Basic Chemistry & Periodic Table MCQs with Answers
Solved Basic Chemistry & Periodic Table MCQs with answers — chemical bonds, carbon allotropes, 118 elements, symbols & categories. Free quiz + PDF for PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS & PMS.
Basic Chemistry & Periodic Table — Master Reference for Pakistani Competitive Exams
The chapter Basic Chemistry & the Periodic Table is one of the highest-yield Everyday Science topics in Pakistan’s PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS, PMS, OTS, CTS, BPSC, KPPSC and SPSC One Paper exams. Almost every Junior Clerk, Tehsildar, Assistant, Sub-Inspector, Lecturer and BPS-14 to BPS-17 paper carries 2–4 MCQs from this chapter — and it is core CSS Screening MPT (General Science & Ability) content. This page consolidates 50 solved MCQs covering types of chemical bonds (covalent, polar covalent, ionic), allotropes of carbon (diamond, graphite, coal, coke, charcoal), the modern periodic table of 118 elements (Hydrogen to Oganesson), high-frequency element symbols (Au, Ag, Hg, Pb, Na, K, Fe, Cu, Sn, W) and the major groups (noble gases, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, halogens, lanthanides, actinides, transition metals). For wider context, see Wikipedia: Periodic Table and the official IUPAC Periodic Table of Elements.
118 Elements — Most-Tested Symbols Quick Reference
| Element | Symbol | Atomic Number (Z) | Latin / Greek Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrogen | H | 1 | — |
| Carbon | C | 6 | — |
| Nitrogen | N | 7 | — |
| Oxygen | O | 8 | — |
| Sodium | Na | 11 | Natrium |
| Potassium | K | 19 | Kalium |
| Iron | Fe | 26 | Ferrum |
| Copper | Cu | 29 | Cuprum |
| Krypton | Kr | 36 | Kryptos (hidden) |
| Silver | Ag | 47 | Argentum |
| Tin | Sn | 50 | Stannum |
| Tungsten | W | 74 | Wolfram |
| Gold | Au | 79 | Aurum |
| Mercury | Hg | 80 | Hydrargyrum |
| Lead | Pb | 82 | Plumbum |
| Uranium | U | 92 | — |
| Oganesson | Og | 118 | — |
Famous “Anchor Facts” — Most Tested in Exams
- Three main bond types — covalent (H₂, O₂, CH₄), polar covalent (H₂O, HCl) and ionic (NaCl, MgO).
- Hardest natural substance — Diamond (tetrahedral C-C network).
- Carbon allotrope that conducts electricity — Graphite (free π electrons).
- Total elements — 118 confirmed; Hydrogen (Z=1) to Oganesson (Z=118).
- Lightest element — Hydrogen.
- Most abundant element in the universe — Hydrogen (~75% by mass).
- Most abundant element in Earth’s crust — Oxygen (~46%).
- Most abundant gas in Earth’s atmosphere — Nitrogen (~78%).
- Noble gases — Group 18 (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn, Og).
- Alkali metals — Group 1 (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs).
- Alkaline earth metals — Group 2 (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba).
- Halogens — Group 17 (F, Cl, Br, I, At).
- Lanthanides — Z = 57 (La) to 71 (Lu).
- Actinides — Z = 89 (Ac) to 103 (Lr).
- Transition metals — Groups 3-12 (Fe, Cu, Zn, Au, Ag, etc.).
- Modern periodic table arranges elements by increasing atomic number (Moseley correction to Mendeleev’s mass-based table).
- Krypton — Kr, Z=36, noble gas, used in high-performance lighting and lasers.
Exam tip: Lock the Latin/Greek-rooted symbols (Au, Ag, Fe, Pb, Hg, Na, K, Sn, Sb, W) and the four group anchors (Group 1 = alkali metals, Group 2 = alkaline earth, Group 17 = halogens, Group 18 = noble gases) — these alone cover 80% of all chemistry MCQs in PPSC/FPSC/NTS papers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Covalent (equal sharing of electrons — H₂, O₂, CH₄), polar covalent (unequal sharing — H₂O, HCl) and ionic (transfer of electrons forming positive and negative ions — NaCl, MgO).
Diamond, graphite, coal, coke and charcoal — all are pure carbon (C) but differ in atomic arrangement. Diamond is the hardest natural substance; graphite conducts electricity.
118 confirmed elements, from Hydrogen (Z=1) to Oganesson (Z=118). Elements are arranged by increasing atomic number.
Diamond — a tetrahedral covalent network of pure carbon. Despite being the same element as graphite (C), its atomic arrangement makes it the hardest known natural material.
Kr (atomic number 36). Krypton is a colourless, odourless noble gas used in high-performance lighting, photography flash lamps and lasers.
Group 17 — Fluorine (F), Chlorine (Cl), Bromine (Br), Iodine (I) and Astatine (At). All have 7 valence electrons.
Yes — essential. Basic Chemistry MCQs are tested in every One Paper, NTS NAT, GAT, OTS, CTS, BPSC, KPPSC, SPSC, PPSC and FPSC exam — and core CSS Screening MPT (General Science & Ability) content.
Yes. Click the Download PDF button to get all Basic Chemistry & Periodic Table MCQs as a branded QuizWing PDF for offline revision.