Who Knows That?
Which element was accidentally discovered by a German alchemist in 1669 while he was trying to make gold from urine? A: Phosphorus
B: Sulfur
C: Mercury
D: Potassium
A: Phosphorus
Fun Fact: Hennig Brand boiled down about 1,500 gallons of urine to isolate phosphorus, thinking it would turn into gold.
Which chemical is often (and falsely) accused by conspiracy theorists of being used for mind control when added to drinking water?
A: Fluoride
B: Chlorine
C: Lithium
D: Mercury
A: Fluoride
Fun Fact: Despite the rumors, fluoride is added to water to prevent tooth decay, not for mind control.
In the Marvel Universe, Captain America’s shield is made from a fictional alloy called vibranium. Which real-life element shares some of vibranium’s shock-absorbing properties?
A: Titanium
B: Beryllium
C: Graphene
D: Nickel
C: Graphene Fun Fact: Graphene can absorb impacts efficiently and is incredibly strong—still not quite vibranium, though!
Many believe that absolute zero (-273.15°C) is the coldest possible temperature. But what is the most extreme case where temperatures can go even LOWER than absolute zero?
A: Bose-Einstein condensates at -500°C
B: Negative temperature states in quantum thermodynamics
C: Supercooled helium at -300°C
D: Vacuum energy collapse
B: Negative temperature states in quantum thermodynamics
Fun Fact: In exotic systems, like lasers and quantum gases, negative absolute temperatures exist—but paradoxically, these states behave hotter than anything at positive temperatures. This completely breaks classical thermodynamics!
What happens when you mix lithium and mountain dew?
A: It creates a glowstick-like liquid
B: It violently explodes into purple flames
C: It turns into a gelatinous blob
D: It emits a smell like rotten eggs
B: It violently explodes into purple flames
Fun Fact: Lithium reacts with the phosphoric acid in soda to release hydrogen gas, which ignites. Pro tip: Don’t try this at home unless you want to reenact Dragon’s Breath: The DIY Edition.
Which element's name comes from the Greek word for "stranger" because it was so unexpected when discovered in the Sun’s spectrum before being found on Earth?
A: Xenon
B: Helium
C: Krypton
D: Argon
B: Helium
Fun Fact: Helium was discovered in 1868 during a solar eclipse—scientists literally found it in the Sun before on Earth.
In the 1960s, a bizarre conspiracy claimed that NASA’s Apollo missions used which toxic element to simulate moon rocks?
A: Beryllium
B: Thorium
C: Vanadium
D: Zirconium
B: Thorium
Fun Fact: Conspiracy theorists argued that thorium's radioactive properties made the rocks appear extraterrestrial—totally false!
In Snowpiercer, the world freezes due to a climate engineering chemical called CW-7. What real-world compound is used for cloud seeding?
A: Silver Iodide
B: Sodium Chloride
C: Ammonium Nitrate
D: Sulfur Hexafluoride
A: Silver Iodide
Fun Fact: Cloud seeding can boost rainfall, but it’s nowhere near as apocalyptic as CW-7!
Many people assume diamonds are stable forever. But under normal atmospheric conditions, what is the actual true fate of a diamond over geological timescales?
A: It slowly turns into graphite
B: It evaporates into CO₂
C: It converts into silicon carbide
D: It fuses into new crystal structures
A: It slowly turns into graphite
Fun Fact: Diamonds are thermodynamically unstable at room temperature and pressure! Given millions of years, they will spontaneously convert into graphite.
What "vampire chemical" in garlic repels mosquitoes, lowers cholesterol, and literally makes you smell undead?
A: Cyanide
B: Capsaicin
C: Allicin
D: Formaldehyde
C: Allicin
Fun Fact: Allicin is garlic’s defense mechanism. It’s toxic to fungi, bacteria, and first dates. Fun side effect: It also repels vampires (citation: Dracula).
What ridiculous nickname did scientists give to the hypothetical element “Eka-lead” in the 20th century, before it was confirmed as element 114 (flerovium)?
A: Gorillium
B: Ununquadium
C: Plumbum Novum
D: Pandamonium
D: Pandamonium
Fun Fact: Some scientists jokingly referred to it as “pandemonium” due to the chaos it caused in predicting its properties.
Which infamous compound was rumored to be a government plot to sterilize populations through soft drinks in the 1970s?
A: Aspartame
B: Brominated vegetable oil (BVO)
C: Saccharin
D: Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
B: Brominated vegetable oil (BVO)
Fun Fact: BVO is used as an emulsifier in citrus-flavored drinks—not for any sinister purpose!
In the James Bond film Goldfinger, the villain kills someone by painting them entirely in gold. What actual risk would this pose to a person?
A: Mercury poisoning
B: Asphyxiation from blocked pores
C: Lead poisoning
D: Hyperthermia
D: Hyperthermia
Fun Fact: The myth that blocked pores can cause suffocation is false, but full-body paint can mess with body temperature regulation!
Many assume "gold is gold"—but in an alternate reality, what strange quantum property of gold atoms gives the metal its famous yellowish color?
A: Delocalized d-electrons absorb blue light due to relativistic energy shifts
B: Gold’s lattice structure bends light towards the red spectrum
C: Gold nuclei create a gravitational redshift at small scales
D: Quantum tunneling allows gold atoms to emit photons in the infrared
A: Delocalized d-electrons absorb blue light due to relativistic energy shifts
Fun Fact: The color of gold isn’t just chemistry—it’s relativity! The inner d-orbitals experience a relativistic energy shift, lowering their energy levels just enough that gold absorbs blue light and appears yellow!
Which metal is so dense that it feels warmer in your hand than ambient temperature allows?
A: Uranium
B: Lead
C: Osmium
D: Plutonium
A: Uranium
Fun Fact: Uranium’s density (19.1 g/cm³) lets it retain heat like a pro. Hold a piece, and it feels like a living hand warmer!
Which of these compounds is humorously referred to as “the Devil’s acid” due to its terrifying reactivity, even causing glass to melt?
A: Fluoroantimonic acid
B: Aqua regia
C: Perchloric acid
D: Fuming sulfuric acid
A: Fluoroantimonic acid (HSbF₆)
Fun Fact: This acid is 10¹⁶ times stronger than sulfuric acid and can dissolve glass like it's a snack.
According to a popular urban legend, which substance, found in many kitchens, was rumored to cause instant death if mixed with Coca-Cola?
A: Pop Rocks
B: Baking soda
C: Nutmeg
D: Vinegar
A: Pop Rocks
Fun Fact: The myth said your stomach would explode if you drank Coke with Pop Rocks—completely false, but it scared a lot of kids!
In Back to the Future, what radioactive element powers the DeLorean time machine?
A: Plutonium
B: Uranium
C: Lithium
D: Carbon
A: Plutonium
Fun Fact: Plutonium-238 is used in real-life RTGs (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators) for deep-space missions—no time travel yet!
Which of the following statements correctly describes the electronic structure of a transition metal complex in terms of crystal field theory?
A: In an octahedral crystal field, the d-orbitals split into two sets, with the lower-energy set being t2g and the higher-energy set being eg.
B: In a tetrahedral crystal field, the ddd-orbitals split into two sets, with the higher-energy set being t2g and the lower-energy set being eg.
C: In a square planar crystal field, the d-orbitals split into four sets, where the dx2-y2orbital has the lowest energy.
D: In a cubic crystal field, the splitting of the d-orbitals is absent due to the symmetrical nature of the field.
A: In an octahedral crystal field, the d-orbitals split into two sets, with the lower-energy set being t2g and the higher-energy set being eg.
Fun Fact: The splitting of d-orbitals in coordination complexes is the result of ligand interactions with the metal center, which alters the energies of the orbitals based on their symmetry relative to the ligands. The crystal field theory is crucial for understanding the colors, magnetism, and stability of many transition metal complexes.
Which radioactive element was once marketed in toothpaste and chocolate as a “health booster” – until consumers died of jaw necrosis?
A: Radium
B: Plutonium
C: Thorium
D: Polonium
A: Radium
Fun Fact: In the 1920s, ads hailed radium as a “rejuvenating elixir.” Spoiler: It caused bone cancer and dissolved jaws.
What bizarre property do bananas and Brazil nuts share that makes them slightly radioactive?
A: High potassium content
B: Contain uranium traces
C: Presence of radium isotopes
D: Absorb cosmic rays
A: High potassium content
Fun Fact: Bananas contain potassium-40, a naturally radioactive isotope—eat enough of them, and you might set off a radiation detector!
What element was at the center of a conspiracy theory claiming that it was being spread by airplane contrails to control weather and human behavior?
A: Strontium
B: Cesium
C: Barium
D: Radon
C: Barium
Fun Fact: The infamous “chemtrails” theory claims barium is used for mind control and weather manipulation—there's zero evidence for this.
In the anime Fullmetal Alchemist, human transmutation requires the same elements found in the human body. Which of these is not among them according to the show?
A: Carbon
B: Phosphorus
C: Gold
D: Iron
C: Gold
Fun Fact: The human body doesn’t naturally contain gold—unlike carbon, phosphorus, and iron, which are essential!
"Entropy always increases." But in protein folding, entropy decreases. Why isn’t this a violation?
A: Quantum tunneling dominates
B: The system is open (heat released to surroundings)
C: Proteins cheat thermodynamics
D: Hydrophobic effect creates order
B: The system is open (heat released to surroundings)
Fun Fact: Local entropy drops when proteins fold, but the total entropy (system + surroundings) still increases. Take that, creationists!
What "dark matter" of chemistry is a theoretical liquid so dense that a teaspoon weighs 10 million tons—and might exist in neutron stars?
A: Quark-gluon plasma
B: Nuclear pasta
C: Metallic hydrogen
D: Quantum foam
B: Nuclear pasta
Fun Fact: Under neutron star pressures, atomic nuclei crush into shapes like spaghetti and lasagna. Bon appétit, astrophysicists!