Hello there! You must have heard about the chemistry challenge making rounds on TikTok lately. In it, you have to respond to questions asked by an adorable anthropomorphic deer. Here we don’t have a cute animal for you, but if you answer all the questions correctly, you’ll get a deer pun! How does that sound? Take the quiz and get your score!
Do you want to learn some chemistry trivia before you dig into questions? For example: what is the fear of chemistry called? What happens when you pour a handful of salt into a full glass of water? What do radioactive elements do in the dark? If you want to know answers, read on!
The fear or aversion to chemicals and chemistry is called chemophobia. When we think of chemicals, what comes to mind is artificial, human-made additions to our lives, which some people perceive as harmful. However, things like water, sugar, or even oxygen are also chemicals.
In chemistry, the periodic table is a tabular arrangement of chemical elements. It is organized in order of increasing atomic number. There is a recurring design called the “periodic law”, in which elements in the same column (group) have similar properties. Typically, in one row or period, we have metals to the left, and non-metals to the right. The elements that have similar chemical behaviors are placed in the same column.
In the periodic table, the element with the shortest name is Tin, with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. Tin is a silver-colored metal that can be cut with little force and easily bent.
The element with the longest name is Rutherfordium, with the symbol Rf and atomic number 104. Because it is a synthetic element, it is not found in nature and can only be made in a laboratory.
Do you know what the most plentiful chemical substance in the universe is? The answer is hydrogen, estimated to cover 75% of all normal matter. Hydrogen is also the lightest element. At the same time, oxygen is the most abundant element in the Earth’s atmosphere, crust, and oceans (about 49.5%).
What happens when you pour salt into a glass full of water? The water level will go down instead of overflowing. Salt molecules absorb water molecules, which results in water going down instead of up.
Approximately 96% of the human body consists of four elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Oxygen accounts for 61-65% of body mass and is used for cellular respiration.
Carbon is the second most abundant element in our bodies. All living beings contain carbon, which is a base for all the organic molecules in the body. Did you know that your body had enough carbon to provide “lead” (graphite, actually) for 9000 pencils?
Hydrogen accounts for 10% of the mass of the human body. Since around 60% of your body weight is water, much of the hydrogen exists in water. Its role is to transport nutrients, dispose of wastes, lubricate organs and joints, and regulate body temperature.
Around 3% of your body mass is nitrogen. It can be found in proteins, nucleic acids, and other organic molecules. Nuclear gas is present in our lungs.
Other elements that can be found in the human body are calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, and magnesium.
We can find both calcium and phosphorus in our bones and teeth. The first one makes the skeletal system strong and rigid, while the second one is crucial for bone structure.
Potassium functions as an electrolyte and is vital for conducting electrical impulses and for muscle contraction. Sodium is an important electrolyte too, and a component of cellular fluids. It aids in regulating fluid volume, temperature, and blood pressure.
Sulfur is an essential ingredient of amino acids and proteins. It’s present in keratin, which builds skin, hair, and nails. Sulfur is also needed for cellular respiration, allowing cells to use oxygen.
The metal magnesium constitutes around 0,05% of human body weight, and half of it is found in the bones. Magnesium helps regulate heartbeat, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels. It’s a key element of protein synthesis and metabolism. It is needed to support the proper immune system, muscle, and nerve function.
Capsaicin, a molecule found in hot peppers, is responsible for their heat. While the molecule irritates mammals, including humans, birds lack the receptor responsible for the effect and are therefore immune to the burning sensation associated with exposure.
Did you know that sometimes hot water can freeze faster than cold water? It is called the Mpemba effect after the student who discovered it. Whether hot water or cold water freezes faster depends on specific conditions. Hot water might freeze quicker due to evaporative cooling, less chance of supercooling, low concentration of dissolved gases, and convection.
Are you ready to test your chemistry knowledge? Get down to the questions and receive your score! Don’t worry if you don’t get 100% the first time.
