Chemistry Study Guide

Science 1,185 clues | 142 recurring answers

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38 Must-Know

20 Should-Know

84 Worth Knowing

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mercury 29 carbon 28 lead 27 gold 22 silver 21 Helium 20 iron 19 hydrogen 17 aluminum 17 oxygen 17 sodium 16 copper 15 calcium 14 plutonium 13 platinum 13 titanium 12 sulfur 12 nitrogen 12 lithium 12 iodine 12 tin 11 silicon 11 cobalt 11 nickel 10 chlorine 10 arsenic 10 uranium 10 potassium 10 zirconium 9 zinc 9 thorium 9 radon 9 phosphorus 9 krypton 9 the electrons 9 tungsten 8 radium 8 neon 8

Answers by Category

Chemistry / Elements

112 answers | 618 clues

Must-Know (28)

carbon 28x 10.7% stumper $664 avg J:9 DJ:19

J $100 1991 Sir Humphry Davy discovered boron & showed diamonds are a form of this

J $500 1993 Its atomic number, 6, is half its atomic weight, 12

DJ $900 DD 2017 "C" if you can guess this element that follows boron on the periodic table

lead 27x 11.1% stumper $567 avg J:9 DJ:18

J $100 1994 The first commercial use of titanium was as a substitute for this poisonous metal in paint

DJ $600 DD 2003 Painter's colic is a group of symptoms caused by an excess of this element in the body

DJ $1,000 1992 After about 713 million years, half a quantity of uranium-235 turns into this element

gold 22x 4.5% stumper $605 avg J:8 DJ:14

J $100 2000 When the King sang "Wear my ring around your neck", he may have meant one made of this metal, symbolized Au

DJ $600 1993 Placer & lode are the 2 basic methods of mining this precious metal

DJ $2,000 2006 "Plate" plus the symbol of this element gives you a synonym for "mesa"

iron 19x $563 avg J:10 DJ:9

J $200 1993 The oldest form of iron known, it's popularly used to make gates, fences & railings

J $800 2002 1 of only 3 naturally occurring strongly magnetic elements

J $1,000 2005 1 of the 3 naturally occurring magnetic elements

hydrogen 17x 5.9% stumper $665 avg J:4 DJ:13

J $200 2010 It's thought that in the early universe, this element made up 75% of all mass

J $600 2003 An alkyl is a hydrocarbon that has lost one of these atoms that has just 1 proton in its nucleus

DJ $1,000 1992 The chief industrial use of nitrogen & this element is the manufacture of ammonia

aluminum 17x 5.9% stumper $624 avg J:11 DJ:6

J $100 1996 In Italian this metal is called alluminio

J $500 1995 Copper, magnesium, manganese & this element form an alloy called duralumin

J $1,000 2008 This ductile, nonradioactive element has an atomic weight of 26.98

oxygen 17x 5.9% stumper $500 avg J:6 DJ:11

DJ $400 2006 Add the symbol of this element to "comb" & you get a small jazz band

J $600 2019 This element is usually found as a diatomic molecule making up about 21% of Earth's atmosphere

DJ $1,200 2016 In 1773 Carl Scheele discovered this element first, but Joseph Priestley beat him into print & inhaled the credit

sodium 16x 6.2% stumper $1,031 avg J:2 DJ:14

DJ $200 1997 As indicated by its chemical name, the 2 main elements in table salt are chlorine & this

DJ $600 1987 The element in common table salt that is technically a metal

DJ $1,200 2017 Canned chickpeas can say Na Na, Na Na, Na to canned peas as the latter have less of this element

copper 15x 6.7% stumper $733 avg J:8 DJ:7

J $100 1995 This reddish metal is second only to silver as a conductor of electricity

J $500 1996 In moist air this metal, symbol Cu, gradually becomes covered with a green patina

DJ $1,000 DD 1992 All regular U.S. coins minted today contain some of this element

calcium 14x 14.3% stumper $864 avg J:5 DJ:9

J $200 2002 Nearly all of this element in the body is found in the bones & teeth

J $500 1985 Silver-white metal found in chalk, gypsum, & Wonder Bread

DJ $2,000 DD 2013 The name of this alkaline-earth metal comes partly from the Latin for "lime" (as in limestone)

platinum 13x 23.1% stumper $677 avg J:4 DJ:9

J $200 1994 Iridium's chief use is to harden this metal, symbol Pt

J $600 2019 It weighs 21 times as much as an equal volume of water; a CD that sells 2 million units becomes double this

DJ $1,000 1993 Rhodium, iridium & palladium are members of this precious metal's "group"

titanium 12x 33.3% stumper $1,525 avg J:1 DJ:11

DJ $400 1999 It was named after the elder gods of Greece

J $500 1996 In 1795 Martin Klaproth named this metal, now used in the aerospace industry, for its strength

DJ $1,200 2011 Atomic No. 22, this metal was named for some mythological bigwigs

nitrogen 12x 25.0% stumper $983 avg J:1 DJ:11

DJ $200 1985 This gas makes up 78% of our air

DJ $600 2000 This element makes up about 78% of normal dry air by volume

DJ $1,200 2009 Ammonia:____H3

lithium 12x 25.0% stumper $1,067 avg J:1 DJ:11

DJ $400 2022 A mood stabilizer, it comes in at a helpful No. 3 (but it didn't crack the Top 40 for Nirvana)

J $500 1995 This lightest metal tarnishes rapidly when exposed to air

DJ $1,000 1991 A compound of this lightest metal has been found effective in treating manic depressives

iodine 12x 33.3% stumper $725 avg J:2 DJ:10

DJ $200 1993 In Japan seaweed is a major source of this element identified by the symbol I

J $600 2013 In solution, this element that can be extracted from seaweed is used as an antiseptic on cuts & scratches

DJ $1,200 2024 In the human body this violet-colored halogen is found in thyroxine, a compound produced by the thyroid

tin 11x 18.2% stumper $791 avg J:5 DJ:6

J $200 1991 The name of this element can precede horn, can & Lizzie

DJ $600 1997 The pewter used to make bowls & tea services is at least 90% this metal

DJ $1,000 1991 Sometimes used for fine tableware, pewter consists mainly of this metal

silicon 11x $1,673 avg J:4 DJ:7

J $200 1986 Member of carbon family so vital to electronics a high-tech "valley" bears its name

J $600 2004 In the electronics industry, this element symbolized Si, is made into N- & P-types of semiconductors

J $1,000 DD 2015 The 2 most abundant elements in Earth's crust are oxygen & this one used in making electronic circuits

cobalt 11x $909 avg J:6 DJ:5

J $200 1996 Symbolized Co, it's used in paints & varnishes & is essential for a good diet

DJ $800 1996 Making up the iron family on the periodic table are iron, nickel & this blue-tinged metal

J $1,000 2009 A U.S. nuclear weapon using this element, Co, has been termed a doomsday device, as it would wipe out life on Earth

nickel 10x 20.0% stumper $780 avg J:3 DJ:7

J $200 2007 Atomic number 28; if you don't know 1 lb. of pure this can be drawn into a wire 80 mi. long, you're not worth a plugged one

DJ $1,000 1993 This metal is joined with cadmium to make rechargeable batteries

J $200 1995 Most meteorites contain this element symbolized Ni

chlorine 10x 10.0% stumper $590 avg J:3 DJ:7

J $200 2012 Atomic number 17, it's poisonous, smells bad & causes irritation to the nose, lungs & throat; put some in my pool, please!

DJ $800 2008 Although it's a poisonous gas, this element is used to purify drinking water & swimming pools

DJ $1,200 2011 This element, atomic no. 17, is used as a bleach

potassium 10x $700 avg J:2 DJ:8

DJ $200 1990 Not only is this element found in potash, it's named for it

DJ $800 2020 An essential nutrient, this element, symbol K, is in bananas, lima beans & avocados

DJ $1,600 2005 Kalium

zirconium 9x 22.2% stumper $978 avg J:3 DJ:6

DJ $200 1992 This element was discovered in 1789 in the mineral zircon

J $600 2015 After zinc

DJ $1,000 DD 2009 Clap your hands for Martin Klaproth, who discovered uranium & this alphabetically last element

thorium 9x $1,356 avg J:1 DJ:8

J $400 2013 This element's name, from the Norse god of thunder, was first erroneously applied to yttrium phosphate

DJ $1,000 1991 Used in some camping lanterns, it was named after the Norse god of thunder

DJ $400 2000 In 1828 a Norse god thundered onto the periodic table in the name of this element, No. 90

radon 9x $1,050 avg J:1 DJ:7 FJ:1

DJ $400 1996 In 1993 the EPA advised that people buying a house should check for this gas, symbol Rn

DJ $800 2010 Rn:Ms. Chong might be able to help you with this one

DJ $1,000 2000 Radium comes from radius, the Latin for "ray"; this element's name comes from radium

phosphorus 9x 57.1% stumper $943 avg J:4 DJ:3 FJ:2

J $400 1995 Found in a compound used in soft drinks, this element, P, ignites in air

DJ $600 1999 The red form of this element that glows in the dark is used in the production of matches

J $1,000 2011 This element that's "ph" balanced (it has 2 of them) ends with the name of an Egyptian falcon god

the electrons 9x 11.1% stumper $778 avg J:3 DJ:6

DJ $400 2002 In 1916 G. N. Lewis proposed that atoms in a molecule bond by sharing a pair of these particles

J $600 2022 Transition metals like nickel or iron have "valence" these, which like to bond

DJ $1,200 2005 The configuration of these in an atom is usually given for the ground state, not the excited state

tungsten 8x 12.5% stumper $1,000 avg J:4 DJ:4

J $400 1996 California & Colorado are the leading U.S. producers of this metal also called wolfram

J $500 1994 The metal known as Wolfram in Germany & other European countries is called this in the United States

J $1,000 2019 (Jimmy of the Clue Crew shows a lightbulb on the monitor.) Because it has the highest melting point of all metals, this element was long used as a filament in incandescent lightbulbs

radium 8x 28.6% stumper $471 avg J:4 DJ:3 FJ:1

DJ $200 1999 You can isolate about 1 gram of this element, Ra, out of several tons of pitchblende

J $500 1986 Radon is the gaseous emanation from this element

J $1,000 2013 Its 35 known isotopes are all radioactive

Should-Know (19)

water 7x 14.3% stumper $615 avg J:2 DJ:5

DJ $200 1996 By definition, an anhydrous compound doesn't have this in it

DJ $1,200 2011 A chemical known as an anhydride is one that removes this from substances

J $300 1986 Since oxygen is the most abundant element on Earth, this is the most abundant compound

rust 7x 14.3% stumper $543 avg J:1 DJ:6

DJ $400 1988 Found in rhubarb, oxalic acid removes calcium from the body & this common oxide from iron

J $600 2002 Wet steel wool in a jar helps demonstrate the formation of this; so does an old car

DJ $1,200 2024 Fe2O3is the chemical formula for this 4-letter concern

polonium 6x 20.0% stumper $980 avg DJ:5 FJ:1

DJ $800 DD 1996 Marie Curie named this rare element for the country where she was born

DJ $1,000 1997 Named for Marie Curie's native country, it was the 1st element discovered by means of its radioactivity

FJ 2009 Once called radium F, this element was named for the homeland of one of its discoverers

fermium 6x 33.3% stumper $2,600 avg DJ:6

DJ $1,000 1996 Einsteinium & this element, symbol Fm, were first produced in a 1952 thermonuclear explosion

DJ $1,000 1991 Just breaking into the top 100 is this element named after an Italian physicist

DJ $1,600 2015 No. 100 on the periodic table is this artificially created element, named for an Italian-born physicist

the noble gases 6x $833 avg J:1 DJ:5

DJ $400 2006 The 6 "inert" elements occur naturally primarily in this state of matter

DJ $800 2019 Currently, the only elements that oxygen cannot create an oxide with are the lightest 4 gases in this group

DJ $1,200 2025 In the right column of the periodic table, nonmetals in the group known by this name are the least reactive of all the elements

xenon 5x 25.0% stumper $875 avg J:3 DJ:1 FJ:1

J $400 2008 The Kennedy Space Center uses this gas, atomic No. 54 & no warrior princess, in high-intensity lights for night landings

J $500 1994 On the periodic table, Xe marks the spot for this element

J $1,000 2007 (Cheryl of the Clue Crew reports from Princeton University.) The hull thruster, a plasma-based propulsion system for space, burns this element that glows in some luxury cars' headlights

magnesium 5x $860 avg J:1 DJ:4

DJ $200 1991 In the United States, seawater extraction is the source of much of this light metal, symbol Mg

J $500 1996 This metal 2/3 the weight of aluminum burns with a brilliant white light & is used in flares

DJ $2,000 2011 (Alex walks along the shore of the Dead Sea in Israel with mud all over his face.) For hundreds of years people have believed in the rejuvenating qualities of the Dead Sea's black mud; among its many components this element, symbol Mg, said to remove...

fluorine 5x 60.0% stumper $600 avg J:1 DJ:4

DJ $400 2011 It's from the Latin for "to flow"

J $600 2007 Atomic number 9, it's a trace element in the body, notably in the teeth

DJ $400 1985 In 1945, Grand Rapids, MI & Newburgh, NY became 1st U.S. cities to add it to their water

chromium 5x $1,220 avg J:1 DJ:4

J $100 1993 Chrome is the shorter name of this metal, or any of various alloys containing it

DJ $1,000 1996 This element that hardens steel has been used to plate auto bumpers & trim

DJ $1,000 1992 The most widely used stainless steel, "18-8", contains 8% nickel & 18% this plating metal

boron 5x 20.0% stumper $440 avg J:2 DJ:3

J $200 2013 2 substances, borax & carbon, give us the name of this element used in nuclear control rods

J $600 2003 Though not identified until 1808, it still managed to get a low single-letter abbreviation, B

DJ $1,000 DD 2024 Alphabetically, it's the first element with a single letter as its symbol

ammonia 5x 60.0% stumper $1,000 avg DJ:5

DJ $400 2014 The name of this gas comes from Amun, a temple in Libya near where its salts were obtained

DJ $1,000 1990 Fritz Haber is famous for inventing a process to make this smelly gas, NH3, synthetically

DJ $400 1996 The name of this gas, NH3, goes back to ancient Egypt, where it was part of the salt of Ammon

steel 5x $380 avg J:1 DJ:4

J $100 1994 The "stainless" type of this alloy contains at least 12% chromium

DJ $800 2008 (Cheryl of the Clue Crew uses a magnet on a beverage can and a food can.) In separating recyclables, a magnet is used because it will not attractaluminum, but will attract this metal, the main constituent of what we call tin cans

DJ $200 1997 The addition of chromium to this alloy makes it extra strong & "stainless"

argon 5x $933 avg J:2 DJ:1 FJ:2

J $600 2025 Of the 3 main gases that compose most of the Earth's atmosphere, this noble one makes up about 1%

J $1,000 2022 The Constitution is preserved in a case containing this noble gas, atomic No. 18; its inertness helps stop organic decay

FJ 1996 The first inert gas discovered on Earth, its name is Greek for "without work"

Robert Bunsen 5x $880 avg J:1 DJ:4

J $200 2003 This man whose name is on a laboratory burner invented a carbon-zinc electric cell

DJ $1,600 2013 Cesium was discovered in 1860 by Gustav Kirchhoff & this "burner" guy while analyzing mineral water

DJ $2,000 2006 This chemist must have put other projects on the back "burner" when he discovered cesium in 1860

sulphur 4x $800 avg J:2 DJ:2

J $200 1997 Brimstone is another name for this light yellow nonmetallic element

J $1,000 2014 Milton:"With ever-burning ____ unconsum'd, such place eternal justice has prepar'd"

DJ $400 1993 In ancient times, this yellow element was burned to fumigate homes

salt 4x $650 avg DJ:4

DJ $400 1984 Common kitchen substance known chemically as sodium chloride

DJ $600 1998 Brine is defined as water containing this in concentrated form

DJ $800 2006 Bittern, a source of bromides & iodides, is the solution left after this has been crystallized from seawater

distillation 4x $1,750 avg DJ:4

DJ $800 2002 Boiling a liquid, condensing the vapor, boilng that liquid, etc. is called the "fractional" type of this process

DJ $1,000 1991 Used for purification, this is the process of boiling a liquid & condensing the vapor

DJ $1,600 2023 "D" is for this chemical process seenherein which a liquid is turned to a vapor then condensed back into a liquid

acids 4x $1,300 avg J:1 DJ:3

DJ $200 2000 Aspartic & glutamic are 2 of these acids, the building blocks of proteins

J $800 2002 Use the dye from boiled red cabbage to tell alkalis apart from these, like lemon juice

DJ $4,000 DD 2002 In 1923 Bronsted & Lowry figured out that these substances donate protons to bases

the periodic table 4x $350 avg J:1 DJ:3

DJ $200 1985 These are often arranged according to atomic number

DJ $600 1984 Chart of elements arranged by atomic number

J $400 1988 On this famous chart, the vertical columns are groups & the horizontal rows, periods

Worth Knowing (65)

yellow 3 vanadium 3 Teflon 3 nobelium 3 manganese 3 Lavoisier 3 isotopes 3 halogens 3 gas 3 7 3 Mendeleev 3 Marie Curie 3 heat 3 a molecule 3 the Argonauts 2 sublimation 2 strontium 2 rhodium 2 reduction 2 rare earth 2 Podium 2 photosynthesis 2 pH 2 O 2 nicotine 2 molybdenum 2 Magnets 2 lye 2 litmus paper 2 liquid 2 light 2 Inorganic chemistry 2 inert 2 hydrogen peroxide 2 hydrocarbons 2 H 2 O 2 green 2 germanium 2 Francium 2 europium 2 equilibrium 2 einsteinium 2 cocaine 2 carbon dioxide 2 brass 2 bohrium 2 bismuth 2 Berkeley 2 barium 2 an isotope 2 an electron 2 an acid 2 America 2 a mole 2 a membrane 2 a catalyst 2 a base 2 2 2 the Curies 2 the atomic weight 2 standard temperature & pressure 2 protons 2 lead & gold 2 Golden, Colorado 2 Double bond 2

Astronomy / Space

17 answers | 164 clues

Must-Know (10)

mercury 29x 7.1% stumper $650 avg J:15 DJ:13 FJ:1

J $100 1993 This liquid metal is used to make a red paint pigment called vermilion

J $600 2011 This liquid metal is 13.6 times heavier than an equal volume of water

J $1,000 DD 2004 Its symbol Hg comes from the Latin hydrargyrum, "watery silver"

silver 21x 28.6% stumper $610 avg J:7 DJ:14

J $200 2014 Countee Cullen:"Some are teethed on a ____ spoon, with the stars strung for a rattle"

DJ $600 1998 Copper is the best low-cost conductor of electricity but this metal is the best conductor overall

DJ $1,200 2006 (Kelly of the Clue Crew reports with some textiles from NC State University in Raleigh, NC.) North Carolina State University is developing shirts lined with transmitters made of this element, symbol Ag, that may one day monitor your vital signs

Helium 20x $563 avg J:4 DJ:15 FJ:1

J $200 2013 Because it is less dense than air, when we breathe this 2nd-lightest element, it comes out faster & at a higher frequency

DJ $800 2006 Add the symbol of this element to the letters "B-R-I-D-E-S" & you get a Scottish island group

DJ $1,000 1984 U.S. & Canada produce almost entire world supply of this lightest inert gas

plutonium 13x 38.5% stumper $954 avg J:5 DJ:8

J $200 2015 After platinum

J $500 1994 After neptunium, this radioactive metal was the next transuranium element discovered

J $1,000 2012 Glenn Seaborg & colleagues discovered this nuclear weapon ingredient on Feb. 23, 1941

sulfur 12x 16.7% stumper $825 avg J:5 DJ:7

J $400 2011 This element, No. 16 on the periodic table, has a pelt at the end of its name

J $500 1991 It's used in gunpowder & to vulcanize rubber

J $1,000 2002 By putting silver & aluminum together in a solution, you can remove tarnish, caused by this element with the symbol S

arsenic 10x 10.0% stumper $1,160 avg J:4 DJ:6

J $100 1997 In the title of an old comedy, it's paired with "Old Lace"

J $500 1994 This metal found in rat poisons can be detected in hair or fingernails

DJ $1,200 2004 In 1991 Zachary Taylor's body was exhumed to determine if he'd been poisoned by this element

uranium 10x 10.0% stumper $580 avg J:4 DJ:6

DJ $400 2000 2 of the 3 elements named for planets

DJ $600 1992 In 1896 future Nobel winner Antoine Henri Becquerel discovered this element was radioactive

J $1,000 2013 Discovered in Colorado in the 1950s, coffinite is an ore that is more than 60% this radioactive metal

zinc 9x 55.6% stumper $1,044 avg J:3 DJ:6

J $500 2000 This metal is used to galvanize steel to prevent rusting

J $1,000 2002 This element used to galvanize steel is also used in lozenges to treat a cold--go figure!

J $500 1994 In brass, less copper & more of this metal will make it appear gold

krypton 9x 12.5% stumper $600 avg J:3 DJ:5 FJ:1

DJ $200 1992 Though this is the only element that starts with the letter K, potassium uses K as its symbol

J $600 2022 Daniel Wallace's "Supergirl" is subtitled "Daughter of" this planet

DJ $1,200 DD 1994 The name of this noble gas is from a Greek word for "hidden"

neon 8x 25.0% stumper $988 avg J:2 DJ:6

J $200 1994 Mercury added to this gaseous element will make it glow blue instead of orange-red

DJ $600 2001 A Cornhusker chemist might know the symbol of this gas matches the abbreviation of his state

DJ $900 DD 2000 The names of neodymium & this element are both traced back to the Greek neo, "new"

Should-Know (1)

Curium 7x $1,086 avg J:1 DJ:6

J $400 2025 Named for a married couple, it's used to power X-ray spectrometers in the Mars rovers

DJ $800 2022 It's named for 2 French physicists & one isotope has a half-life of 15.6 million years

DJ $1,000 1997 This synthetic radioactive element was named for the discoverers of radium

Worth Knowing (6)

selenium 3 palladium 3 bromine 3 it is liquid at room temperature 3 neptunium 2 glucose 2

Other

7 answers | 15 clues

Worth Knowing (7)

pressure 3 thermodynamics 2 the freezing point 2 Sweden 2 hafnium 2 a centrifuge 2 nitrous oxide 2

Math / Physics

2 answers | 6 clues

Worth Knowing (2)

Stockholm 3 absolute zero 3

Biology / Animals

3 answers | 6 clues

Worth Knowing (3)

wolfram 2 the Tin Man 2 dye 2

Medicine / Health

1 answers | 3 clues

Worth Knowing (1)

melt 3

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