Here’s another list-based trivia challenge. There are 20 elements in the Periodic Table whose names, in English, contain 10 or more letters. How many can you name?

All 20 names appear at the end of this piece, grouped in various ways. First, as usual, a few paragraphs of text so that you don’t read them accidentally. Skip past them if you want to go straight to the answers.

This might be a good jackpot question for the BBC1 quiz show “Who Dares Wins”, where contestants can win up to £50,000 by naming up to 15 items in a list. As this piece from last year explains, contestants win money by naming items in groups of 3 (3 correct answers = £5,000, 6 correct answers = £10,000 and so on). Most adults with any interest in trivia questions should be able to think of at least 3 elements.

There are exactly 10 elements that have 10 letters in their name, and exactly 10 that have more than 10 letters in their name. This would make either list suitable for the ITV quiz show “Tenable”, which I have mentioned many times, beginning with this piece. “Name all 10 elements whose names contain exactly 10 letters” and “Name all 10 elements whose names contain more than 10 letters” would be pretty tough rounds for most of us, but maybe not as tough as listing the names of every Weasley in the Harry Potter books.

It’s possible that one or more of these Periodic Table challenges have featured in one or both of these shows, but not in any episode that I have seen.

A few hints

You might have memorized chunks of of the Periodic Table, maybe the first 20 or 40 items numerically using a mnemonic like HHeLiBeBCNOF. If so you will know that there is only one element with 10 letters or more in those first 40 items.

Most of the longest names are in the lower end of the Periodic Table. 13 of them have atomic numbers greater than 90. There are exactly 10 between 101 and 117.

Many of these elements are named after people and places. If you’re stuck, try and think of scientists or places with elements named after them. That might help you to come up with a few more.

One element has 13 letters in its name.

Three elements have 12 letters in their names.

Six elements have 11 letters in their names.

Ready for the answers?

If not, look away now, and come back when you are ready.

The answers

All 20, listed by atomic number

Atomic Number	Name	Symbol
15	Phosphorus	P
42	Molybdenum	Mo
43	Technetium	Tc
59	Praseodymium	Pr
61	Promethium	Pm
64	Gadolinium	Gd
66	Dysprosium	Dy
91	Protactinium	Pa
96	Californium	Cf
99	Einsteinium	Es
101	Mendelevium	Md
103	Lawrencium	Lr
104	Rutherfordium	Rf
106	Seaborgium	Sg
109	Meitnerium	Mt
110	Darmstadtium	Ds
111	Roentgenium	Rg
112	Copernicium	Cn
116	Livermorium	Lv
117	Tennessine	Ts

 

All 20, listed alphabetically

Atomic Number	Name	Symbol
96	Californium	Cf
112	Copernicium	Cn
110	Darmstadtium	Ds
66	Dysprosium	Dy
99	Einsteinium	Es
64	Gadolinium	Gd
103	Lawrencium	Lr
116	Livermorium	Lv
109	Meitnerium	Mt
101	Mendelevium	Md
42	Molybdenum	Mo
15	Phosphorus	P
59	Praseodymium	Pr
61	Promethium	Pm
91	Protactinium	Pa
111	Roentgenium	Rg
104	Rutherfordium	Rf
106	Seaborgium	Sg
43	Technetium	Tc
117	Tennessine	Ts

 

The 10 elements with exactly 10 letters in their name (alphabetically)

Atomic Number	Name	Symbol
66	Dysprosium	Dy
64	Gadolinium	Gd
103	Lawrencium	Lr
109	Meitnerium	Mt
42	Molybdenum	Mo
15	Phosphorus	P
61	Promethium	Pm
106	Seaborgium	Sg
43	Technetium	Tc
117	Tennessine	Ts

 

The 10 elements with more than 10 letters in their name (alphabetically)

Atomic Number	Name	Symbol
96	Californium	Cf
112	Copernicium	Cn
110	Darmstadtium	Ds
99	Einsteinium	Es
116	Livermorium	Lv
101	Mendelevium	Md
59	Praseodymium	Pr
91	Protactinium	Pa
111	Roentgenium	Rg
104	Rutherfordium	Rf

 

All 20 elements in order of size (largest first) and then alphabetically

Atomic Number	Name	Sym	Len
104	Rutherfordium	Rf	13
110	Darmstadtium	Ds	12
59	Praseodymium	Pr	12
91	Protactinium	Pa	12
96	Californium	Cf	11
112	Copernicium	Cn	11
99	Einsteinium	Es	11
116	Livermorium	Lv	11
101	Mendelevium	Md	11
111	Roentgenium	Rg	11
66	Dysprosium	Dy	10
64	Gadolinium	Gd	10
103	Lawrencium	Lr	10
109	Meitnerium	Mt	10
42	Molybdenum	Mo	10
15	Phosphorus	P	10
61	Promethium	Pm	10
106	Seaborgium	Sg	10
43	Technetium	Tc	10
117	Tennessine	Ts	10