Technology Trivia: 36 Questions on Computers and the Internet

Set the Rules Before the First Question

Use one point for each complete answer, for a maximum of 36. Accept an accurate translated expansion of an acronym as well as the English name. For a literal tag or symbol, accept the named element or the written character. Tell teams this before scoring, so the quiz measures understanding rather than English spelling.

Read one question at a time and lock the answers before revealing the explanation. Some definitions help with later questions, so do not allow teams to revise earlier answers. If people can see this page, use it as a learning sheet rather than a closed-answer contest.

For a mixed group, read the two-choice questions first only if you prepare the order beforehand, or simply choose one complete round. Give more time for protocol abbreviations than for yes-or-no questions. The suggested format is an editorial choice, not a tested teaching method.

For a relaxed welcome before the first round, start with a few everyday conversation topics and then move to the quiz rules.

Round 1: Data and File Formats

Pay attention to the unit written in the question. A bit, a byte, a decimal prefix and a binary prefix are not interchangeable. For the encoding question, count one Unicode scalar value rather than a whole visible symbol, which can be assembled from several values.

1. Which two values can a single binary digit have?
   Answer: 0 and 1. Source
2. How many bits are in an octet?
   Answer: Eight. Source
3. What decimal value does the hexadecimal digit F represent?
   Answer: 15. Source
4. How many bytes are in one kibibyte, written KiB?
   Answer: 1,024 bytes. Source
5. Using the decimal SI prefix, how many bytes does one kilobyte contain?
   Answer: 1,000 bytes. This is different from a kibibyte. Source
6. How many bits does standard ASCII use for a character code, before any storage padding?
   Answer: Seven. Source
7. Under RFC 3629, what is the maximum number of bytes used for one Unicode scalar value in UTF-8?
   Answer: Four. A visible symbol can contain more than one scalar value. Source; Text segmentation
8. Does Unicode primarily standardize character encoding or the design of a particular font?
   Answer: Character encoding; it is not one particular font. Source
9. In JSON, does a pair of curly braces enclose an object or an array?
   Answer: An object. Arrays use square brackets. Source

Round 2: Web Pages and Accessibility

These questions concern the building blocks and meaning of web content. Some ask for an abbreviation; others ask for one element or attribute. Read the letters aloud if necessary. Knowing a name does not by itself establish that a particular website meets an accessibility standard.

10. What does HTML stand for?
    Answer: HyperText Markup Language. Source
11. What does CSS stand for?
    Answer: Cascading Style Sheets. Source
12. Which word represented by the V in SVG describes its graphics model?
    Answer: Vector. Source
13. Is the compression specified for PNG images lossless or lossy?
    Answer: Lossless. Source
14. Which HTML img attribute provides replacement text for an image?
    Answer: alt. Source
15. What does WCAG stand for?
    Answer: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Source
16. Which single-letter HTML element creates a hyperlink when it has an href attribute?
    Answer: The a element. Source
17. Which HTML element represents a section containing navigation links?
    Answer: nav. Source
18. What do the letters ARIA stand for in web accessibility?
    Answer: Accessible Rich Internet Applications. Source

Round 3: Internet Protocols

This round asks what protocols and identifiers are called or how their standard fields are defined. It does not ask anyone to connect to a server, inspect another person’s traffic or change device settings. A status-code label is not a complete diagnosis of why a website behaved a certain way.

19. What does DNS stand for in internet networking?
    Answer: Domain Name System. Source
20. How many bits are in an IPv4 address?
    Answer: 32. Source
21. How many bits are in an IPv6 address?
    Answer: 128. Source
22. Which HTTP status code is named Not Found?
    Answer: 404. It does not by itself prove that a resource is permanently gone. Source
23. What does TLS stand for, as used in secure internet connections?
    Answer: Transport Layer Security. Source
24. Which transport protocol is abbreviated TCP?
    Answer: Transmission Control Protocol. Source
25. Which transport protocol is abbreviated UDP?
    Answer: User Datagram Protocol. Source
26. Which punctuation character introduces a fragment identifier in a URI?
    Answer: The number sign, #. Source
27. What does SMTP stand for in email transport?
    Answer: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Source

Round 4: Hardware and the Names Behind It

Finish with ordinary computer components and a few stories behind familiar names. The questions distinguish memory from storage and a connector’s shape from its capabilities. Do not ask players to open a device, unplug equipment or demonstrate a security setting to earn a point.

28. What does CPU stand for?
    Answer: Central Processing Unit. Source
29. Does ordinary volatile computer RAM keep its data when power is removed?
    Answer: No; it needs power to retain that data. Source
30. Does a solid-state drive rely on spinning platters to store data?
    Answer: No. SSDs have no moving storage parts. Source
31. In a traditional hard disk drive, are the spinning platters coated with a magnetic material?
    Answer: Yes. Source
32. Which king's nickname became the name Bluetooth?
    Answer: Harald Bluetooth, or Harald Gormsson. Source
33. Which USB connector type is designed for reversible plug orientation: Type-A or Type-C?
    Answer: Type-C. Connector shape alone does not establish a cable's speed. Source
34. Was the Python programming language named after a snake or a comedy programme?
    Answer: The comedy programme Monty Python's Flying Circus. Source
35. Who began the Linux project in 1991?
    Answer: Linus Torvalds. Source
36. Do two different passwords, by themselves, constitute two different authentication factors?
    Answer: No. Both are something you know, so they belong to the same factor category. Source

Check a Disputed Answer Against the Exact Question

When two answers differ, first decide whether the disagreement concerns the term, the unit or a real ambiguity. The source links beside each answer point to the material used for this set. Read the relevant definition rather than searching for a result that simply agrees with the loudest player.

For units, keep the symbol attached to the number. For acronyms, accept a translation that preserves the technical meaning. Do not award an extra point for a longer explanation or subtract one for an accent missing from a person’s name. If the wording did not make the intended scope clear, accept a defensible answer consistently for every team.

Keep a shared win if the scores remain tied after the last question. For another session, choose a different round or a new subject instead of reusing an answer you have just revealed. This is a social quiz, not a certification exam or a measurement of someone’s technical competence.

If the group wants a break afterward, choose one of these games that need no equipment. Keep it separate from the scoring.