Periodic table quiz: element symbols and names
Ten questions on the elements every chemistry student meets first: symbols that come from Latin (gold, silver, sodium, potassium, iron), the first elements by atomic number, the noble gases and two facts about the air and mercury. It works as a ten-minute timed test or a live game on phones.
The quiz beside this text is live. Fill it in and submit it — it validates exactly as it would for a real respondent, and saves nothing.
One quiz, two ways to run it
As an exam it is a ten-minute test with a pass mark; switched to a quiz game and hosted live, the same questions score by speed. The questions carry over — only the exam settings are set aside.
Typed symbols, matched sensibly
Typed answers ignore capitals, so “ag” and “Ag” both count for silver — the symbol is what is being tested, not the shift key.
No card required.
Periodic Table Quiz
Live previewHow to use this template
4 steps in the editor. Nothing here needs a paid plan.
- Press “Use this template” and edit or add elements.
- It opens in the exam editor with the time limit, shuffling, pass mark and grades already set. Change any of them under “Exam settings” before you share the link.
- Share the link for a timed test. To play it in class instead, choose “Use as a quiz game” and press Host live — a countdown on every question and a leaderboard between rounds.
- The results page shows which symbols the class mixes up most often.
Questions in this quiz
11 questions, using 3 of the 24 question types available.
| Question | Question type | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Your name | Short text | Yes |
| What is the chemical symbol for gold? | Radio buttons | Yes |
| Which element has the symbol Fe? | Short text | Yes |
| Which element has atomic number 1? | Short text | Yes |
| Which element has the symbol Na? | Radio buttons | Yes |
| Which of these are noble gases? Tick all that apply. | Checkboxes | Yes |
| Which element has the symbol K? | Radio buttons | Yes |
| True or false: mercury is a liquid at room temperature. | Radio buttons | Yes |
| Which gas makes up most of Earth’s atmosphere? | Radio buttons | Yes |
| What is the chemical symbol for silver? | Short text | Yes |
| Which element has atomic number 6? | Radio buttons | Yes |
All ten questions and answers
1. What is the chemical symbol for gold? — Au.
2. Which element has the symbol Fe? — Iron.
3. Which element has atomic number 1? — Hydrogen.
4. Which element has the symbol Na? — Sodium.
5. Which of these are noble gases? — Helium, neon and argon.
6. Which element has the symbol K? — Potassium.
7. True or false: mercury is a liquid at room temperature. — True.
8. Which gas makes up most of Earth’s atmosphere? — Nitrogen.
9. What is the chemical symbol for silver? — Ag.
10. Which element has atomic number 6? — Carbon.
What goes wrong with this quiz
Specific to this template, not general advice about quizzes.
Look-alike options
Good wrong answers for symbols are other real symbols (Ag for gold, Gd for gold, Ne for sodium). Made-up letters are too easy to rule out.
Spelling typed element names
A typed element name must match a spelling you listed. If you add an element with two accepted spellings — aluminium and aluminum, sulphur and sulfur — list both, or ask for it as multiple choice.
Questions about this quiz
Can I give it to my class through Google Classroom?
Use the Share menu to post the link to Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams, or send it by email. Students open it in any browser without an account. Grades are not synced back automatically — export the gradebook CSV.
Why do some symbols not match the English name?
Several come from Latin names: gold is Au (aurum), silver Ag (argentum), iron Fe (ferrum), sodium Na (natrium) and potassium K (kalium). Those are exactly the ones students miss, so this quiz leans on them.
How many players can join live?
As many as your plan’s live-game limit; players join on their phones with a PIN and need no account.
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