general knowledge quiz
Welcome to Quiz Questions with a focus on general knowledge quizzes - two sets of tricky quiz questions and answers for those who play for fun but still want to get some brain exercise. They mix history, science, language, geography, culture and everyday knowledge in a format suitable for both quick rounds and longer game nights. The questions are written to feel like an online quiz where you often need to connect clues, remember details and think one step further, rather than just guessing at the most obvious answers. Each question has a short answer and a neutral explanation, so you can learn something even when you miss. Perfect for friends, family or solo, and just the right amount of difficulty for those who like general knowledge with a little extra challenge.
General education - more than just facts
Being literate is not just about being able to recite capitals or historical dates. It's about having a mental library of knowledge that helps you understand and interpret the world around you. A broad general education allows you to see connections between different topics - how a scientific breakthrough affects culture, or how geographical conditions have shaped history. A quiz is a perfect way to build and maintain this knowledge bank in a playful way. Each question becomes a new piece of the puzzle, broadening your horizons and making you a little wiser, while being a fun social activity that brings people together around curiosity and learning.
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Round 1
What is the chemical name of the element used in car batteries with lead plates?
Answer: Lead
The designation Pb comes from the Latin name for the metal. It is used in classic starter batteries because it can store and release electrical energy via reversible reactions.
Which city was the seat of the papacy in the 14th century before the return to Rome?
Answer: Avignon
For a time, the popes lived in the south of France for political and security reasons. This period influenced relations between the Church and European royal houses and later ecclesiastical conflicts.
Which scientist formulated the laws of heredity after experiments with pea plants?
Answer: Gregor Mendel
By following the inheritance of distinct traits, he was able to describe dominance and segregation. This work later became a basis for modern genetics when the results were rediscovered.
Which stretch of sea connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea via an artificial passage?
Answer: Suez Canal
The passage reduces the sea route between Europe and Asia compared to the route around Africa. It is of great importance for global trade and can affect supply chains in case of disruptions.
Which novel begins with the sentence that all happy families look alike?
Answer: Anna Karenina
The opening is a famous phrase about family life and conflict. The work depicts social norms, love and morality in 19th century Russia through several parallel stories.
Which language has the most native speakers globally according to common demographic estimates?
Answer: Mandarin
These are mainly a large group of Sinitic varieties in China. The number of native speakers is very high due to the size of the population and linguistic standardisation.
Which instrument measures air pressure and is used in weather forecasting?
Answer: Barometer
By tracking pressure changes, we can anticipate future weather changes. Decreasing values are often associated with low pressure systems that can bring more clouds and precipitation.
Which country has the autonomous region of Nunavut with a large Inuit population?
Answer: Canada
Nunavut was created in 1999 through an administrative division of a larger territory. The region enjoys a high degree of self-government and covers vast Arctic areas with a sparse population.
Which painting shows a woman with an enigmatic smile in the Louvre?
Answer: Mona Lisa
The portrait is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and is known for its sfumato technique. It has become a symbol of Renaissance art and is one of the museum's most visited works.
Which mathematical constant is approximately 2.718 and is associated with natural logarithms?
Answer: e
The constant arises naturally in continuous growth and in the derivative of the exponential function. It is used in everything from interest-on-interest modelling to probability and physics.
Which Nordic country has the city of Turku as a historically important university city?
Answer: Finland
Turku has long been an administrative and cultural centre and has one of the oldest universities in the Nordic region. The city's coastal location has also made it important for trade and shipping.
What chemical process converts grape sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide in beer brewing?
Answer: Fermentation
Microorganisms break down sugar under low-oxygen conditions. The result is alcohol content and bubbles, and the process also affects flavour profile through various by-products.
Which explorer reached the Caribbean in 1492 on Spanish business?
Answer: Christopher Columbus
The voyage was the starting point for lasting contact between Europe and the Americas. It led to major economic and demographic changes, including colonisation and widespread population upheaval.
Which planet has the large red spot that is a long-lived storm?
Answer: Jupiter
The storm system has been observed for several hundred years and is larger than the Earth. The rapid rotation and atmospheric dynamics of the gas giant contribute to strong winds and band structure.
Which music term means to play progressively stronger in strength?
Answer: Crescendo
It is a dynamic marking that indicates increasing loudness over time. Composers use it to create tension, direction and clear peaks in musical phrases.
Which Swedish author wrote the novel about the student called Arvid Falk?
Answer: August Strindberg
The novel depicts the press, politics and social environments of Stockholm. It is often linked to the breakthrough of realistic depiction of society in Swedish literary history.
Which general knowledge quiz topic is about the cell's energy factories?
Answer: Mitochondria
These organelles convert nutrients into ATP through cellular respiration. They have their own DNA and are thought to have arisen through endosymbiosis, which is an important idea in the evolutionary history of biology.
Which 1914-1918 conflict changed Europe's borders and is often called the first modern Great War?
Answer: First World War
The war involved major alliances and mass industrial warfare with trenches. It was followed by peace treaties, new nation states and political tensions that shaped the 20th century.
What unit is used to measure electrical current?
Answer: Ampere
The unit is named after André-Marie Ampère and is an SI base unit. Current describes how much electric charge passes a point per unit time in a circuit.
Which city on the Bosphorus River connects Europe and Asia?
Answer: Istanbul
The city has historically been a hub of trade and empires. Its location on the strait gives it strategic control over the sea route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
What term describes the storage of carbon dioxide in oceans and forests as part of the carbon cycle?
Answer: Coal sink
A carbon sink absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits over a period of time. Forests, soils and oceans play a major role in curbing the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Which building in Rome has a domed roof with a round hole that lets in light?
Answer: Pantheon
The opening in the dome is called the oculus and serves as a light source and vent. The building is a well-preserved example of Roman engineering and concrete technology.
What currency is used in Japan?
Answer: Yen
Introduced during 19th century modernisation, the currency plays a central role in the world economy. It is widely traded internationally and is affected by interest rates, exports and monetary policy.
Which general knowledge quiz topic links the building blocks of the DNA strand to four letters?
Answer: Nucleotides
DNA is made up of sugar, phosphate and nitrogen base units. The four bases combine into sequences that carry genetic information and can be copied during cell division.
What natural phenomenon is caused by charge equalisation between clouds and the ground?
Answer: Thunderstorms
Electric charges build up in storm clouds and can be discharged like lightning. The discharge rapidly heats the air, creating the pressure wave that is heard as a rumbling sound.
Let's test your maths knowledge
If you've read the article on the front page of Quizfragor, you know the answer.
Round 2
Which chemist named the periodic table based on atomic numbers?
Answer: Henry Moseley
He used X-ray spectra to show that elements should be organised by atomic number, not just atomic weight. The result explained gaps and improved understanding of the patterns of chemical properties.
Which city was the capital of the Byzantine Empire and was previously called Byzantion?
Answer: Constantinople
The city was the centre of Eastern Roman politics, trade and church life for over a thousand years. It controlled important sea routes and had strong defences that influenced the balance of power in the region.
Which physical quantity is measured in pascals in the International System of Units?
Answer: Press
One pascal is equivalent to one newton per square metre. It is used in meteorology, engineering and medicine, for example to describe atmospheric variations and the behaviour of fluids in systems.
Which Swedish chemist is associated with the division of living nature into kingdoms and naming with two words?
Answer: Carl Linnaeus
He popularised the binary nomenclature of genus and species. This system made it easier to compare the relationships of organisms and is still used as the basis of biological classification.
Which river flows through Budapest and on to the Black Sea?
Answer: Danube
The river crosses several capitals and has been an important transport route in Europe, linking regions economically and culturally, and having a major impact on energy and ecology.
Which letter is often used for unknown numbers in algebra and comes after w in the alphabet?
Answer: x
The symbol became common in mathematical notation through historical standardisation in textbooks. It is used to represent an unknown value that can be solved for with equations.
Which disease is prevented by the vaccine commonly known as MMR in Sweden?
Answer: Measles
The MMR vaccine protects against three infectious viral diseases. Measles can cause high fever and rash and in some cases can lead to serious complications, especially in unvaccinated people.
Which gas is most common in the Earth's atmosphere in terms of volume fraction?
Answer: Nitrogen
It makes up around four-fifths of the air and is relatively inert at normal temperatures. Nevertheless, it is central to ecosystems via the nitrogen cycle and biological fixation.
Which artist painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with scenes from Genesis?
Answer: Michelangelo
The work was done in the early 16th century and is one of the most famous projects of the Renaissance. The compositions show, among other things, creature motifs and require advanced knowledge of perspective and anatomy.
Which country has the region of Transylvania, often associated with medieval principalities?
Answer: Romania
Transylvania has a complex history with multiple ethnic groups and political shifts. The area has been part of different empires, which is reflected in the language, architecture and local traditions.
Which term describes the minimum number of individuals that can start a new isolated population?
Answer: Baseline effect
When a small group separates, chance can control the genetic variants that follow. This can result in distinct differences from the original population and affect disease rates and adaptation.
Which classic play character says a monologue that starts with to be or not to be?
Answer: Hamlet
The monologue is about existence, suffering and paralysis. The character is central to a drama that explores power, betrayal and morality, and it has had a strong influence on theatre tradition.
Which Swedish city has a famous space rocket and research facility in the north?
Answer: Kiruna
The area has infrastructure for launches and measurements of the atmosphere and space environment. The location is favoured by its high altitude, sparse population and proximity to the aurora zone.
Which ocean current is warming north-west Europe and affecting the climate in Scandinavia?
Answer: Gulf Stream
It transports warm water from the tropics towards the North Atlantic. The energy transfer mitigates winters compared to places at similar latitudes, and variations can affect weather patterns.
Which concept in quiz general knowledge describes a state's formal limit of decision-making power?
Answer: Sovereignty
The concept refers to the supreme authority within a territory and its external autonomy. It is central to international relations, especially in matters of recognition, intervention and jurisdiction.
Which metal has the chemical name used in jewellery and has atomic number 79?
Answer: Gold
The metal is corrosion-resistant and malleable, making it useful in jewellery and electronics. The atomic number indicates the number of protons, and it has been used as a measure of value throughout history.
Which town was the centre of industrial cotton production in England and is sometimes called Cottonopolis?
Answer: Manchester
During industrialisation, the city grew rapidly through textile mills and trade. Expanded infrastructure and labour concentration made it a symbol of the early factory-based economy.
What type of wave is used in microwave ovens to heat water molecules efficiently?
Answer: Microwaves
The radiation causes polar molecules to rotate and create friction that produces heat. The frequency is chosen for efficient heating, but the energy is not ionising in normal use.
Which philosopher wrote about the social contract and the idea of the common good in the 18th century?
Answer: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
He discussed how political legitimacy can be derived from the common will of citizens. These texts influenced Enlightenment debates and later ideas about democracy and citizenship.
Which chemical compound has the formula H2SO4 and is used in car batteries?
Answer: Sulphuric acid
The substance acts as an electrolyte in lead-acid batteries and enables redox reactions between the plates. It is highly corrosive and is therefore handled with protection and clear safety procedures.
Which city is known for its Forbidden City and was long the centre of empires in China?
Answer: Beijing
The city has been a political centre for several dynasties and houses major ceremonial sites. The historic centre and the palace area show the organisation of power and the symbolism of architecture.
Which term describes a narrative technique where the reader knows more than the main character?
Answer: Dramatically ironic
The effect occurs when the audience has prior information that the character lacks. It creates tension and can enhance tragedy or humour by making the consequences of the action clear in advance.
Which general knowledge quiz topic links blood oxygen transport to an iron-containing protein?
Answer: Haemoglobin
The protein in red blood cells binds oxygen in the lungs and releases it into tissues. Iron ions enable this binding, and levels are affected by factors such as diet, disease and altitude.
Which region of Spain has its own language and a capital on the Bay of Biscay?
Answer: Basque Country
The area has a strong regional identity and a language that differs from Romance languages. Its political history includes autonomy issues, and culture is visible in sports, food and traditions.
What astronomical event occurs when the Moon passes into the Earth's shadow?
Answer: Lunar eclipse
The phenomenon occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon are in a nearly straight line. The moon can take on a red colour as light is refracted through the atmosphere, and the event can be observed without goggles.
