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There’s so much to learn in science! These fun science trivia facts will help your students learn something new while getting them excited about awesome science topics. Present these questions to your class, and see if they can get the correct response. We have trivia questions in general science, biology, chemistry, Earth science, and physics! It may just help your students win their next trivia game or make them a Jeopardy star. Plus, these science trivia facts make great bell ringers or extra credit questions!
General Science
Question: What is the farthest planet from the sun?
Answer: Neptune. Uranus is the next furthest from the sun, and Mercury is the closest. Learn more about the order of the planets from the sun.
Question: What is the fastest land animal in the world?
Answer: A cheetah. Cheetahs can run over 75 miles per hour! Learn more about the top 10 fastest animals.
Question: What idea is Charles Darwin most famous for?
Answer: Natural selection. Through natural selection, organisms adapt to their environment to better survive. Learn more about Darwin and natural selection.
Question: What type of clouds are the most fluffy and can be seen on sunny days?
Answer: Cumulus clouds. They look like cotton balls in the sky! Cumulus clouds can also bring thunderstorms. Learn more about the main types of clouds.
Question: What color reflects light, and what color absorbs light?
Answer: White reflects light, and black absorbs light. This is why dark-colored objects, like pavement, heat up faster. Learn more about the science of color.
Biology
Question: What is the smallest bone in the human body?
Answer: The staples. They are one of three tiny bones located in your ear. Learn more about the human body’s smallest muscle, organ, and blood vessel.
Question: Who was both a philosopher and scientist considered by some to be the first biologist?
Answer: Aristotle. Aristotle was an ancient Greek who studied both science and philosophy. His scientific studies included heredity, descent, and reproductions, where he discovered four means of reproduction. Learn more about Aristotle’s scientific studies.
Question: What three components do plant cells have that animal cells do not?
Answer: Vacuole, chloroplast, and a cell wall. Plant cells and animal cells both have a nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondria, and a cell membrane. Learn more about the differences in plant and animal cells.
Question: How many stages are in a butterfly’s life cycle?
Answer: 4 stages. In metamorphosis, butterflies go through stages, including egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Get this free butterfly life cycle printable!
Question: Where do plants get their energy from?
Answer: The sun. Plants make their own food by converting sunlight into sugar through a process called photosynthesis. Learn more about photosynthesis.
Chemistry
Question: How many elements are there in the periodic table?
Answer: 118 elements. The framework of the periodic table we know today was developed by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869. Try this fun periodic table of candy activity!
Question: What is the name for the immediate conversion of solid matter to gas without becoming a liquid?
Answer: Sublimation. Sublimation is sometimes used in shirt printing, where an image is printed onto a sheet of paper, transferred to a fabric material, and heated until the ink absorbs into the fabric material. Try this awesome dry ice sublimation demonstration.
Question: What is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature?
Answer: Mercury. Mercury has a super low melting point! A big difference from other metals, it also does not conduct heat or electricity well. Learn more about the element Mercury.
Question: Which type of matter has a definite volume but no definite shape?
Answer: Liquid. Liquids will always conform to the shape of their container. In total, there are five total states of matter! Learn about the 5 states here.
Question: A solution with a pH of 1 is considered to be what?
Answer: An acid. Solutions with a pH between 0 and 7 are considered to be acids, and solutions with a pH between 7 and 14 are bases. This disappearing message activity teaches about pH!
Earth Science
Question: What is every planet named after except for Earth?
Answer: A Roman or Greek God or Goddess. The name “Earth” is of Old English and German descent, meaning “ground.” Learn more about naming planets.
Question: How old is our Earth?
Answer: 4.5 billion years old. Rock samples are used to determine the age of our Earth! Learn more about how scientists calculate the age of Earth.
Question: What is the most abundant gas in Earth’s atmosphere?
Answer: Nitrogen. Nitrogen makes up about 78% of Earth’s atmosphere. The second most abundant gas is Oxygen, taking up about 20%. Learn more about Earth’s most abundant gases.
Question: What is Earth’s primary source of energy?
Answer: The sun. The sun heats Earth’s land, water, and atmosphere. At 27 million degrees Fahrenheit, the sun is the Earth’s primary energy source. Learn more about how the sun gives off energy.
Question: What is the coldest place on Earth?
Answer: Antarctica. The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was -128.6 degrees. Brrr! Learn more about Antarctica.
Physics
Question: What is the name of the group of famous laws Isaac Newton identified?
Answer: Laws of Motion. Newton has three different laws of motion that were first presented in 1686. Learn more about the physics of a fidget spinner using the Laws of Motion.
Question: What is the fastest speed known in the universe?
Answer: The speed of light. Did you know the speed of light travels at 299,792,458 meters per second? That’s fast! Learn more about how fast the speed of light is.
Question: What is the name of the Noble Prize winning physicist responsible for the theory of relativity?
Answer: Albert Einstein. Within the same year, 1922, Einstein proved this theory of relativity and won a Nobel Prize! Learn about more Einstein fun facts.
Question: What was the device called that first recorded sound?
Answer: A phonograph. It was invented by Thomas Edison in 1877, and the first recording song was “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Learn more about the phonograph and recording sound.
Question: What is the unit for measuring electric power?
Answer: Watts. Utility companies use watts to measure energy consumption, and the number of watts can also be found on light bulbs! Learn more about measuring in watts.
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