Random Trivia Questions

What is the hardest natural substance on Earth?

• Quartz
• Diamond
• Graphite
• Topaz

Answer: Diamond. Diamond scores 10, the top of the Mohs hardness scale. Oddly, graphite (pencil 'lead') is made of the same element, carbon, but is one of the softest minerals.

Which country gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States?

• France
• United Kingdom
• Spain
• Italy

Answer: France. France gifted the statue, dedicated in 1886. Its iron framework was designed by Gustave Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame.

Which is the largest planet in our solar system?

• Saturn
• Neptune
• Jupiter
• Uranus

Answer: Jupiter. Jupiter is so big that more than 1,300 Earths could fit inside it. Its Great Red Spot is a storm wider than Earth.

In which year did the RMS Titanic sink on its first voyage?

• 1905
• 1912
• 1918
• 1923

Answer: 1912. The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912, on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.

Who painted the Mona Lisa?

• Michelangelo
• Raphael
• Vincent van Gogh
• Leonardo da Vinci

Answer: Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa in the early 1500s. It hangs in the Louvre museum in Paris.

What is the chemical symbol for gold?

• Au
• Ag
• Gd
• Go

Answer: Au. Au comes from 'aurum', the Latin word for gold. Ag is silver (from 'argentum') and Gd is gadolinium.

Which language has the most native speakers in the world?

• English
• Spanish
• Mandarin Chinese
• Hindi

Answer: Mandarin Chinese. Mandarin Chinese has the most native speakers. English has more total speakers once second-language learners are counted.

In golf, what is a score of one under par on a hole called?

• Eagle
• Birdie
• Bogey
• Albatross

Answer: Birdie. One under par is a birdie, two under is an eagle and three under is an albatross. A bogey is one over par.

Which is the longest river in Africa?

• Congo
• Niger
• Zambezi
• Nile

Answer: Nile. The Nile flows about 6,650 km north into the Mediterranean Sea. The Congo is Africa's deepest river and carries the most water.

Which organ in the human body produces insulin?

• Liver
• Pancreas
• Kidney
• Spleen

Answer: Pancreas. Clusters of cells in the pancreas, called the islets of Langerhans, make insulin, which helps the body control blood sugar.

Which is the smallest country in the world by area?

• Vatican City
• Monaco
• San Marino
• Liechtenstein

Answer: Vatican City. Vatican City covers less than half a square kilometre inside Rome. Monaco is the second smallest.

How many strings does a standard violin have?

• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7

Answer: 4. A violin has four strings tuned G, D, A and E. A standard guitar has six.

Which city hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896?

• Paris
• London
• Athens
• Rome

Answer: Athens. Athens hosted the 1896 Games to honour the ancient Olympics of Greece. Paris hosted the next Summer Games, in 1900.

Fill in the blank: light travels at about ___ km per second.

• 3,000
• 30,000
• 300,000
• 3,000,000

Answer: 300,000. Light moves at about 300,000 km per second in a vacuum, fast enough to circle Earth about seven times in one second.

Which of these was NOT one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?

• Great Pyramid of Giza
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Colossus of Rhodes
• Great Wall of China

Answer: Great Wall of China. The Great Wall is on the list of New Seven Wonders, chosen in 2007, but not the ancient list. The Great Pyramid is the only ancient wonder still standing.