Elementary Order Trivia Quiz

Hydrogen is the first element on the periodic table. Its name refers to the fact that it combines with oxygen to form water. In its standard form, hydrogen is an odourless gas.

Neon is best known for its use in illumination and advertising signs. Deriving its name from the Greek word for 'new', neon is an inert gas. With an atomic number of 10, it is the second noble gas on the periodic table after helium.

Sulphur, atomic number 16, has been known to mankind since ancient times and finds mention in religious texts like the Bible where it is referred to as brimstone. It has several uses ranging from fertilizers to pesticides. When combined with hydrogen it forms hydrogen sulphide, a toxic gas with the characteristic odour of rotten eggs.

Chlorine is a yellow-green gas at room temperature and has the atomic number 17. Discovered in the 17th century, it was given its current name by Sir Humphrey Davy in the 19th century. Chlorine was named after the Greek word for pale green, a reference to its colour.

In World War I, chlorine was used as a poison gas weapon. Today it is more widely used as a disinfectant for swimming pools.

Calcium, atomic number 20, is the most abundant metal in the human body and essential for maintaining strong bones. Dairy food items are a good source of this element. Calcium is also one of the most commonly found metals on earth, generally occurring as the compound calcium carbonate.

Iron is the most common element occurring on earth. It has the atomic number of 26. The Iron Age was a pivotal period in human history when mankind first began using iron to produce tools and weapons. Unlike other metals like copper, which have had periods of reduced importance, iron and its alloy, steel, continue to be mainstays of manufacturing to the current age.

Copper's atomic number is 29. It is one of the few metals that occurs in a naturally usable form, leading to it being one of the earliest metals adopted by humans, dating back to 8000 BC. It derives its name from the island of Cyprus where it was mined during the Roman era.

Arsenic has the chemical symbol of As and atomic number 33. In earlier times, arsenic gained a reputation as the "poison of kings". Since the element is poisonous but doesn't produce any specific or identifiable symptoms, it was commonly used for murder and political gain.

This also led to its other nickname as the "inheritance powder" when impatient heirs used arsenic for quicker access to wealth.

Tungsten's atomic symbol is W stemming from its alternative name of Wolfram. Scheelite and wolframite are the two key ores for tungsten. Tungsten's atomic number is 74 and it is famous for having the highest melting point of all known elements. Its hardness has resulted in it having multiple applications including in the manufacture of military equipment.

Mercury, atomic number 80, is the only metallic element that occurs in liquid form at standard temperature and pressure. Both its names, mercury and quicksilver, derive from it being associated with the fastest planet in our solar system, Mercury, which in turn was named after the 'Messenger of the Gods' in Roman mythology.

Its chemical symbol is Hg after its former name hydrargyrum (Greek for 'silver water').