FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Atomic and Subatomic Physics Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Atomic and Subatomic Physics Quizzes, Trivia

Atomic and Subatomic Physics Trivia

Atomic and Subatomic Physics Trivia Quizzes

  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Science Trivia
  6. »
  7. Physics

Fun Trivia
16 quizzes and 155 trivia questions.
1.
  Quarks and Leptons   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Not counting antimatter, there are twelve quarks and leptons in the Standard Model of particle physics. Here are some questions to test your knowledge of ten of them.
Average, 10 Qns, CellarDoor, May 13 17
Average
CellarDoor gold member
1331 plays
2.
  Subatomic Physics Made Easier   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The Standard Model organizes the subatomic world into a simple, beautiful and easily learned framework. If you already know it, come and score some easy points; otherwise make some shrewd guesses and learn to love it.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jul 28 21
Average
uglybird
Jul 28 21
3615 plays
3.
  Is Gravity Always Getting You Down?   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz title was suggested by LeoDaVinci, and not surprisingly, this quiz is about gravity, including its history.
Average, 10 Qns, redsoxfan325, Oct 11 22
Average
redsoxfan325
Oct 11 22
1388 plays
4.
  Big Bang Experiment   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
On 10 September 2008, a landmark experiment commenced to try and recreate the conditions that happened just after the 'Big Bang'. This quiz has ten questions about this experiment.
Average, 10 Qns, deepakmr, Oct 11 22
Average
deepakmr
Oct 11 22
1984 plays
5.
  Protons and Neutrons   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Protons and neutrons are everywhere, but looking into these tiny particles reveals a complex and dynamic world. Come with me and peek inside.
Average, 10 Qns, CellarDoor, Oct 24 14
Average
CellarDoor gold member
1369 plays
6.
  Quite Small, Those Subatomic Particles   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Because of their incredible small size, subatomic particles can't be measured. Each attempt to measure them would disturb their surroundings. Here are some questions about various subatomic particles.
Average, 10 Qns, JanIQ, Jun 05 14
Average
JanIQ gold member
386 plays
7.
  Structure of an Atom    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz which deals with the basics of atomic structure and particulate physics.
Tough, 10 Qns, shawn888, Sep 12 13
Tough
shawn888
4309 plays
8.
  Positive Particle Physics    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The sub-atomic world is a really strange one. There are weird particles, twisting waves and mind-boggling reactions. Take this quiz about this strange world.
Tough, 10 Qns, namastheg, Jun 28 19
Tough
namastheg
Jun 28 19
3603 plays
9.
  Boson Buddies    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Welcome to this quiz on bosons, small wonders of great importance to the world of quantum physics.
Average, 10 Qns, RedHook13, Nov 13 20
Average
RedHook13 gold member
Nov 13 20
154 plays
10.
  The Wonders of the Electron    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A survey of the discovery and nature of my favorite subatomic particle.
Average, 10 Qns, Butters999, Jun 11 14
Average
Butters999
321 plays
trivia question Quick Question
What do scientists call bosons that represent a specific type of force?

From Quiz "Boson Buddies"




11.
  Inside The Atom    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A hopefully interesting journey inside the atom.
Tough, 10 Qns, Bohr, Apr 06 22
Tough
Bohr
Apr 06 22
4917 plays
12.
  The Theory of Everything    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
In 2015, the Standard Model is regarded as the fundamental basis for particle physics. How much do you know about this theory of (almost) everything?
Average, 10 Qns, eyhung, Apr 06 18
Average
eyhung
Apr 06 18
267 plays
13.
  Atoms!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Sometimes the smallest things in life are the most interesting in life. Enjoy this quiz on atoms.
Average, 10 Qns, happy1234512, Aug 13 17
Average
happy1234512
Aug 13 17
397 plays
14.
  Nuclear Fusion: How It Works    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Nuclear fusion is a common reaction in stars and reactors that releases vast energy and assembles heavy elements from lighter elements.
Difficult, 10 Qns, marcolantern, Nov 06 13
Difficult
marcolantern
1257 plays
15.
  Subatomic Particles II    
Multiple Choice
 5 Qns
Here's the second part to my 'Subatomic Stuff' series. This one may be a little bit harder than the first. Good luck, and have fun!
Average, 5 Qns, Ace417, Mar 17 14
Average
Ace417
3698 plays
16.
  Subatomic Physics 1    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Here's my first quiz on particle physics. Hope you enjoy!
Very Difficult, 10 Qns, chrisjwebb, Mar 17 14
Very Difficult
chrisjwebb
4046 plays

Atomic and Subatomic Physics Trivia Questions

1. A boson is a subatomic particle that was named after a scientist from which country?

From Quiz
Boson Buddies

Answer: India

The boson was named after Satyendra Nath Bose (1894-1974), a mathematician and physicist from India. He was born in the city of Calcutta (aka Kolkata), while India was under British rule. Satyendra Nath Bose formed a working relationship with famous German scientist Albert Einstein. During the mid 1920's, the two scientists came up with theories, equations and statistics that help describe the nature of bosons.

2. Which two types of radiation did Ernest Rutherford discover?

From Quiz Atoms!

Answer: alpha and beta

Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) was a New Zealand chemist and physicist. He named alpha radiation after the name for the letter A in the Greek language, and used the same idea to name beta radiation after the name for the letter B in the Greek language. In 1908 he was awarded with a Nobel Prize in chemistry and is considered the father of nuclear physics.

3. This scientist, credited with definitively discovering the presence of electrons in cathode rays, enrolled in Owens College, Manchester at the tender age of fourteen. Who was he?

From Quiz The Wonders of the Electron

Answer: Joseph John Thomson

Lyell was a British geologist. While de Broglie and Rutherford both made enormous contributions to our understanding of atomic structure and dynamics, it was J.J. Thomson, by analyzing the deflection of cathode rays under the influence of varying magnetic and electrical fields, who first received credit for nailing down the electron as a fundamental constituent of all matter.

4. Protons and neutrons are tiny, but they're building blocks of the everyday world. If you wanted to find these particles, where would be the best place to look for them?

From Quiz Protons and Neutrons

Answer: They're both present in atomic nuclei.

The word "nucleon" is a generic term for a proton or a neutron, the basic components of atomic nuclei. The mass of an atom is nearly all in its nucleus, which is made up of protons and neutrons bound together by the strong force. The number of protons determines which element it is, while the number of neutrons gives the specific isotope of that element; some isotopes are stable, and some are not. In a neutral atom, the positive charge of the nucleus is offset by negatively charged electrons, which orbit the nucleus in comparatively vast clouds. Chemical reactions occur when different atoms interact through their electrons.

5. The first notable person who tried to explain gravity was Aristotle. What reason did he give for objects falling?

From Quiz Is Gravity Always Getting You Down?

Answer: They were being attracted to the center of the universe, their natural place.

Scientific knowledge has progressed so much, hasn't it? Aristotle also believed that lighter elements, such as fire, rose upward because they were attracted by the more ethereal moon.

6. The Large Hadron Collider experiment is linked to the 'Big Bang' theory. What is this theory all about?

From Quiz Big Bang Experiment

Answer: The creation of the Universe

'The Big Bang theory' is a model used by physicists to explain the creation of the Universe. According to this theory, the Universe was created billions of years ago in a big bang. In early times the Universe was thus very hot and dense, and LHC experiments can re-create these conditions on a small scale. The Big Bang theory was proposed by a Catholic priest named Lemaitre.

7. Which statement is true regarding nuclear mass and binding energies in energy-releasing (exergic) fusion reactions?

From Quiz Nuclear Fusion: How It Works

Answer: mass(reactants) > mass(products)

Note: one product is more massive than individual reactants. The total mass of the reaction decreases. Nuclear fusion reactions form nuclei (or a nucleus) that possess less mass and binding energies than the original reactants, in energy-releasing (exergic)reations. Exergic reactions are more common in the sun and fusion reactor than endergic (energy-consuming reactions) reactions. Often, endergic consume thermal energy and yield increased mass (eg. the formation of deuterium from two protons (hydrogen)). The binding energy is the amount of energy holding nuclear particles (protons and neutrons) together in the nucleus. At very small nuclear distances, these particles all attract one another, so larger isotopes (versions of nuclei) and certain densely-packed configurations have lower binding energies and mass. When a fusion reaction produces a lower mass/binding energy, energy is released.

8. According to The Standard Model, all that exists is composed of two varieties of fundamental particles. What are the commonplace, prosaic names given to these two categories of particles?

From Quiz Subatomic Physics Made Easier

Answer: Matter particles and force particles

The Standard Model uses matter and force particles to account for every atom, every subatomic particle and all the forms of force and energy.

9. Baryons consist of three quarks. Which three make up the proton?

From Quiz Subatomic Physics 1

Answer: up, up, down

Protons are composed of two up quarks and a down quark. Neutrons are made from two down quarks and an up quark.

10. Atoms consists of which particles?

From Quiz Inside The Atom

Answer: Protons-Neutrons-Electrons

Atoms are the smallest units of matter that can take part in a chemical reaction, and which cannot be broken down chemically into anything simpler.

11. Each kind of quark also has a 'partner' known as its:

From Quiz Subatomic Particles II

Answer: Antiquark

An anti-particle (or, in this case, an anti-quark) has the same mass as the 'normal' particle but opposite values of some other property or properties. These properties might include charge, spin properties or something else. The existence of anti-quarks is predicted by relativistic quantum mechanics and many of them have been discovered experimentally.

12. Bosons, quarks and leptons are collectively known as what "model" of particle physics?

From Quiz Boson Buddies

Answer: Standard Model

The Standard Model of particle physics is a theory that attempts to link three of the four known physical forces together. These three forces include the electromagnetic force, weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force. The term "Standard Model" was first coined by Abraham Pais and Sam Treiman in 1975.

13. Fermions are divided into quarks and leptons. What makes a fermion a quark instead of a lepton?

From Quiz The Theory of Everything

Answer: A quark must bind with another quark

Quarks must bind with other quarks, so you will never find a quark existing independently on its own. The other answers are all false. Even though "lepton" is derived from Greek for "thin/delicate", the tau lepton is much heavier than a quark. Quarks can have negative or positive charge (in fact, leptons cannot have positive charge). And all quarks and leptons have fractional spin -- only bosons have integer spins. Incidentally, the name "quark" comes from the novel "Finnegan's Wake" by James Joyce. When the Standard Model was first conceived, only three quarks were postulated. The physicist Murray Gell-Mann then decided to name this particle after the birdcall in the book: "Three quarks for Muster Mark".

14. Electrons emit this radiation whenever they move from a higher to a lower energy orbital. What type of radiation is it?

From Quiz The Wonders of the Electron

Answer: Light

Electrons get a boost of energy when they absorb electromagnetic radiation (light energy) which allows them to jump to higher energy levels. The process in reverse causes the electron to release the light energy and return to the lower or ground state. Incidentally, astronomers use measurements of absorption lines across the spectrum of visible light to determine the chemical composition of stars. It's important here to note the intrinsic relationship between the orbits electrons can occupy and the amount of energy they can emit or absorb. Gamma and X-rays are far too powerful for electrons to absorb their energy, given the strict parameters of atomic orbital structure (it would be like trying to boost your car with a nuclear warhead). Beta Decay also involves electrons but more specifically refers to the energy spontaneously given off by unstable elements, like uranium, as they gradually transform into more stable "isotopes", or forms of the same element.

15. Aristotle also believed that heavier objects accelerated faster than lighter objects. Which famous scientist disproved this notion?

From Quiz Is Gravity Always Getting You Down?

Answer: Galileo Galilei

Galileo's ball-rolling experiments led him to the conclusion that gravity accelerates everything at the same rate. This does NOT mean that all objects fall at the same rate though. Velocity is not only affected by acceleration but also by external forces such as air resistance.

16. What type of fusion reaction predominates in the Earth's sun?

From Quiz Nuclear Fusion: How It Works

Answer: proton - proton chain --> helium-4

The proton - proton fusion reaction has a very slow rate of fusion. It occurs in the core of the sun, where the temperature (14 million degrees C) is much colder than fusion can occur in a laboratory setting (200 million degrees C). Gravitational confinement of the fuel and low surface heat loss inside the core (less than one quarter of the heat lost on the surface of the human body) ensure than the reaction meets the Lawson criteria (i.e. a density x energy confinement factor than exceeds a certain number) for fusion. There are other products of fusion reactions such as neutrinos and gamma rays.

17. Atomic mass is expressed in ________________.

From Quiz Structure of an Atom

Answer: atomic mass units (amu)

It is very difficult to measure the exact weight of an atom and hence the weight of an atom is compared to that of a hydrogen anion. Hence, the weight of a neutron is 1 amu and that of an electron is 0.000544 amu. A proton weighs 0.9998 amu. Source: "Chemistry made easier" by Smith.

18. Protons and neutrons contain these-

From Quiz Positive Particle Physics

Answer: quarks

Leptons include electrons, muons, tauons and neutrinos. Gauge is a theory in Particle Physics. Cake, I would definitely like to eat!

19. One way to study cosmic rays is to use a cloud chamber. Who originally devised this piece of apparatus in 1911?

From Quiz Subatomic Physics 1

Answer: C. T. R. Wilson

When an electrically charged particle passes through supersaturated vapour, it ionises the vapour's atoms. Droplets of water settle on these ions and trace out the particle's trajectory. This is the principle of the cloud chamber.

20. The Large Hadron Collider has been used to study bosons and other subatomic particles. It is located underground between Switzerland and which other nation?

From Quiz Boson Buddies

Answer: France

The Large Hadron Collider became the largest machine in the world when it was completed in 2008. It was constructed by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (aka CERN). The Large Hadron Collider has a diameter of 27 km (17 miles) and is located underground on the France-Switzerland border approximately 8 km (5 miles) from the city of Geneva, Switzerland.

21. Often seen with the up quark, its partner in the "first generation of matter", the down quark is slightly heavier and just as fun. In terms of e (the charge of a proton), what is the electric charge of a down quark?

From Quiz Quarks and Leptons

Answer: -1/3 e

Despite what students are often taught in their courses on electricity and magnetism, there ARE fractional charges -- charges with magnitude less than an electron or proton charge! These fractional charges are carried only by quarks, elementary spin-1/2 particles that experience all four fundamental forces of nature (the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, electromagnetism, and gravity). Down quarks have charge -1/3 e, while up quarks have charge +2/3 e. But you can't find quarks by themselves, due to the mysteries of the strong nuclear force. Instead, you always find them in composite particles, which have integer charge. A proton, for example, has two ups and a down, and the total electric charge is (+2/3 e + 2/3 e - 1/3 e) = e. A neutron, with two downs and an up, has a total electric charge of 0.

22. How many electrons do halogens have in their outer shell?

From Quiz Atoms!

Answer: 7

Because of this feature, halogens are highly reactive, because they only need one electron to fill their shell. They mostly react with alkali metals such as sodium and lithium because alkali metals have one electron in their outer shell. For example, the halogen chlorine bonds with the alkali metal sodium to form salt. Sodium gives its electron to chlorine which now has a full shell. They are both ions now, sodium is positive because it lost an electron and chlorine is negative because it gained an electron. They now have opposite charges and are attracted to each other. This makes them bond and form the compound salt.

23. This particle is indistinguishable from the electron in every way, except that it has the opposite charge. What particle is it?

From Quiz The Wonders of the Electron

Answer: Positron

A photon is a particle of light and the force carrier for the electromagnetic force. Bosons are a class of subatomic particles which act as force carriers, of which the photon is one. Electrolytes are simply ions in solution which help regulate important physiological functions (e.g. blood pressure).

24. Which scientist is famous for coming up with the law of universal gravitation, namely that two point masses attract each other proportionally to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them?

From Quiz Is Gravity Always Getting You Down?

Answer: Sir Isaac Newton

The equation is as follows: Force ~ M_1*M_2/r^2. This is one of Newton's most famous laws, along with his legendary three laws of motion. This law had a few problems when the gravitational force was very large (large meaning it could be divided by the speed of light squared and still hold some significance), but these problems were fixed by Einstein's general theory of relativity.

25. A popular term used in the Big Bang experiment is LHC. What does this stand for?

From Quiz Big Bang Experiment

Answer: Large Hadron Collider

LHC stands for the Large Hadron Collider. This is a particle accelerator built by CERN for the Big Bang experiment. The collider is meant to be used to make hadrons or protons collide with each other. This collision is meant to recreate the conditions that happened after the original Big Bang. This is to enable scientists to understand more about the creation of the world.

26. What elements are produced in large, very hot stars by fusion reactions directly consuming helium-4 fuel?

From Quiz Nuclear Fusion: How It Works

Answer: carbon-12, oxygen-16

Beryllium-8 is produced from the fusion of two helium-4 ions. Beryllium-8 has a very short half-life and decays rapidly. In very hot stars (>100 million degrees C and more than 10X the mass of Earth's sun), helium-4 combines with beryllium-8 to form carbon-12. Helium-4 combines with carbon-12 to form oxygen-16. Protons combine with some of these isotopes to produce new isotopes (nitrogen-14, etc.) in the CNO cycle.

27. There are six quarks, and they have been named up, down, top, bottom, charm and strange. What do we call the particles that quarks combine to form? (Hint: they HAD to call them something.)

From Quiz Subatomic Physics Made Easier

Answer: Hadrons

The strange and quirky names given to subatomic particles can intimidate and confuse the learner and obscure the simplicity of The Standard Model. Two of the quarks were initially named "truth" and "beauty". More sober minded physicists apparently prevailed, and truth and beauty became the top and bottom quark.

28. The heaviest lepton is the ____ particle.

From Quiz Positive Particle Physics

Answer: tau

It is 3700 times heavier than the electron, which means it is heavier than a hydrogen atom! However, it has an extremely short lifetime.

29. There are six types or 'flavours' of quarks. The first five quarks are called: Up, Down, Top, Bottom and Strange. What is the name of the last quark?

From Quiz Inside The Atom

Answer: Charm

Each of the six quarks also has three varieties or 'colours': red, green and blue(visual colour is not meant, but the analogy is useful in many ways).

30. Mesons and baryons are two types of:

From Quiz Subatomic Particles II

Answer: Hadrons

There are two kinds of hadrons-- (1) baryons and (2) mesons. A baryon is a three-quark combination. A proton is a baryon consisting of two up quarks and one down, while a neutron is a baryon made up of two downs and one up. A meson is made up of a quark and an antiquark.

This is category 17329
Last Updated Mar 23 2024 5:48 AM
play trivia = Top 5% Rated Quiz, take trivia quiz Top 10% Rated Quiz, test trivia quiz Top 20% Rated Quiz, popular trivia A Well Rated Quiz
new quizzes = added recently, editor pick = Editor's Pick editor = FunTrivia Editor gold = Gold Member

Teachers / educators: FunTrivia welcomes the use of our website and quizzes in the classroom as a teaching aid or for preparing and testing students. See our education section. Our quizzes are printable and may be used as question sheets by k-12 teachers, parents, and home schoolers.

 ·  All questions, answers, and quiz content on this website is copyright FunTrivia, Inc and may not be reproduced without permission. Any images from TV shows and movies are copyright their studios, and are being used under "fair use" for commentary and education.