30 science quiz questions that don't require a PhD

Science rounds have a reputation for being either too easy (everyone knows what H2O is) or impossibly hard (nobody remembers the Krebs cycle). The sweet spot is questions that make people think about stuff they vaguely remember learning, without needing specialist knowledge.

Here are 25 science questions that work at quiz nights. They cover biology, chemistry, physics, and space, all at a level where anyone with decent general knowledge can contribute.

Space and Astronomy

Space questions are reliably popular. People watch documentaries, read headlines about Mars rovers, and generally find the universe fascinating.

Q1: What is the largest planet in our solar system?

Ans: Jupiter

Q2: How long does it take for light from the Sun to reach Earth?

Ans: About 8 minutes

Q3: What planet is famous for its rings?

Ans: Saturn (though several planets have rings)

Q4: What is the name of the first human to travel into space?

Ans: Yuri Gagarin

Q5: How many planets are in our solar system?

Ans: Eight (since Pluto was reclassified in 2006)

Q6: What is a light-year a measurement of?

Ans: Distance (not time)

Q7: What galaxy contains our solar system?

Ans: The Milky Way

Q8: What phenomenon causes the Northern Lights?

Ans: Solar particles interacting with Earth's atmosphere

Biology and the Human Body

Questions about how living things work. Bodies are fascinating and slightly gross, which makes them good quiz material.

Q9: What is the largest organ in the human body?

Ans: The skin

Q10: How many bones does an adult human have?

Ans: 206

Q11: What is the fastest land animal?

Ans: Cheetah

Q12: What do red blood cells carry around the body?

Ans: Oxygen

Q13: How many chambers does the human heart have?

Ans: Four

Q14: What is the powerhouse of the cell?

Ans: Mitochondria (the meme answer that everyone somehow remembers)

Q15: What is the largest animal ever to have lived?

Ans: Blue whale

Chemistry and Physics

Focus on elements, simple compounds, and real-world applications.

Q16: What is the chemical symbol for gold?

Ans: Au (from the Latin "aurum")

Q17: What is the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere?

Ans: Nitrogen (about 78%)

Q18: What does pH measure?

Ans: How acidic or alkaline something is

Q19: What is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature?

Ans: Mercury

Q20: What does the Richter scale measure?

Ans: Earthquake magnitude

Q21: At what temperature does water freeze in Celsius?

Ans: 0 degrees

Q22: What force keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?

Ans: Gravity

Q23: What is measured in hertz?

Ans: Frequency

Q24: What scientist developed the theory of general relativity?

Ans: Albert Einstein

Q25: At what temperature are Celsius and Fahrenheit equal?

Ans: -40 degrees

Using Science Questions Well

A few tips from running science rounds:

Don't cluster them together. Mixing science questions throughout a general knowledge round works better than a dedicated science round. It stops teams from mentally checking out if they think they're "not science people."

Accept reasonable variations. If someone writes "carbon monoxide" instead of "CO," give them the point. You're testing knowledge, not chemical notation.

Add context when revealing answers. "The answer is mitochondria, which you might remember from school biology" makes teams feel better about not knowing than just "mitochondria, next question."

Avoid calculation questions. "What is the square root of 144?" isn't really a science question, and it slows things down while people do maths.