Periodic Table Quiz
Four modes, ten questions a round, and a review list of whatever you got wrong.
Pick a mode and start
Ten questions a round. Wrong answers are collected at the end so you know what to review.
The symbols that catch people out
Eleven element symbols come from Latin or German rather than English. They are the ones that cost marks, so they are worth drilling until they are automatic.
| Symbol | English name | Comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Na | Sodium | natrium |
| K | Potassium | kalium |
| Fe | Iron | ferrum |
| Cu | Copper | cuprum |
| Ag | Silver | argentum |
| Sn | Tin | stannum |
| Sb | Antimony | stibium |
| Au | Gold | aurum |
| Hg | Mercury | hydrargyrum |
| Pb | Lead | plumbum |
| W | Tungsten | wolfram |
How to actually learn it
- Learn groups, not sequences. Reciting elements 1 to 20 in order is a party trick. Knowing that group 17 is F, Cl, Br, I is chemistry, because it tells you they all form −1 ions.
- Start with the ones you meet. Twenty or so elements cover most of school chemistry. Learn those properly before worrying about praseodymium.
- Use position as the hook. The Find it on the table mode above trains the spatial memory that makes the rest stick — once you know where an element sits, its charge and reactivity come free.
More on the periodic table
Related Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to memorise the periodic table?
Learn it in blocks rather than in order. Start with the twenty or so elements you actually meet — H, C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ag, Sn, Au, Pb — then learn whole groups, since a group shares behaviour and that gives each symbol a hook. Learning positions and names together beats learning either alone.
Which element symbols do not match their names?
Eleven come from Latin or German rather than English: sodium (Na, natrium), potassium (K, kalium), iron (Fe, ferrum), copper (Cu, cuprum), silver (Ag, argentum), tin (Sn, stannum), antimony (Sb, stibium), gold (Au, aurum), mercury (Hg, hydrargyrum), lead (Pb, plumbum) and tungsten (W, wolfram). These are the ones worth drilling, because they are the ones that catch people out.
How many elements should I know for a chemistry exam?
Most introductory syllabuses expect the first 20 in order, plus the common transition metals and anything that appears in the reactions you are studying. Knowing where an element sits usually matters more than knowing its number: position tells you its charge, its reactivity and how it will bond.