Chemistry Scavenger Hunt – Clues and Answer Key

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Chemistry Scavenger Hunt
A chemistry scavenger hunt is a fun way to learn basic chemical concepts.

A chemistry scavenger hunt is a fun chemistry assignment, where students identify or bring in items matching a descriptions. Examples of scavenger hunt items include things like “an element” or “a base.” It’s an educational written assignment. Alternatively, students can bring in labeled zipper baggies of examples. Here are clues and answers for a chemistry scavenger hunt, including PDF files you can print and use as handouts.

Chemistry Scavenger Hunt Clues

Use these clues or come up with your own. You can print a PDF of this list for an assignment.

  1. An element
  2. A compound
  3. A solid
  4. A liquid
  5. A gas
  6. A metal
  7. A nonmetal
  8. A heterogeneous mixture
  9. A homogeneous mixture
  10. An acid
  11. A base
  12. Result of a physical change
  13. Result of a chemical change
  14. A substance with a density greater than 1 g/ml
  15. A substance with a density less than 1 g/ml
  16. A mixture that can be separated by filtration
  17. A mole (not the animal)
  18. A polymer
  19. An ionic compound
  20. A covalent compound

Chemistry Scavenger Hunt Answer Key

Here are common answers for the clues. Keep in mind, additional answers may be correct. Here’s the answer key PDF to print.

  1. An element: Aluminum foil, copper wire, iron pan, sulfur, carbon in the form of graphite (pencil lead), amorphous carbon (soot), or diamond
  2. A compound: Sugar (sucrose), salt (sodium chloride), baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
  3. A solid: A rock, a ball, a paper clip, a coin
  4. A liquid: Water, juice, vegetable oil, vinegar, coffee, soda
  5. A gas: A balloon filled with air or helium, a baggie of air
  6. A metal: A can (aluminum), aluminum foil, a coin (zinc and copper), silverware (stainless steel), wire (copper), ring (gold, silver, copper)
  7. A nonmetal: Graphite from a pencil (carbon), plastic, sulfur, helium in a balloon, vegetable oil
  8. A heterogeneous mixture: Bag of mixed candies, chocolate chip cookie, soda with ice, sandwich, rock collection
  9. A homogeneous mixture: Air, non-carbonated soft drink, coffee, steel, sugar in water
  10. An acid: Vinegar (dilute acetic acid), solid citric acid, lemon juice
  11. A base: Baking soda, soap, dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent
  12. Result of a physical change: Melted ice, shredded paper, frozen ice cream, crushed candies
  13. Result of a chemical change: Baked cookies or cake, ashes, candies popping or fizzy when exposed to moisture
  14. A substance with a density greater than 1 g/ml: Anything that sinks in water, such as a metal coin, a glass marble, or a rock
  15. A substance with a density less than 1 g/ml: Oil, ice, wood
  16. A mixture that can be separated by filtration: Fruit cocktail in syrup, coffee grounds and water, sand and water
  17. A mole (not the animal): 18 g of water, 58.5 g of salt, 55.8 g of iron
  18. A polymer: Any plastic, hair, fur, polyester or nylon fabric
  19. An ionic compound: Salt (sodium chloride), baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), washing soda (sodium carbonate)
  20. A covalent compound: Water, vegetable oil, starch