Chemistry: High School: 9th and 10th Grade Quizzes

You’ll be learning lots of interesting stuff about the world in general in your Chemistry classes. So let’s take a look at some facts that your teacher might not tell you about.

• You know how some compounds are named after those who discovered them, right? There are some chemical compounds named after fictional characters. One such compound is called ranasmurfin which is a blue protein from the foam nests of tropical frogs. Ranasmurfin is named after The Smurfs!
• You will have heard of Mendeleev. Remember? The guy who created the periodic table. Did you know he was also responsible for introducing the metric system to Russia? Oh, and he could have possibly taken the title for ‘best mad scientist hair.’ The reason his periodic table was so successful compared to previous attempts is because he left gaps for new undiscovered elements to be added at a later date. He was a smart cookie, don’t you think?
• Staying with the periodic table, the letter J doesn’t appear in it anywhere.
• There is an acid that will dissolve practically every substance known on earth. Strangely it is known as a weak acid, which is somewhat of an oxymoron. This violently corrosive acid is hydrofluoric acid – and the substances it can’t dissolve are lead, platinum and polyethylene or fluorocarbon plastic.
• Even though helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, it is thought that by as soon as 2020 there will be no more commercially-available helium. So no more silly cartoon voices at parties. Boohoo.
• You may already know that it’s not a good idea to keep all fruit in the same bowl. You may already know that this is because some fruits cause early ripening in others. But do you know the chemical reason? Read on and you soon will. Apples and pears release ethylene gas as they mature. This particular gas is the culprit.

Now you’ve had a brief peek into chemistry, it’s time to put your safety goggles on and play some quizzes.