120 True or False Trivia Questions & Answers

True-or-false trivia moves fast, but a confident answer can still take a delightful wrong turn.

These 120 statements keep the pace brisk and give every false answer a quick correction, so nobody leaves believing a penguin is a polar bear’s neighbor.

True or False Around the World

Take a quick lap around the map, then explore the longer route with our geography trivia.

1. True or false: The equator passes through Brazil.
   Answer: True.
2. True or false: Toronto is the capital of Canada.
   Answer: False. Ottawa is Canada’s capital.
3. True or false: The Nile empties into the Mediterranean Sea.
   Answer: True.
4. True or false: New Zealand is west of Australia.
   Answer: False. New Zealand is southeast of Australia.
5. True or false: Africa is crossed by both the equator and the prime meridian.
   Answer: True.
6. True or false: The Andes are in Europe.
   Answer: False. The Andes run along western South America.
7. True or false: Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
   Answer: True.
8. True or false: The Danube flows through Madrid.
   Answer: False. Madrid is not on the Danube.
9. True or false: Madagascar lies off Africa’s southeastern coast.
   Answer: True.
10. True or false: The Gobi Desert is in South America.
    Answer: False. The Gobi is in East Asia.
11. True or false: Istanbul spans both Europe and Asia.
    Answer: True.
12. True or false: Switzerland has a coastline on the Mediterranean.
    Answer: False. Switzerland is landlocked.
13. True or false: The Dead Sea is below sea level.
    Answer: True.
14. True or false: The Amazon River flows primarily from east to west.
    Answer: False. It flows mainly west to east toward the Atlantic.
15. True or false: Canberra is Australia’s capital.
    Answer: True.

Animal Claims on the Loose

Some animal facts sound made up even when they are true, and our animal trivia has an even wilder menagerie.

16. True or false: Bats are mammals.
    Answer: True.
17. True or false: All penguin species live in Antarctica.
    Answer: False. Penguins also live in temperate regions and near the equator.
18. True or false: An octopus has three hearts.
    Answer: True.
19. True or false: A whale shark is a whale.
    Answer: False. It is the largest living fish species.
20. True or false: Honeybees communicate food locations with a waggle dance.
    Answer: True.
21. True or false: Camels store water inside their humps.
    Answer: False. Their humps store fat.
22. True or false: A group of crows can be called a murder.
    Answer: True.
23. True or false: Chameleons change color only to match their surroundings.
    Answer: False. Color changes also communicate and help regulate temperature.
24. True or false: Sea turtles breathe air.
    Answer: True.
25. True or false: Spiders are insects.
    Answer: False. Spiders are arachnids.
26. True or false: Male seahorses carry developing young.
    Answer: True.
27. True or false: Ostriches can fly short distances.
    Answer: False. Ostriches are flightless birds.
28. True or false: Dolphins use echolocation.
    Answer: True.
29. True or false: Polar bears and wild penguins naturally share the same habitat.
    Answer: False. Polar bears live in the Arctic, while penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.
30. True or false: Koalas are marsupials.
    Answer: True.

Science Statements Under the Microscope

Tiny particles and huge planets share this lab bench, with more experiments waiting in our science trivia.

31. True or false: Sound travels faster in water than in air.
    Answer: True.
32. True or false: Electrons are larger than atoms.
    Answer: False. Electrons are subatomic particles.
33. True or false: Venus is hotter at its surface than Mercury.
    Answer: True.
34. True or false: Pure water boils at the same temperature at every altitude.
    Answer: False. Boiling temperature changes with air pressure.
35. True or false: DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid.
    Answer: True.
36. True or false: The Sun is a planet.
    Answer: False. The Sun is a star.
37. True or false: Light can travel through a vacuum.
    Answer: True.
38. True or false: Humans have four lungs.
    Answer: False. Humans normally have two lungs.
39. True or false: Carbon dioxide contains carbon and oxygen.
    Answer: True.
40. True or false: Magnets always have just one pole.
    Answer: False. Ordinary magnets have north and south poles.
41. True or false: Earth’s outer core is liquid.
    Answer: True.
42. True or false: Antibiotics kill viruses.
    Answer: False. Antibiotics target bacteria, not viruses.
43. True or false: A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves between Earth and the Sun.
    Answer: True.
44. True or false: The adult human body has 300 bones.
    Answer: False. Most adults have 206 bones.
45. True or false: Helium is lighter than air.
    Answer: True.

History: Fact or Fiction

The timeline is set, but a few statements are wearing suspicious disguises.

46. True or false: The ancient Olympic Games began in Greece.
    Answer: True.
47. True or false: The printing press associated with Johannes Gutenberg was developed in the 1800s.
    Answer: False. Gutenberg’s European press dates to the 15th century.
48. True or false: The Titanic sank in 1912.
    Answer: True.
49. True or false: Cleopatra lived closer in time to the building of the Great Pyramid than to the Moon landing.
    Answer: False. She lived much closer to the Moon landing.
50. True or false: The Berlin Wall fell in 1989.
    Answer: True.
51. True or false: The U.S. Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1775.
    Answer: False. It was adopted in 1776.
52. True or false: The Inca Empire centered on the Andes.
    Answer: True.
53. True or false: Marco Polo was the first human ever to travel between Europe and China.
    Answer: False. People traveled those routes before him.
54. True or false: Harriet Tubman helped people escape slavery through the Underground Railroad.
    Answer: True.
55. True or false: Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Paris.
    Answer: False. He was born in Ajaccio on Corsica.
56. True or false: The first successful powered airplane flight occurred in 1903.
    Answer: True.
57. True or false: The Roman numeral X represents five.
    Answer: False. X represents ten; V represents five.
58. True or false: The Aztec capital was Tenochtitlan.
    Answer: True.
59. True or false: The American Civil War ended before it began.
    Answer: False. It lasted from 1861 to 1865.
60. True or false: Ada Lovelace wrote an algorithm intended for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine.
    Answer: True.

Food Facts, Served Two Ways

Every statement comes with a side of confidence, but some need to go back to the kitchen.

61. True or false: Peanuts are legumes.
    Answer: True.
62. True or false: White chocolate contains cocoa solids.
    Answer: False. It contains cocoa butter but no cocoa solids.
63. True or false: Traditional pesto alla Genovese includes basil.
    Answer: True.
64. True or false: Sushi always contains raw fish.
    Answer: False. Sushi refers to vinegared rice and can use cooked or vegetarian ingredients.
65. True or false: Vanilla comes from an orchid.
    Answer: True.
66. True or false: A raisin is a dried plum.
    Answer: False. A raisin is a dried grape.
67. True or false: Mozzarella is traditionally associated with Italy.
    Answer: True.
68. True or false: All tea comes from peppermint leaves.
    Answer: False. True tea comes from Camellia sinensis.
69. True or false: Sourdough fermentation involves microorganisms.
    Answer: True.
70. True or false: Cacao beans grow underground.
    Answer: False. They grow in pods on cacao trees.
71. True or false: Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans.
    Answer: True.
72. True or false: Gelato is the Spanish word for bread.
    Answer: False. Gelato is Italian for ice cream.
73. True or false: Nutmeg comes from a seed.
    Answer: True.
74. True or false: Baking soda and baking powder are exactly the same product.
    Answer: False. Baking powder contains baking soda plus acid and usually starch.
75. True or false: Kimchi commonly uses fermented vegetables.
    Answer: True.

Entertainment: Roll True or False

Movies, books, and music all get a turn under the bright studio lights.

76. True or false: Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s father.
    Answer: True.
77. True or false: Sherlock Holmes was created by Charles Dickens.
    Answer: False. Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes.
78. True or false: The Beatles formed in Liverpool.
    Answer: True.
79. True or false: The fictional Hogwarts house colors are all black and white.
    Answer: False. Each house has its own colors.
80. True or false: The film Casablanca is set partly in Morocco.
    Answer: True.
81. True or false: Beyoncé was a member of the Spice Girls.
    Answer: False. She was a member of Destiny’s Child.
82. True or false: The character Paddington is a bear.
    Answer: True.
83. True or false: The Mona Lisa was painted by Pablo Picasso.
    Answer: False. Leonardo da Vinci painted it.
84. True or false: Wakanda is a fictional nation in Marvel stories.
    Answer: True.
85. True or false: Romeo and Juliet ends with the couple opening a bakery.
    Answer: False. The tragedy ends with both lovers dead.
86. True or false: Dolly Parton wrote and recorded “Jolene.”
    Answer: True.
87. True or false: The Muppets’ Kermit is a pig.
    Answer: False. Kermit is a frog.
88. True or false: Studio Ghibli released My Neighbor Totoro.
    Answer: True.
89. True or false: Elvis Presley was known as the King of Jazz.
    Answer: False. He was widely called the King of Rock and Roll.
90. True or false: The novel Charlotte’s Web features a spider named Charlotte.
    Answer: True.

Sports Rules on Trial

Keep one eye on the scoreboard because a single word can turn a rule upside down.

91. True or false: A standard soccer match begins with 11 players per team on the field.
    Answer: True.
92. True or false: A baseball home run is worth exactly four runs every time.
    Answer: False. Its value depends on how many runners are on base.
93. True or false: The Tour de France is a cycling race.
    Answer: True.
94. True or false: A tennis tiebreak is played with a bowling ball.
    Answer: False. Tennis uses a tennis ball.
95. True or false: The decathlon has ten events.
    Answer: True.
96. True or false: The queen is the least powerful piece in chess.
    Answer: False. The queen is generally the most powerful piece.
97. True or false: Volleyball teams rotate positions after winning the serve from the opponent.
    Answer: True.
98. True or false: A marathon is shorter than 10 kilometers.
    Answer: False. A marathon is 42.195 kilometers.
99. True or false: The Masters golf tournament awards a green jacket to its winner.
    Answer: True.
100. True or false: In basketball, a shot beyond the three-point arc is worth two points.
     Answer: False. It is worth three points.
101. True or false: Curling is played on ice.
     Answer: True.
102. True or false: The pitcher in cricket stands on a pitcher’s mound.
     Answer: False. Cricket has bowlers and a pitch, not a baseball pitcher’s mound.
103. True or false: A royal flush is a poker hand.
     Answer: True.
104. True or false: In golf, a bogey is one stroke under par.
     Answer: False. A bogey is one stroke over par.
105. True or false: The Paralympic Games feature elite athletes with disabilities.
     Answer: True.

Everyday Truths and Sneaky Myths

Finish with familiar objects, language, and a few myths that deserve a polite correction.

106. True or false: A leap year usually has 366 days.
     Answer: True.
107. True or false: The Great Wall of China is easily visible from the Moon with the unaided eye.
     Answer: False. It is not readily visible from the Moon without aid.
108. True or false: The English alphabet has five traditional vowel letters.
     Answer: True.
109. True or false: Lightning never strikes the same place twice.
     Answer: False. It can strike the same place repeatedly.
110. True or false: A kilometer is longer than a meter.
     Answer: True.
111. True or false: Humans use only 10 percent of their brains.
     Answer: False. Brain imaging shows activity across the brain over time.
112. True or false: A compass needle aligns with Earth’s magnetic field.
     Answer: True.
113. True or false: Cracking knuckles has been proven to cause arthritis in everyone.
     Answer: False. Evidence does not support that blanket claim.
114. True or false: A palindrome reads the same forward and backward.
     Answer: True.
115. True or false: Goldfish have memories lasting only three seconds.
     Answer: False. Studies show they can remember for much longer.
116. True or false: Braille uses patterns of raised dots.
     Answer: True.
117. True or false: Bulls become angry simply because they see the color red.
     Answer: False. They react to movement, and cattle do not see red as humans do.
118. True or false: The prefix “tri-” often means three.
     Answer: True.
119. True or false: Seasons are caused mainly by Earth moving closer to and farther from the Sun.
     Answer: False. Earth’s axial tilt drives the seasons.
120. True or false: A dozen means twelve.
     Answer: True.

Sources and Further Reading

• NASA Science
• NOAA Ocean Service
• Smithsonian's National Zoo
• Encyclopaedia Britannica