Can You Identify These Scientific Symbols?

EDUCATION

By: Kennita Leon

6 Min Quiz

Image: shutterstock

About This Quiz

Before we get into the details of how this quiz is going to challenge you, allow us to tell you what it's about. If you haven't already guessed by the title of the quiz, which is why you're here, we're going to be quizzing you on scientific symbols. In the world of science, the word 'symbol' can mean so many different things, so much so that we've refused to stick to quizzing you about just one.

A scientific symbol can be anything from a picture you see that tells you about an object or an area, such as whether something is corrosive or extremely hot, to the abbreviation of an element in the periodic table. Symbols can be methods of measuring things like energy (joules) and heat (degrees Celsius) or letters of the Greek alphabet that are often used in science (and math and engineering). 

If you think you know enough of the elements of the periodic table (out of the 118 that exist), methods of scientific measurement, members of the Greek alphabet and warning signs and symbols, come try this quiz. It is the ultimate scientific symbol quiz on the internet and you definitely do not want to miss out. 

What does this symbolize?

The degree Celsius is an SI derived unit named after Swedish astronaut Anders Celsius. It is a derived unit of measuring temperature where water boils at 100 °C and freezes at 0 °C. The celsius scale is used worldwide, with the exception of the United States, Liberia and Burma.

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Does this mean flammable or poisonous?

Flammability refers to substances or materials which ignites easily and burns quickly with a flame. The international pictogram for flammability usually features a diamond with a red outline, black flame and line placed against a white background.

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Is this what the biohazard symbol looks like?

The symbol for this term is usually depicted by a yellow square with a black design. It was developed by the Dow Chemical Company in 1966. This usually refers to biological substances such as a virus, microorganism or toxin which poses a threat to living organisms.

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Can you identify this one?

The symbol for high temperature typically features a thermometer depicting the rise in temperature. This symbol is used to indicate that the heat emitted from an equipment or item may be dangerous to the user.

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What does this symbol mean?

The watt is defined as a unit of power used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. It was named after Scottish inventor James Watt and is used to measure the rate of energy transfer.

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What does this symbolize?

The volt is a derived unit which is used to measure electrical potential, voltage and electromotive force. A volt is described as the potential difference between two points of a conductor when the current flowing measures on amp and the power consumed is one watt.

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Does this mean joule or ampere?

The joule, a derived unit of energy, is defined as the amount of energy exerted to an object when a force of one newton is applied over the distance of one meter. The joule is represented by the symbol J, and was named in honor of English physicist James Prescott Joule.

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Is this the symbol for kilogram?

A kilogram is a base unit in the International System of Units which is used to measure mass and weight. The kilogram is equal to approximately 2.2046 avoirdupois pounds. It is the only SI unit to use an SI prefix (kilo) as part of its name.

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Is this the symbol for high voltage?

Worldwide, the symbol for high voltage is represented by a lightning bolt laid against a triangle with a black outline. This symbol refers to items or equipment with a high enough electrical energy to cause harm to living organisms.

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True or false? This means risk of explosion.

The explosion risk symbol is a hazard symbol which is frequently placed on flammable liquids, gases, dust or solids in order to reduce the risk of accidents. It is usually represented by a yellow and black triangle or a red and white diamond with a picture depicting an explosion.

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What element is this?

Helium is an odorless, colorless, tasteless, non-toxic chemical element and the second lightest and second most common element found in the observable universe. In the periodic table, helium is the first in the noble gas group and has the atomic number 2.

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What scientific symbol is this?

The mole, represented by the symbol mol, is an SI base unit used to measure the amount of substance typically molecules, atoms, electrons, ions and other particles. According to the International System of Units, one mole consists of exactly 6.02214076×1023 chemical units.

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Which element does this symbol represent?

Iron is a strong, hard metal which is characterized by its silver-grey coloration. It is the fourth-most abundant element in the Earth's crust and has been used since ancient times. On the periodic table, it is a metal in the first transition series and has atomic number of 26.

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Does this mean meter?

In the International Systems of Units, the meter is a base unit of length which measures approximately 100 centimeters or 39.37 inches. Meter also serves as a suffix to which SI metric prefixes such as deka, hecto, deci, kilo, centi and milli, are commonly added.

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What does this symbol mean?

The symbol for radiation features a yellow triangle with a black outline and a black picture in the middle. It is used to warn and protect others against exposure to radioactivity.

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What is this symbol?

This SI unit of electrical charge is represented by the letter "C," and was named after French engineer and physicist Charles-Augustin de Coulomb. The basic unit of electric charge, one coulomb is equivalent to one ampere-second.

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What does this symbolize?

This hazard symbol is used to represent concentrated solutions which may be acidic or alkalis. Corrosive substances are hazardous to living tissue and act by oxidizing or creating inflammation.

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What scientific symbol is this?

This SI unit of frequency, which is defined as one cycle per second, was named after Heinrich Rudolf Hertz. The unit is used to measure the frequency of vibrations and sound waves.

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What scientific symbol is this?

According to the International System of Units, the ohm is an electrical resistance which quantifies the potential found between two points, when the current passing through the points measures one amp. It was named after German physicist, Georg Simon Ohm.

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What is this symbol?

The ampere, also known as amp, is defined by the International System of Units as a unit of electric current which is equal to a flow of one coulomb per second. The unit was named after French mathematician and physicist André-Marie Ampère.

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True or false? This means Kelvin.

Symbolized by the letter "K," Kelvin is a base unit of thermodynamic temperature in the International System of Units. The Kelvin scale, unlike the degree Celsius and degree Fahrenheit, is not written or referred to as a degree.

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Does this mean toxic?

Toxicity refers to the degree in which an organism is damaged by a chemical substance or a combination of substances. The symbol is typically depicted as a yellow and black triangle or a red and white diamond with a skull and crossbones in the center.

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Which element does this symbol represent?

This chemical element is a member of the chalcogen group on the periodic table and the third most abundant element on Earth. A necessary element. Oxygen is used for combustion, rust and cellular respiration.

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Is this the symbol for Pascal?

A pascal is a unit of pressure in the International System of Units which is defined as one newton per square meter. Named after the French polymath Blaise Pascal, this unit is used worldwide and has replaced the pounds per square inch.

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Does this mean epsilon or beta?

Beta is the second letter in the Greek alphabet. It is frequently used in a variety of subjects which include mathematics, science, finance, meteorology and statistics. Its value varies per subject.

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What scientific symbol is this?

The candela is an SI base unit used to represent luminous intensity; a measurement used to express how much a light source illuminates. The candle was formerly used to represent luminous intensity.

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What does this symbolize?

Epsilon is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet, which is referred to as the Levi-Civita symbol in mathematics. Named after an Italian mathematician, the Levi-Civita symbol is also known as the permutation symbol and antisymmetric symbol.

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What is this symbol?

The most frequent symbol for a hot surface is usually depicted by a yellow and black triangle with a pictogram indicating steam rising from the surface. It is used in laboratories and industrial areas where hot apparatus and machines are used frequently.

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Does this represent calcium or carbon?

Calcium is a chemical element that has a dull gray silvery appearance with a pale yellow tint. A popular element, Calcium is found abundantly in milk and is known for being the element of strength.

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What is this symbol?

Zeta is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet which has a numerical value of seven and is used in mathematics and science. Derived from the Phoenician letter zayin, the Zeta symbol represents several different values in Physics.

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Does this mean beta?

This symbol represents the letter alpha, which is used in maths, chemistry, and physics, generally uses the lower case rather than the upper case. Perhaps the most frequently used Greek letter, the alpha, in science, represents alpha radiation and electromagnetic interaction to name a few.

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Is this the symbol for alpha?

This is the symbol forDelta, which is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet. It is used in science and mathematics to denote a change in any changeable quantity. The symbol appears most often when dealing with speed and acceleration.

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What element is this?

Mercury, commonly known as quicksilver, is a heavy, silvery-white metal that is represented by the symbol Hg on the periodic table. Formerly named hydrargyrum, mercury is the only metallic element to exist in a liquid state at standard temperature and pressure.

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What does this symbol mean?

Lambda is the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet as well as a metric unit of volume equal to 1 microliter or 1 cubic millimeter. In physics, the Padma symbol denotes wavelength. For the Greek is represented balance.

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What element is this?

Potassium, which is silvery gray is appearance, is a chemical element vital for the functioning of all living cells. The nineteenth atom in the periodic table, Potassium is an alkali metal. It is a key component of many fertilizers.

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Which element does this symbol represent?

This chemical element is represented by the letter "H" and is the lightest element on the periodic table. Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe which is characterized by its odorless, colorless, nonmetallic and non-toxic properties.

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True or false? This means gamma.

Gamma is the third letter of the Greek alphabet which, like the alpha and beta, are used in maths, physics and chemistry. Formerly named hydrargyrum, mercury is the only metallic element to exist in a liquid state at standard temperature and pressure.

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Which element does this symbol represent?

This chemical element is represented by the symbol Ag which was derived from the Latin word, Argentum. It is used to warn and protect others against exposure to radioactivity.

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