There are several general knowledge games to learn while having fun. Examples are Master, Academy, Trivial Pursuit, Profile, Twilight Struggle and Quest.
How about proposing a game now with family or friends? Check out our general knowledge quiz with 50 questions from different areas of knowledge inspired by these games. Have a good time!
1. How many Earth planets fit inside the Sun?
a) One million
b) One hundred
c) Six hundred
d) One hundred and fifty
e) Two million
Alternative to: One million
The Sun is 1,392,700 km in diameter, measuring 109 times larger than the Earth, which is 12,742 km in diameter.
Through the volume, we can know how many Earth planets fit inside the Sun. For this, we can use the formula for the volume of a sphere.
Vball = 4. π. r3/ 3
The volume needs the radius (r) to be calculated. This measurement can be obtained by dividing the diameter in half:
lightning Sun = 1 392 700 Km / 2 = 696 359 Km
lightning Earth = 12 742 km / 2 = 6371 km
Substituting the radius measure in the formula, we find the volume of the Sun and Earth:
VSun = 4. π. r3/ 3 = 4. π. (696 359)3 / 3 = 1.41 x 1018 km3
VEarth = 4. π. r3/ 3 = 4. π. (6371)3 / 3 = 1.08 x 1012 km3
Dividing the volumes found, we have:
VSun/Terra = 1.41 x 1018 km3 / 1.08 x 1012 km3 = 1 305 555
Therefore, in the volume of the Sun it would be possible to insert more than 1 million Earths.
2. Where do more kangaroos live than people?
a) Indonesia
b) New Zealand
c) Australia
d) Papua New Guinea
e) South Africa
Alternative c: Australia
In Australia, the kangaroo population, around 45 million, represents almost twice the Australian population (25 million). While this is interesting, the excess of marsupials in the country can affect biodiversity.
3. How many eyes do most spiders have?
a) two
b) four
c) Four pairs
d) Six
it is a
Alternative c: four pairs
Most spiders have eight eyes, that is, four pairs. However, some have two, four or six eyes.
4. What does the Mercalli Scale measure?
a) The intensity of the winds
b) The seismic intensity according to the damage caused
c) The resistance of minerals
d) The magnitude of an earthquake
e) Electronegativity
Alternative b: Seismic intensity according to the damage caused
The Mercalli Scale determines the intensity of earthquakes based on the effects and damage caused to the environment, structures, people and objects. It was created in 1902 by Italian seismologist and volcanologist, Giuseppe Mercalli.
5. Which of the alternatives contains only river names?
a) San Francisco, Douro, Antarctic
b) Nile, Amazonas, Mississippi
c) Caspian, Red, Rhine
d) Tocantins, Bering, Ganges
e) Danube, Jordan, Dead
Alternative b: Nile, Amazon, Mississippi
The three largest rivers in the world are, respectively: the Nile, the Amazon and the Mississippi.
- The Nile River is 7088 long and is located on the African continent.
- The Amazon River, with 6992 km in length, is located in South America.
- The Mississippi River is 6212 km long and is located in the United States.
6. How long is a giraffe?
a) Between 4.8 and 5.5 meters
b) 2 meters
c) Between 5 and 6 meters
d) 2.5 meters
e) 4 meters
Alternative to: Between 4.8 and 5.5 meters
The giraffe is a terrestrial mammal that measures between 4.8 and 5.5 meters, being one of the tallest animals on the planet. Males of the species are usually the largest, measuring 5.5 meters in length, while females can measure up to 4.5 meters.
7. What science studies the Earth's atmosphere and climatology?
a) Astronomy
b) Weather
c) Atmospheric dispersion
d) Meteorology
e) Horology
Alternative d: Meteorology
Meteorology is a science that studies the phenomena that occur in the Earth's atmosphere, with a focus on climate and weather forecasting.
8. How many arms does an octopus have?
a) Six
b) eight
c) ten
d) seven
it's three
Alternative b: Eight
Octopuses are marine molluscs that have eight arms with suction cups.
9. Which of the alternatives contains only animals whose skeletons are external?
a) Snails, crabs and lobsters
b) Beetles, fish and ants
c) Snails, squid and spiders
d) Butterflies, crabs and fish
e) Lobsters, octopuses and scorpions
Alternative to: Snails, Crabs and Lobsters
The exoskeleton or outer skeleton is a rigid layer of chitin or calcium carbonate present in some animals, such as insects and molluscs.
Snails, crabs and lobsters are examples of animals that have an external skeleton.
10. Which of the alternatives has only the names of great inventors?
a) Alfred Nobel, José Bonifácio, Leonardo da Vinci
b) Machado de Assis, Oscar Niemeyer and Dmitri Mendeleiev
c) Evangelista Torricelli, Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso
d) Stephen Poplawski, Tarsila do Amaral, Amalie Auguste Melitta Bentz
e) Alexander Graham Bell, Bartholomew de Gusmão, Galileo Galilei
Alternative e: Alexander Graham Bell, Bartholomew de Gusmão, Galileo Galilei
Alexander Graham Bell was a Scottish inventor and founder of the telephone company that bears his last name: Bell Telephone Company. Although his name was related to the invention of the telephone, in 2002, Italian Antonio Meucci was recognized as the true inventor. That's because, in 1870, Meucci sold his prototype to Alexander.
Bartolomeu de Gusmão was a Portuguese-Brazilian priest and inventor. Among all his inventions, the one that stood out the most was the catwalk, a very light type of aircraft.
Galileo Galilei was an Italian philosopher, astronomer, mathematician, physicist and inventor. He created a series of inventions that are still used today, for example, the hydrostatic balance. Also, he invented the geometric compass and the thermometer.
11. Indicate the respective inventions of inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Galileo Galilei.
a) Lamp and plane
b) Internet and television
c) Football and cell phone
d) Telephone and thermometer
e) Clock and gyroscope
Alternative d: Telephone and thermometer
Although Graham Bell is not the inventor of the telephone, this creation is associated with his name. In 2002, Italian Antonio Meucci, who at the time sold his prototype to Alexander, was recognized as the true inventor of the telephone.
Galileo Galilei was a multifaceted figure of the 16th century and his theories and discoveries were essential to advances in the fields of astronomy, physics and mathematics. He invented, among other things, the hydrostatic balance, the geometric compass and the thermometer.
12. In these pairs, both are mammals:
a) Blue whale and dolphins
b) Bats and chickens
c) Giraffes and turtles
d) Pigs and penguins
e) Monkeys and frogs
Alternative to: Blue Whale and Dolphins
Whales and dolphins are marine mammals. The other animals are:
b) Bats (mammals) and chickens (birds)
c) Giraffes (mammals) and turtles (reptiles)
d) Pigs (mammals) and penguins (birds)
e) Monkeys (mammals) and frogs (amphibians)
13. How long does glass take to decompose?
a) 500 years
b) 1000 years
c) 4000 years
d) 1 million years
e) indefinite time
Alternative e: indefinite period
Decomposition is a natural process that occurs in all materials, however, it will depend on the volume discarded, the type of material and the local climatic conditions.
According to the GEA Institute – Ethics and Environment, glass takes 4000 years to decompose in the soil.
14. What are diamonds made of?
a) Graphite
b) Rhenium
c) Carbon
d) osmium
e) Bohrio
Alternative c: Carbon
Diamond is composed exclusively of carbon atoms. It is one of the allotropic forms of this chemical element.
15. What do the arrows of the international recycling symbol mean 
?
a) Manufacturing, use and reuse
b) Paper, glass and metal
c) Paper, glass and plastic
d) Garbage, reuse and manufacturing
e) Collection, separation and consumption
Alternative to: Manufacturing, Use and Reuse
The recycling symbol is formed by arrows that interconnect in a kind of cycle.
This symbol is used to identify a recyclable material and each of the arrows is related to the life cycle of a product, that is: industrial manufacturing, consumer use and reuse of this raw material to create a new material.
16. In what order do rainbow colors always appear?
a) Yellow, orange, red, blue, indigo (or indigo), green and violet
b) Yellow, violet, orange, green, red, indigo (or indigo) and blue
c) Red, orange, violet, indigo (or indigo), blue, green and yellow
d) Red, orange, yellow, white, green, blue and violet
e) Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo (or indigo) and violet
Alternative e: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo (or indigo) and violet
The rainbow is a natural physical phenomenon that occurs through the refraction of white sunlight onto water droplets.
In the sky, a large colored arc forms and its colors always appear in the order: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo (or indigo) and violet.
17. Which of these birds doesn't fly?
a) penguin
b) Chicken
c) Stork
d) duck
e) turkey
Alternative to: Penguin
The penguin, despite being a bird, does not fly. This is due to the adaptation that these animals have undergone over the years. Scientists believe that they gradually stopped flying and became expert swimmers.
18. Who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the first time?
a) Frederic Passy
b) Martin Luther King Jr.
c) Frédéric Passy and Henry Dunant
d) Henri Becquerel and Marie Curie
e) Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Alternative c: Frédéric Passy and Henry Dunant
In 1901, the Swiss Henri Dunant (1828-1910) and the Frenchman Frédéric Passy (1822-1912) received the first Nobel Peace Prize.
Jean-Henri Dunant was honored for his work at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which he co-founded.
Frédéric Passy, on the other hand, received the award for his role as founder and president of the French Society for Peace.
19. What is a Papilloscopist?
a) Copy specialist
b) Professional specialized in human identification
c) Individual responsible for orphaned children
d) Person who has a small conical protrusion on the tongue
e) Individual dedicated to the study of papyrus
Alternative b: Professional specialized in human identification
A papilloscopist, also called a finger printmaker, studies human fingerprints.
20. Which is respectively the slowest and the fastest land animal?
a) Sloth and cheetah
b) Turtle and lion
c) Koala and horse
d) Snail and shark
e) Sloth and dragonfly
Alternative to: sloth and cheetah
The sloth is a mammal considered to be the slowest animal in the world. Your slow movements are related to your super slow metabolism.
The cheetah is a very fast feline that can reach 115 km/h, being considered the fastest land animal.
21. Selection method in which merit predominates. This is the definition of which concept in sociology?
a) Aristocracy
b) Nobility
c) Tyranny
d) Meritocracy
e) Pilgrimage
Alternative d: Meritocracy
According to the concept of meritocracy, all people can prosper by their own abilities, without help from other people.
The idea arose after the French Revolution, when Napoleon Bonaparte advised that social ascension was not achieved through class distinction.
22. What is Orthorexia?
a) Obsession with the consumption of healthy foods
b) Eating disorder characterized by loss of appetite
c) Obsession with speaking correctly
d) Exaggerated preoccupation with having an elegant body
e) Eating disorder that causes excessive food intake
Alternative to: Obsession with healthy food consumption
Orthorexia is an eating disorder in which people are excessively preoccupied with healthy eating, avoiding as much as possible consuming foods that contain pesticides, fats, sugar and salt.
23. Which of these Brazilian authors wrote The Guarani and the gaucho?
a) Aluisio de Azevedo
b) José de Anchieta
c) José de Alencar
d) Gonçalves Dias
e) Gonçalves de Magalhães
Alternative c: José de Alencar
José de Alencar (1829-1877), writer of Romanticism, is known for exalting nationalism in his works.
The Guarani, one of his best-known works, extols the Indian as a hero. In the gaucho, in turn, the author values regionalism when portraying the Pampas.
24. What is the meaning of the expression “Achilles' heel”?
a) The predominant characteristic of people
b) Escape from problems
c) Someone's most vulnerable point
d) Spur
e) Part where people focus their strength
Alternative c: Someone's most vulnerable spot
The expression came from the myth, according to which Achilles had become immortal when his mother plunged him into a river that bathed hell. It turns out that his mother held him by the heel, making that part of his body vulnerable. So Achilles died when he was hit in the heel by an arrow.
25. What energy source is ethanol produced from?
a) Solar
b) Biomass
c) Wind
d) Geothermal
e) Hydroelectric
Alternative b: Biomass
Ethanol can be produced from sugar cane, beetroot and corn, that is, energy that comes from organic matter.
26. Which of these, despite its name, is not considered a kind of strength?
a) Friction force
b) Force weight
c) Centripetal force
d) Electromotive force
e) Normal strength
Alternative d: Electromotive force
Force is characterized by its ability to move a body in an interaction that can occur by direct contact, such as frictional force, or not, such as gravitational force.
Therefore, the force is classified as a vector quantity, as it has direction, magnitude and direction.
Electromotive force, a scalar quantity, is the ability of a material to produce electrical current.
27. Which of these is not a meteorological instrument?
a) Barograph
b) Thermometer
c) Rain gauge
d) Anemometer
e) Ethylometer
Alternative e: Ethylometer
Etilometer is the name of the device popularly known as breathalyzer, which measures the concentration of alcohol in the blood.
28. This is an example of a palindrome:
a) Rome is love.
b) The mouse gnawed at the clothes of the king of Rome.
c) Whoever has a mouth goes to Rome.
d) What is it, what is it? Made to walk and not walk?
e) "Uni, duni, tê, Salamê, minüê, A colorê ice cream, The chosen one was you!"
Alternative to: Rome is love.
Palindrome is a word or phrase that can be read backwards, keeping its meaning.
29. Vitruvian Man is a drawing by which famous artist?
a) Michelangelo
b) Donatello
c) William Shakespeare
d) Van Gogh
e) Leonardo da Vinci
Alternative e: Leonardo da Vinci
Vitruvian Man is a work of art known for the perfection of its forms. Inspired by the work of architecture, by the Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, Leonardo Da Vinci drew the Vitruvian Man with pencil and ink on a 34 x 24 cm paper.
30. Which of the alternatives are only wonders of the world?
a) Statue of Zeus in Olímpia, Christ the Redeemer, Ouro Preto Historic Center
b) Pyramids of Egypt, Coliseum of Rome, Christ the Redeemer
c) China Wall, Taj Mahal, Pyramid of the Sun
d) Eiffel Tower, Machu Picchu, Colossus of Rhodes
e) Big Ben, Tower of Pisa, Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Alternative b: Pyramids of Egypt, Colosseum in Rome, Christ the Redeemer
The Pyramids of Egypt are a set of 123 pyramids. They are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and they were the only ones to withstand the passage of time.
The Coliseum in Rome and the Christ the Redeemer constitute the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
Located in Rome, the Coliseum is the largest amphitheater in the world and is 45 meters high. Christ the Redeemer, in Rio de Janeiro, is the second largest monument of Christ in the world, at 38 meters high.
31. Word "peace" spelled through NATO's phonetic alphabet:
a) Dude - love - whoosh
b) Pisces - alpha - zeal
c) Paz - Aurélio - Zulu
d) Papa - alpha - Zulu
e) Delta - Charlie - Omega
Alternative d: papa - alpha - zulu
Also called the international phonetic alphabet, this alphabet was created by NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in World War II.
Through it, messages were spelled through a code, avoiding mistakes in the transmission of messages.
Thus, the code for the letter “p” is Papa, the letter “a” is Alpha, and the letter “z” is Zulu.
32. Fico Day is celebrated annually on what date?
a) September 7th
b) April 19
c) November 19
d) January 9th
e) May 1st
Alternative d: January 9th
In 1822, Dom Pedro decided to remain in Brazil, contrary to the orders of the Portuguese court. On that occasion, he said the famous phrase: “If it's for the good of all and the nation's general happiness, I'm ready. Tell the people I'm staying.”
33. Interspersed blue and white stripes and a sun in the upper left corner characterize the flag of which South American country?
a) Argentina
b) Brazil
c) Uruguay
d) Namibia
e) Japan
Alternative c: Uruguay
The nine horizontal lines represent the departments of Uruguay, which were only nine at the time the flag was drawn. Its colors, blue and white, represent the sky and purity.
The sun, called Sol de Maio, is the symbol of the May Revolution, a revolt that promoted the independence of Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay from the Spanish empire.
34. Complete the sentence: ___ to the winner!
a) Chimeras
b) Squatting
c) Oblations
d) Good morning
e) Apupos
Alternative d: Good morning
“Alvíssaras” means a prize for those who bring pleasant news, such as winning a dispute.
The meaning of the remaining alternatives is:
- Chimeras: dreams;
- Squatting: sitting on your heels;
- Oblations: offering to God or to the saints;
- Apupo: boo.
35. The songs of Scorn and Maldizer belong to which literary school?
a) Modernism
b) Classicism
c) Baroque
d) Sixteenth
e) Troubadourism
Alternative e: Troubadourism
The Troubadourism is the first literary school of Portuguese Literature. It was at this time that the derision and cursing songs appeared, which, given their critical and crude content, received that name.
36. How many days, approximately, does the Moon take to circle the Earth?
a) 365 days
b) 366 days
c) 28 days
d) 31 days
e) 1 day
Alternative c: 28 days
27 days, 7 hours and 43 minutes is the time it takes the Moon to circle the Earth.
37. Portuguese is the official language in these three countries:
a) Guinea-Bissau, South Africa and Brazil
b) Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde and Angola
c) Venezuela, Angola and Portugal
d) Macau, East Timor and Mozambique
e) Argentina, São Tomé and Príncipe and Equatorial Guinea
Alternative b: Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde and Angola
The Portuguese language is the official language of nine countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor.
38. What unit measures sound intensity?
a) Decibel
b) Frequency
c) Hertz
d) Compass
e) Noise
Alternative to: Decibel
All over the world, decibels are used to measure the sound level, which is done using a logarithmic scale.
39. In which country was Count Dracula born?
a) Poland
b) Ireland
c) Scotland
d) Transylvania
e) Russia
Alternative d: Transylvania
Transylvania is a historic region that is located in what is now Romania. It represents the birthplace of Count Dracula, a character created by Bram Stoker from Vlad III, a prince known for his cruelty.
40. What kind of storm is a haboob?
a) snow storm
b) hailstorm
c) sandstorm
d) lightning storm
e) lightning storm
Alternative c: sandstorm
Haboob is a phenomenon that happens in arid regions such as the Sahara. Its winds can reach 35 to 100 kilometers per hour.
41. Which Asian capital has an Imperial City and a Forbidden City?
a) New Delhi
b) Beijing
c) Tokyo
d) Singapore
e) Seoul
Alternative b: Beijing.
The Imperial City was a walled part of Beijing, accessible through six gates.
The Forbidden City was an imperial palace in China that served as the residence of emperors for nearly five centuries.
42. What author of classical antiquity wrote The Bacchae?
a) Homer
b) Sophocles
c) Aeschylus
d) Plutarch
e) Euripides
Alternative e: Euripides.
The Bacchae, staged in 406 BC a., is a prominent tragedy of the Greek dramatist Eurípides that deals with the limitations of the reason.
43. What country was divided in 1949?
a) Belgium
b) Germany
c) Poland
d) Austria
e) Denmark
Alternative b: Germany.
In 1949, Germany was divided into the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the Federal German Republic (West Germany).
44. Which people were the first to use the compass?
a) greeks
b) Romans
c) Chinese
d) Mesopotamians
e) Egyptians
Alternative c: Chinese
The compass is an object used for geographic orientation, considered one of the greatest inventions of mankind. Although it was widely used in the times of great navigations, it was probably created and used in China in the 1st century.
It was only later brought to Europe and, nowadays, it remains fundamental for studies in navigation and astronomy.
45. According to Pythagoras, what is A2 + B2 equal to?
a) AB
b) B3
c) B4
d) C2
e) C4
Alternative d: C2
According to the Pythagoras Theorem: "the sum of the squares of their legs corresponds to the square of their hypotenuse."
The formula that represents this concept is A2 = B2 + C2 (where “a” is the hypotenuse and “b” and “c” are the legs of a right triangle).
46. What was the Roman god of love?
a) Eros
b) Apollo
c) Bacchus
d) Cupid
e) Jupiter
Alternative d: Cupid
Cupid is the Roman god of love and his main characteristic is the personification of love. Its Greek counterpart is the god Eros.
47. What character in Greek mythology was half man and half horse?
a) Centaur
b) Satyr
c) Gorgon
d) Giant
e) Tartar
Alternative to: Centaur
Centaurs are hybrid and very strong mythological beings that are part of Greek mythology. The Centaur is formed by part of a man - which corresponds to the trunk, arms and head - and the rest of the body of a horse.
48. According to which meridian do we set our clocks?
a) Central Meridian
b) Meridian of Ecuador
c) Greenwich Meridian
d) Earth Meridian
e) International Meridian
Alternative c: Greenwich Meridian
The Greenwich Meridian is an imaginary line that cuts across the globe from north to south. Located in the Greenwich district of East London, this is where the “Royal Greenwich Observatory” is located.
Since 1675 it has been used to calculate the planet's time zones, however, it was only in 1884 that the US made this meridian official.
That's how Greenwich came to be recognized as the milestone for counting the 1st day of the year (1st of January, starting at 00:00 in Greenwich) and to mark the world time zones (Greenwich Mean Time/GMT).
49. What is the name of Snoopy's friend yellow bird?
a) Bobby
b) Daffy
c) Woodstock
d) Magoo
e) Wile
Alternative c: Woodstock
Snoopy is a comic book character from the newspaper peanuts, created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in 1950. He is Charlie Brown's pet dog and has a yellow bird called Woodstock as a friend and confidant.
50. What number repeats 3 times when mentioning the height in meters of Mount Everest?
a) the 4
b) the 5
c) the 6
d) the 7
e) the 8
Alternative e: o 8
Mount Everest is the highest mountain on the planet and is 8,848 meters high. Considered the top of the world, it is located on the Asian continent, in the Himalayas, between Tibet and Nepal.
And finally, let's do a different quiz inspired by questions from some games? Test your knowledge and check the final result:
Main General Knowledge Games
Discover the characteristics of each of the main general knowledge games and choose your favorite one.
1. Master
| Features | The game, released in 1982 by Grow, has 5445 different questions divided into 9 categories: Arts, Science, Everyday, Entertainment, Sports Geography, History and Natural History, Variety. |
|---|---|
| Goals | Get as many questions right. |
| number of players | 2 to 8 |
| Age | 14+ |
2. gym
| Features | The game, released in 1989 by Grow, features 400 tokens with difficult words. |
|---|---|
| Goals | Convince opposing players that your definition of words is correct. The important thing is to bluff, even if you don't know the meanings of the words you describe yourself. |
| number of players | 2 to 6 |
| Age | 10+ |
3. Trivial Pursuit
| Features | The game, released in 1981 by Grow, has tokens with 6 different categories: Art and Literature, Science and Nature, Sport and Leisure, Entertainment, Geography and History. |
|---|---|
| Goals | Collecting a form from each category, which is achieved by hitting the question in the corresponding category. |
| number of players | 2 to 24 |
| Age | 12+ |
4. Profile
| Features | The game, released in 1982 by Grow, brings about 390 cards with 20 tips about personalities, years, things or places. |
|---|---|
| Goals | Discover personalities, years, things or places using the fewest tips. |
| number of players | 2 to 6 |
| Age | 12+ |
5. Twilight Struggle
| Features | The strategy game launched by GMT Games in the US arrived in Brazil in 2016 through Editora Nacional Devir. It contains letters detailing the historical events of the beginning, middle and end of the Cold War. |
|---|---|
| Goals | Earn points by gaining political control of countries. |
| number of players | 2 |
| Age | 13+ |
6. quest
| Features | The game, whose family version was released in 2008 by Grow, has more than 2500 questions, with separate decks for children and adults. General knowledge questions are divided into the following categories: Arts and Entertainment, Science and Technology, Sport, World, Society and Variety. |
|---|---|
| Goals | Get as many questions right. |
| number of players | 2 to 6 |
| Age | 10+ |
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