The 130+ Best Science Trivia Questions, with Answers

Whether you’re studying science right now or haven’t picked up a book in years, it’s never a bad time to try out some science trivia. After all, science is everywhere—and maybe, after studying up with the trivia questions here, you’ll learn something new and exciting about the world of science! In this article, we’ve compiled an extensive collection of trivia questions and subjects, from astronomy to earth science, biology, and beyond.

Example Science Trivia Questions

What are the Earth’s three layers? Crust, mantle, and core
What is the main component of natural gas? Methane
What is the most abundant element in the Earth’s crust? Oxygen
What is “DNA” short for? Deoxyribonucleic acid
What is the hottest planet in the solar system? Venus

Section 1 of 10:

Easy Science Trivia

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It’s always better to start simple, right? Trivia is supposed to test you, but these are definitely among the more commonly known scientific trivia questions. They’re also general trivia questions—so you’ll see an assortment of subjects below, from earth science to astronomy!
- Question: What are the Earth’s three layers?
  - Answer: Crust, mantle, and core
- Question: What is the study of matter and its changes called?
  - Answer: Chemistry
- Question: What is the main function of the body’s muscular system?
  - Answer: Movement
- Question: What is the hardest natural substance on Earth?
  - Answer: Diamond
- Question: The periodic table features how many elements?
  - Answer: 118
- Question: What is the largest organ in the human body?
  - Answer: Skin
- Question: Who is credited for the theory of evolution?
  - Answer: Charles Darwin
- Question: What gas do plants and trees absorb from the air?
  - Answer: Carbon dioxide
- Question: The study of living things is called ____.
  - Answer: Biology
- Question: What is the boiling point of water?
  - Answer: 100 ℃ (212 ℉)
- Question: What is the largest planet in the solar system?
  - Answer: Jupiter
- Question: What is the study of weather called?
  - Answer: Meteorology
- Question: What is the largest mammal in the world?
  - Answer: The blue whale
- Question: What is the name of the process by which plants make their own food?
  - Answer: Photosynthesis
- Question: How many continents exist on Earth?
  - Answer: 7

Section 2 of 10:

Hard Science Trivia

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Ready for a challenge? These are the harder trivia questions that might require a little more thought—even for someone who just walked out of science class! Take a look at these tricky science trivia questions:
- Question: About how much does the average cumulus cloud weigh?
  - Answer: 1.1 million pounds
- Question: What is mycology the study of?
  - Answer: Fungi
- Question: What percentage of the human brain is made of fat?
  - Answer: About 60%
- Question: What’s the name of the pigment that gives plants their vibrant green color?
  - Answer: Chlorophyll
- Question: Where is the largest desert in the world?
  - Answer: Antarctica
- Question: What is the main component of natural gas?
  - Answer: Methane
- Question: What’s the name of the scale used to measure the hardness of minerals?
  - Answer: The Mohs scale
- Question: What’s the pH of a neutral solution?
  - Answer: 7
- Question: What is the name of the enzyme that breaks starch down into sugars?
  - Answer: Amylase
- Question: What’s the chemical name for rust?
  - Answer: Iron oxide
- Question: What is the unit of electrical resistance?
  - Answer: Ohm
- Question: What is the study of heredity called?
  - Answer: Genetics
- Question: What’s the name of the protein in our blood that transports oxygen?
  - Answer: Hemoglobin
- Question: What is the only type of rock that floats?
  - Answer: Pumice
- Question: What is the most abundant gas in Earth’s atmosphere?
  - Answer: Nitrogen

Section 3 of 10:

Science Trivia About Chemistry

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Now, let’s move on to specific subjects, starting with chemistry. Chemistry is all about investigating different forms of matter, their properties, and behavior. We hope you’ve taken a peek at the periodic table recently because it’s time to dive into these chemistry trivia questions:^{[1]
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- Question: As a group, what are the elements helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon, and oganesson?
  - Answer: Noble gasses
- Question: What is the center of an atom called?
  - Answer: Nucleus
- Question: Which element has the atomic number 1?
  - Answer: Hydrogen
- Question: What is the common name for dihydrogen oxide?
  - Answer: Water
- Question: What type of bond forms by sharing electrons between atoms?
  - Answer: Covalent bond
- Question: What state of matter has a definite volume but no definite shape?
  - Answer: Liquid
- Question: What is the most abundant element in the Earth’s crust?
  - Answer: Oxygen
- Question: What is the process of a solid changing to a liquid called?
  - Answer: Melting
- Question: What is the heaviest naturally occurring element?
  - Answer: Uranium
- Question: Which element on the periodic table has the chemical symbol “Au”?
  - Answer: Gold
- Question: What is it called when matter changes from gas to a solid?
  - Answer: Deposition
- Question: In which state of matter do particles have the least kinetic energy?
  - Answer: Solid
- Question: What is the most abundant element in the universe?
  - Answer: Hydrogen
- Question: What is the smallest particle in the universe?
  - Answer: Quark
- Question: What element goes by the signature “Fe” on the periodic table?
  - Answer: Iron

Section 4 of 10:

Science Trivia About Space & Astronomy

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Astronomy is, quite literally, out of this world—it’s the study of everything beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. If you enjoy learning about the sun, moon, planets, and galaxies beyond, you’ll be right at home with these astronomy and space-themed science trivia questions.^{[2]
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- Question: What is the name of the largest moon in our solar system?
  - Answer: Ganymede (one of Jupiter’s moons)
- Question: During what month is the Earth closest to the sun?
  - Answer: January
- Question: How many constellations are there?
  - Answer: 88
- Question: What is the hottest planet in the solar system?
  - Answer: Venus
- Question: What is the term for a path traveled by a celestial body in space?
  - Answer: Orbit
- Question: Why does the moon shine?
  - Answer: It reflects sunlight
- Question: Which planet in our solar system has the most moons?
  - Answer: Saturn (146 moons)
- Question: What galaxy is our solar system located in?
  - Answer: The Milky Way
- Question: Which planet has the shortest day (about 10 hours)?
  - Answer: Jupiter
- Question: What was the name of the first manned mission to land on the moon?
  - Answer: Apollo 11
- Question: What is the name of Mars’ two moons?
  - Answer: Phobos and Deimos
- Question: Which planets in our solar system are gaseous? Hint: there are four.
  - Answer: Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus
- Question: How long ago did our solar system form?
  - Answer: Around 4.6 billion years ago
- Question: What color is Mars’ sunset?
  - Answer: Blue
- Question: What is it called when a star suddenly increases greatly in brightness?
  - Answer: Supernova

Section 5 of 10:

Science Trivia About Animals & Zoology

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Zoology is the study of animals—and oh, how much there is to study! From land mammals to deep-sea creatures and everything in between, these trivia questions will touch on animals of all kinds. If you’re an animal lover, here’s the trivia section for you:^{[3]
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- Question: How many limbs do squids have?
  - Answer: 10 (8 arms and 2 longer tentacles)
- Question: What organ do ants lack?
  - Answer: Lungs
- Question: Which fish species mates for life?
  - Answer: Angelfish
- Question: What is the term for organisms that eat both plant and animal matter?
  - Answer: Omnivore
- Question: What is a group of butterflies called?
  - Answer: A kaleidoscope
- Question: Name the largest mammal in North America.
  - Answer: A bison
- Question: What bird species can fly backward?
  - Answer: Hummingbirds
- Question: What color is the polar bear’s skin?
  - Answer: Black
- Question: How many bones do sharks have?
  - Answer: None
- Question: What is the one type of big cat that doesn’t roar?
  - Answer: Cheetah
- Question: What color is a lobster’s blood?
  - Answer: Blue
- Question: What animal has the longest lifespan on Earth?
  - Answer: The glass sponge
- Question: What type of animal has stripes on its skin and fur?
  - Answer: Tiger
- Question: What is a group of parrots called?
  - Answer: A pandemonium
- Question: This animal’s tongue can be as long as its body: _____.
  - Answer: Chameleon

Section 6 of 10:

Earth Science Trivia

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Earth science (also called geoscience) encompasses all fields of natural science relating to our planet—the little green-blue marble known as Earth. So, just how much do you know about the planet you’re living on? Go through these earth science questions to find out:^{[4]
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- Question: What’s the deepest part of the ocean?
  - Answer: The Challenger Deep, inside the Mariana Trench
- Question: What is the largest ocean on Earth?
  - Answer: The Pacific Ocean
- Question: What are the Earth’s three main climate zones?
  - Answer: Polar, temperate, and tropical zones
- Question: What is the study of earthquakes called?
  - Answer: Seismology
- Question: What was the name of Earth’s last supercontinent?
  - Answer: Pangea
- Question: What causes ocean tides?
  - Answer: The moon’s gravitational pull
- Question: What is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above an earthquake’s focus?
  - Answer: Epicenter
- Question: What is Earth’s longest mountain range?
  - Answer: The Andes
- Question: What is the most common type of rock on Earth’s surface?
  - Answer: Igneous
- Question: What is the world’s largest river by volume?
  - Answer: The Amazon River
- Question: What is the Earth’s axial tilt?
  - Answer: 23.5 degrees
- Question: What is the molten rock inside a volcano called?
  - Answer: Magma
- Question: What is the largest continent on Earth by land area?
  - Answer: Asia
- Question: What is the most abundant mineral on Earth?
  - Answer: Bridgmanite
- Question: What is the name of the current geological epoch?
  - Answer: The Holocene Epoch

Section 7 of 10:

Science Trivia About Water

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How much is there to know about water? A surprising amount, actually! From the technical details of water as a chemical compound to the actual percentages of water on Earth (and in our bodies), these trivia questions will touch on a little of everything.^{[5]
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- Question: True or false: water regulates the Earth’s temperature.
  - Answer: True (it’s a natural insulator)
- Question: Approximately how much of the Earth’s surface is water?
  - Answer: 71%
- Question: What is the scientific term for water falling from clouds as rain, snow, sleet, or hail?
  - Answer: Precipitation
- Question: Approximately how much of the human body consists of water?
  - Answer: 66%
- Question: What percentage of the Earth’s water is saltwater (from the oceans)?
  - Answer: 97%
- Question: About how long can a human live without water?
  - Answer: A week
- Question: Roughly how much of the Earth’s freshwater is contained in frozen glaciers?
  - Answer: 68.7 %
- Question: True or false: water is the only substance found naturally in three forms on Earth.
  - Answer: True
- Question: What is the pH of water?
  - Answer: 7 (neutral, neither basic nor acidic)

Section 8 of 10:

Science Trivia About Biology & Anatomy

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Biology is the study of living things, and for the purposes of these trivia questions, we’re focusing specifically on human biology. After all, it’s important to understand how your own body works—so check out these biology trivia questions and see just how much you know.^{[6]
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- Question: What is “DNA” short for?
  - Answer: Deoxyribonucleic acid
- Question: What is the rarest blood type?
  - Answer: Rhnull
- Question: The heaviest organ in the human body is the ____.
  - Answer: Liver
- Question: Where are the smallest bones in the human body?
  - Answer: In the ear
- Question: How many bones exist in the adult human body?
  - Answer: Around 206 (between 206 and 213)
- Question: How many vertebrae do human spines have?
  - Answer: 33
- Question: What organ in the human body makes insulin?
  - Answer: The pancreas
- Question: Approximately how many skill cells do humans shed per minute?
  - Answer: 30,000
- Question: Hair and nails are made of ____.
  - Answer: Keratin
- Question: Around how many tastebuds does the human tongue have?
  - Answer: 10,000
- Question: What part of the brain is responsible for muscle control, balance, and movement?
  - Answer: The cerebellum
- Question: About how long is the human large intestine?
  - Answer: 5 feet (1.5 m)
- Question: What gives color to human hair, skin, and nails?
  - Answer: Melanin
- Question: What’s the strongest muscle in the human body?
  - Answer: The jaw
- Question: Where do human cells store hereditary information?
  - Answer: Chromosomes

Section 9 of 10:

Science Trivia About Physics

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Physics is all about matter, its motion, and its behavior through space and time. The study of physics has also led to developments that many people take for granted—including TV! And, since it’s one of the oldest and most fundamental disciplines in science, we figured a few physics questions were a must. Take a look:^{[7]
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- Question: Who established the three laws of motion?
  - Answer: Sir Isaac Newton
- Question: What force causes objects to move in a circular path?
  - Answer: Centripetal force
- Question: What is the term for the natural tendency of objects in motion to stay in motion and objects at rest to stay at rest unless an outside force changes their velocity?
  - Answer: Inertia
- Question: Which scientist established the theory of relativity?
  - Answer: Albert Einstein
- Question: What’s the first law of thermodynamics?
  - Answer: Energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transferred or changed in form
- Question: What is the fastest (known) speed in the universe?
  - Answer: The speed of light
- Question: What’s the name of the force that pulls objects toward the center of Earth?
  - Answer: Gravity
- Question: Can sound travel faster in air or water?
  - Answer: Water
- Question: One of Newton’s laws states that “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Which one is it?
  - Answer: Newton’s third law of motion
- Question: What does the “E” represent in the equation E = mc2?
  - Answer: Energy
- Question: What branch of physics is the study of heat and related phenomena?
  - Answer: Thermodynamics
- Question: What is the process of splitting an atom called?
  - Answer: Nuclear fission
- Question: What’s the equation for calculating force?
  - Answer: Force = mass x acceleration
- Question: What is the force that causes objects to sink in a fluid?
  - Answer: Density
- Question: What is the unit of power?
  - Answer: Watt

Section 10 of 10:

Science Trivia About Scientific Discoveries

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The science itself is essential, of course—but it’s worth remembering the scientists behind history’s most important discoveries, too. Take a look at these trivia questions and see how much you know about some of the most renowned scientific pioneers!
- Question: Which astronomer discovered that other galaxies are moving away from ours?
  - Answer: Edwin Hubble
- Question: Which new theory was introduced by astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus’ discoveries?
  - Answer: Heliocentrism (the sun is the center of the solar system, not Earth)
- Question: Who was the first Black female astronaut to go to space?
  - Answer: Mae Carol Jemison
- Question: What is the name of the telescope launched into space in 1990?
  - Answer: The Hubble space telescope
- Question: Who discovered penicillin?
  - Answer: Sir Alexander Fleming
- Question: Which scientist invented the first space telescope?
  - Answer: Galileo Galilei
- Question: Which scientist was the first to come up with the Big Bang Theory?
  - Answer: Georges Lemaître
- Question: Which French physicist first introduced the concept of radioactivity?
  - Answer: Marie Curie

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What is one of your favorite science trivia questions?

Michael Fortner
Riddle Expert
Michael Fortner is a riddles expert and content creator based in Los Angeles, CA. Michael is the host of an online trivia highline show, Hanging Out, boasting over 1.27M subscribers and over 1 billion views on YouTube. He has had over 150 contestants on the show with zero injuries, in addition to other content spanning trivia, brain teasers, and riddles. He has worked with YouTube stars Mr. Beast, Zack King, Vitaly, Brent Rivera, Yehslacks, Drew Dirksen, and survivor superstar Turbai. Michael has a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance.

Michael Fortner

Riddle Expert

Expert Answer

Here's one that I've always liked. What fruit glows under a black light? Answer: A banana. Bananas naturally fluoresce because of compounds in the peel, so under UV light they give off a cool blue glow.

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