

    The change happens inside a chrysalis or cocoon. Source

24. Which bird can fly backward?

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    Hummingbird

    Hummingbirds beat their wings up to about 80 times a second. Source

25. Which is the largest species of fish?

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    Whale shark

    Whale sharks eat plankton and tiny fish. Source

26. Which reptile is famous for changing color?

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    Chameleon

    Chameleons change color to signal mood and control temperature. Source

27. What do giant pandas mostly eat?

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    Bamboo

    A panda can eat more than 12 kg of bamboo a day. Source

28. Which is the largest land animal?

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    African elephant

    A large bull can weigh more than 6 tonnes. Source

29. On which continent do giraffes live in the wild?

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    Africa

    Giraffes live in the savannas and woodlands of Africa. Source

30. Which tree produces acorns?

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    Oak

    A big oak can drop thousands of acorns in a good year. Source

31. Which is the largest living bird?

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    Ostrich

    Ostriches can't fly, but they can run at about 70 km/h. Source

32. About how long is an elephant pregnant?

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    About 22 months

    It's the longest pregnancy of any land animal. Source

33. Which mammal lays eggs?

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    Platypus

    Echidnas are the only other egg-laying mammals. Source

34. What do honeybees collect from flowers to make honey?

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    Nectar

    Bees collect pollen too, but as food, not for honey. Source

35. What is a young frog called?

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    Tadpole

    Tadpoles breathe through gills until they grow lungs. Source

36. Which is the longest mountain range on land?

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    Andes

    The Andes run about 7,000 km along South America. Source

37. Which river flows through Paris?

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    Seine

    The Seine flows into the English Channel. Source

38. In which country is Machu Picchu?

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    Peru

    The Inca built it in the 1400s high in the Andes. Source

39. Which city is nicknamed 'the Big Apple'?

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    New York City

    The nickname spread from horse-racing writers in the 1920s. Source

40. Which canal links the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea?

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    Suez Canal

    It opened in 1869 and saves ships the long trip around Africa. Source

41. Which is the largest country in Africa by area?

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    Algeria

    Most of Algeria is covered by the Sahara. Source

42. Which Italian city is built on more than 100 small islands?

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    Venice

    Venice's islands are linked by about 400 bridges. Source

43. What is the official language of Brazil?

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    Portuguese

    Brazil has more Portuguese speakers than Portugal. Source

44. Which is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea?

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    Sicily

    Mount Etna, an active volcano, is on Sicily. Source

45. Which desert covers much of Mongolia and northern China?

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    Gobi

    The Gobi is a cold desert, often with snow in winter. Source

46. In which country is the city of Marrakesh?

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    Morocco

    Marrakesh is known for its huge square, Jemaa el-Fnaa. Source

47. Which salty lake is so dense that people float in it easily?

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    Dead Sea

    Its shore is the lowest land on Earth, more than 400 m below sea level. Source

48. Which country is called 'the Land of the Rising Sun'?

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    Japan

    Japan's name in Japanese, Nihon, means 'origin of the sun'. Source

49. In which ocean is the Bermuda Triangle?

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    Atlantic Ocean

    Studies find no more ships go missing there than elsewhere. Source

50. Which two countries share the longest border?

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    Canada & United States

    Their border is about 8,900 km long. Source

51. Who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?

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    Michelangelo

    He painted it between 1508 and 1512, mostly standing on scaffolding. Source

52. Which ancient wonder stood in Alexandria, Egypt?

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    Lighthouse of Alexandria

    It was one of the tallest buildings in the world for centuries. Source

53. Which empire built the Colosseum?

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    Roman Empire

    It could hold around 50,000 spectators. Source

54. In which country did the ancient Olympic Games begin?

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    Greece

    They began at Olympia in 776 BC, by tradition. Source

55. Who wrote 'Romeo and Juliet'?

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    William Shakespeare

    The play is set in the Italian city of Verona. Source

56. Which writing system did the ancient Egyptians use?

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    Hieroglyphs

    The Rosetta Stone helped scholars decode them in the 1820s. Source

57. Who introduced printing with movable type to Europe around 1450?

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    Johannes Gutenberg

    The Gutenberg Bible was one of the first major books he printed. Source

58. What was the name of the ship that carried the Pilgrims to America in 1620?

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    Mayflower

    It landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. Source

59. Which Roman city was buried by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD?

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    Pompeii

    The ash preserved the city remarkably well. Source

60. Who discovered penicillin in 1928?

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    Alexander Fleming

    He noticed mold killing bacteria in a dish he had left out. Source

61. In which city is the Taj Mahal?

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    Agra

    It was built in the 1600s as a tomb. Source

62. Which language did the ancient Romans speak?

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    Latin

    Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese grew out of Latin. Source

63. Who composed 'The Four Seasons'?

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    Antonio Vivaldi

    It's a set of four violin concertos from the 1720s. Source

64. Who wrote 'Don Quixote'?

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    Miguel de Cervantes

    It's often called the first modern novel. Source

65. Which ballet features the Sugar Plum Fairy?

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    The Nutcracker

    Tchaikovsky wrote the music in 1892. Source

66. Which film won the first Academy Award for best picture?

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    Wings

    Wings (1927) was a silent film about pilots. Source

67. Which band released 'Hey Jude' in 1968?

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    The Beatles

    It stayed at number one in the US for nine weeks. Source

68. Which fictional detective lives at 221B Baker Street?

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    Sherlock Holmes

    Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the first Holmes story in 1887. Source

69. Who painted 'The Persistence of Memory', with its melting clocks?

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    Salvador Dalí

    The small painting hangs in New York's Museum of Modern Art. Source

70. Which dance comes from Argentina and Uruguay?

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    Tango

    It grew up in Buenos Aires and Montevideo in the late 1800s. Source

71. How many strings does a violin have?

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    4

    They are tuned G, D, A and E. Source

72. In which city is the famous opera house with roofs shaped like sails?

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    Sydney

    The Sydney Opera House opened in 1973. Source

73. Who wrote 'Pride and Prejudice'?

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    Jane Austen

    It was published in 1813. Source

74. Who painted 'The Scream'?

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    Edvard Munch

    Munch made several versions of it in paint and pastel. Source

75. Which instrument has pedals and 47 strings in its concert version?

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    Harp

    The pedals change the pitch of the strings. Source

76. What is the main ingredient of hummus?

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    Chickpeas

    Hummus means 'chickpeas' in Arabic. Source

77. Which spice is the most expensive by weight?

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    Saffron

    It takes tens of thousands of crocus flowers to make a kilogram. Source

78. What is tofu made from?

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    Soybeans

    Tofu is made by curdling soy milk, a little like making cheese. Source

79. Which fruit is dried to make raisins?

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    Grapes

    Dried plums are prunes. Source

80. Which country does paella come from?

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    Spain

    Paella comes from the region of Valencia. Source

81. Which nut is marzipan made from?

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    Almonds

    Marzipan is mostly ground almonds and sugar. Source

82. Which grain pops to make popcorn?

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    Corn

    Water inside each kernel turns to steam and bursts it open. Source

83. What gives chili peppers their heat?

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    Capsaicin

    Birds don't feel capsaicin, so they spread chili seeds. Source

84. Which fruit is called 'the king of fruits' in Southeast Asia?

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    Durian

    Its smell is so strong that some hotels and trains ban it. Source

85. Which drink is made by fermenting sweet tea?

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    Kombucha

    Kefir is fermented milk; lassi is a yogurt drink. Source

86. How many players does each team have on the court in basketball?

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    5

    James Naismith invented basketball in 1891. Source

87. In which sport is a shuttlecock used?

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    Badminton

    A shuttlecock can fly at more than 400 km/h off a smash. Source

88. How long is a marathon?

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    About 42.2 km

    21.1 km is a half marathon. Source

89. How many rings are on the Olympic flag?

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    5

    The rings stand for the inhabited continents joined by the Games. Source

90. In which sport does 'love' mean zero?

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    Tennis

    Nobody knows for sure where the word came from. Source

91. How many points is a touchdown worth in American football?

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    6

    A kick after the touchdown can add one more point. Source

92. Which country hosted the first FIFA World Cup, in 1930?

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    Uruguay

    Uruguay also won it. Source

93. In golf, what is one stroke under par called?

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    Birdie

    Two under is an eagle; one over is a bogey. Source

94. How many players are on a cricket team?

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    11

    Only two batters are on the field at a time. Source

95. Which martial art comes from Korea?

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    Taekwondo

    Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport since 2000. Source

96. How many letters are in the English alphabet?

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    26

    Five of them are vowels: A, E, I, O and U. Source

97. What is a word that reads the same backward, like 'level'?

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    Palindrome

    'Racecar' and 'noon' are palindromes too. Source

98. What is a word that means the same as another word?

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    Synonym

    'Big' and 'large' are synonyms. Source

99. How many zeros are in one million?

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    6

    1,000,000 — a thousand thousands. Source

100. Which Roman numeral stands for 50?

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     L

     C is 100, D is 500 and V is 5. Source