20 CSS Animation Interview Questions and Answers

CSS animations are used to animate the styles of an element. They are a powerful tool that can be used to create stunning visual effects. When applying for a position in web development or design, you may be asked questions about your experience with CSS animations. Answering these questions confidently can help you land the job. In this article, we review some common CSS animation questions and provide tips on how to answer them.

CSS Animation Interview Questions and Answers

Here are 20 commonly asked CSS Animation interview questions and answers to prepare you for your interview:

1. What are keyframes in CSS?

Keyframes are the foundation of CSS animations. They are used to specify the styles that an element will have at various points throughout the animation. Keyframes can be used to change the CSS properties of an element, such as the position, size, or color.

2. How do you set the direction of an animation using CSS?

You can set the direction of an animation using the animation-direction property in CSS. This property can take one of four values: normal, reverse, alternate, or alternate-reverse. The default value is normal, which will play the animation from start to finish. Reverse will play the animation backwards, from finish to start. Alternate will play the animation forwards, then backwards, then forwards again, and so on. Alternate-reverse is the same as alternate, but reversed.

3. Can you explain how to use sprites with CSS animations?

Sprites are a series of images that are put together to create an animation. In order to use sprites with CSS animations, you need to first create a sprite sheet, which is a collection of all of the images that you want to use in your animation. Once you have your sprite sheet, you can then use the CSS animation properties to control how the sprites are displayed and animated.

4. Can you give me some examples of real-world uses for CSS animations?

There are a number of real-world uses for CSS animations. One common use is for creating hover effects, such as when a user mouses over a button or link. This can add a bit of interactivity and visual interest to a page. Another use for CSS animations is for creating scrolling effects, such as a parallax effect. This can add depth and dimension to a page.

5. Can you explain the difference between an animatable and a non-animatable property?

Animatable properties are those that can be changed over time using CSS animations. Non-animatable properties are those that cannot be changed over time using CSS animations.

6. What is negative delay timing in CSS?

Negative delay timing is when the delay time is set to a negative value. This causes the animation to start immediately, rather than after the specified delay.

7. What kind of properties can be animated using CSS?

Many different properties can be animated using CSS. Some of the most common properties that are animated using CSS are the width, height, color, and position of elements.

8. What is the usage of -webkit-backface-visibility: hidden; iin CSS?

-webkit-backface-visibility: hidden; is used to prevent flickering during CSS animations. When an element is rotated, for example, the back side of the element is sometimes visible during the transition. By setting -webkit-backface-visibility: hidden;, the back side of the element will not be visible, and the animation will appear smoother.

9. Can you give me some examples of real-world uses of CSS transitions?

Many modern websites use CSS transitions to create smooth, fluid animations that add to the user experience. For example, when a user hovers over a button, the button may transition to a different color or shape. Or, when a user scrolls down a page, the page may transition to reveal new content. CSS transitions can also be used to create more complex animations, such as a slideshow or carousel.

10. Can you tell me what the steps() timing function does in CSS?

The steps() timing function allows you to control the number of steps in an animation. You can use it to make an animation more or less smooth, or to make it jump from one frame to the next.

11. In CSS, what’s the difference between visibility: collapse and display: none?

The main difference between visibility: collapse and display: none is that the latter will also remove the element from the document flow, whereas the former will not. This means that if you use visibility: collapse on an element, it will still take up space in the document and affect the position of other elements, whereas display: none will not.

12. What is the purpose of the will-change property in CSS?

The will-change property is used to hint to the browser that an element is going to be animated, and therefore, the browser should try to optimize its performance for that element.

13. Can you explain what the perspective property does in CSS?

The perspective property is used to give an element a 3D-like effect. It allows you to specify the distance between the viewer and the element, and also affects how large or small the element appears.

14. What is the best way to make a responsive animation?

The best way to make a responsive animation is to use a CSS animation. This will allow you to control the animation directly from your CSS, and make it responsive to different screen sizes.

15. What are the main differences between JQuery and jQuery UI?

JQuery is a JavaScript library that helps simplify HTML document traversing, event handling, and Ajax interactions. jQuery UI is a library built on top of JQuery that helps simplify the creation of user interface elements, such as dialog boxes, accordions, and tabs.

16. What are some ways to animate elements on scroll?

One way to animate elements on scroll is to use the CSS3 animation property. This allows you to specify the animation you want to use, as well as the duration, delay, and other properties. You can also use JavaScript to animate elements on scroll. This can be done by adding an event listener to the scroll event, and then animating the element based on the scroll position.

17. When should you use a Keyframe over a Transition in CSS?

Keyframes are used when you want to create complex animations, or when you want more control over the animation. Transitions are used when you want to create simple animations, or when you want the animation to be triggered by an event.

18. What’s the difference between “transition” and “transform”?

Transition is used to animate CSS properties that change gradually, over a period of time. Transform, on the other hand, is used to animate CSS properties that change abruptly, or that are based on a coordinate system.

19. What’s the meaning of “cubic-bezier” in CSS?

Cubic-bezier is a function that defines a curve used by CSS to create smooth animations. The function is made up of four points, each of which has an x and y coordinate. These coordinates determine the shape of the curve.

20. What is the purpose of the rotateX() method in CSS?

The rotateX() method is used to rotate an element around the x-axis. This can be used to create some interesting visual effects, such as making an element appear to be flipping over.