Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A planet hiding in the periodic table

Uranium takes its name from Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun. The element was identified in the late eighteenth century, shortly after the planet had been discovered, and the new substance was named in its honour. It is fitting company: uranium is the heaviest element found in significant amounts in nature, and its radioactive properties eventually made it central to both energy production and nuclear research.

Mercury and its misleading name

The chemical symbol for mercury is Hg, which comes from hydrargyrum, the Latinised form of a Greek word meaning "water silver". The element's English name, by contrast, honours the Roman god Mercury, known for his speed. That dual identity is common in chemistry: several elements carry symbols that trace back to older Latin or Greek names rather than their modern English ones, including iron (Fe) and lead (Pb).

The Nile and the countries it touches

The Nile is one of the longest rivers in the world, and its course runs through several African nations, including Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt. Its two main branches, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, meet at Khartoum in Sudan before continuing north. For thousands of years the river has supported agriculture and settlement along its banks, which is one reason ancient Egyptian civilisation grew where it did.

Vitamins that need fat to work

Vitamin A is one of the fat-soluble vitamins, along with D, E and K. That means the body absorbs them best when they are eaten with some fat, and it can store them in tissue rather than flushing out the excess. Vitamin C and the B vitamins, by contrast, are water-soluble, so they need to be replenished more regularly through the diet.

Why football is called "the beautiful game"

The phrase "the beautiful game" is most often linked to football, and it is widely attributed to the Brazilian player Pele, who used it to describe the sport's grace and creativity. The idea captured something real about how the game is played: a simple set of rules leaves enormous room for skill, improvisation and teamwork, which is part of why it spread so widely around the world.