Position fixed and sticky in CSS - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the code to make the header stay fixed at the top of the page.

CSS

header {
  position: [1];
  top: 0;
  width: 100%;
  background-color: lightblue;
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aabsolute

Bfixed

Cstatic

Drelative

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'relative' does not fix the element on scroll.

Using 'static' is the default and does not fix the element.

Using position: fixed; makes the header stay fixed at the top of the page even when you scroll.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the code to make the sidebar stick to the top when scrolling past it.

CSS

.sidebar {
  position: [1];
  top: 0;
  background-color: lightgray;
  height: 200px;
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aabsolute

Brelative

Csticky

Dfixed

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'fixed' makes the element always fixed, not sticky.

Using 'absolute' positions relative to nearest positioned ancestor.

position: sticky; makes the sidebar stick to the top of the viewport when you scroll past it.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the code to make the footer fixed at the bottom of the page.

CSS

footer {
  position: [1];
  bottom: 0;
  width: 100%;
  background-color: lightgreen;
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Afixed

Bsticky

Crelative

Dstatic

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'sticky' does not fix the footer at the bottom always.

Using 'relative' or 'static' will not fix the footer position.

position: fixed; with bottom: 0; fixes the footer at the bottom of the viewport.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to create a sticky navigation bar that sticks 10px from the top.

CSS

nav {
  position: [1];
  top: [2];
  background-color: coral;
  padding: 1rem;
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Asticky

Bfixed

C10px

D0

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'fixed' instead of 'sticky' changes behavior.

Setting top to 0 sticks at the very top, not 10px below.

Using position: sticky; with top: 10px; makes the nav bar stick 10 pixels from the top when scrolling.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to create a fixed header with a sticky subheader below it.

CSS

header {
  position: [1];
  top: 0;
  background-color: navy;
  color: white;
  padding: 1rem;
}
.subheader {
  position: [2];
  top: [3];
  background-color: lightblue;
  padding: 0.5rem;
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Afixed

Bsticky

C3rem

D0

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'sticky' for header instead of 'fixed' makes it scroll away.

Setting subheader top to 0 causes overlap with fixed header.

The header is fixed at the top with position: fixed;. The subheader is sticky and sticks 3rem below the top, so it stays below the fixed header.

Practice

1. What does position: fixed; do to an element on a webpage?

easy

A. Keeps the element always visible in the same spot on the screen, even when scrolling.

B. Makes the element scroll normally with the page content.

C. Positions the element relative to its parent container.

D. Hides the element when the page is scrolled.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand fixed positioning

   Elements with position: fixed; stay in the same place on the screen regardless of scrolling.

2. Step 2: Compare with other positions

   Unlike normal flow or relative positioning, fixed elements do not move when the page scrolls.

3. Final Answer:

   Keeps the element always visible in the same spot on the screen, even when scrolling. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Fixed = Always visible on screen [OK]

Hint: Fixed means element stays put on screen during scroll [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking fixed elements scroll with the page
• Confusing fixed with relative positioning
• Assuming fixed hides the element

2. Which of the following is the correct CSS syntax to make an element sticky at 10px from the top?

easy

A. position: relative; top: 10px;

B. position: fixed; top: 10px;

C. position: absolute; top: 10px;

D. position: sticky; top: 10px;

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify sticky syntax

   The correct way to make an element sticky is using position: sticky; with an offset like top: 10px;.

2. Step 2: Check other options

   Fixed keeps element always on screen, absolute positions relative to nearest positioned ancestor, relative moves element relative to normal spot.

3. Final Answer:

   position: sticky; top: 10px; -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Sticky syntax = position: sticky + offset [OK]

Hint: Sticky needs position sticky plus top/left/right/bottom [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using fixed instead of sticky
• Forgetting to add top offset
• Using relative or absolute incorrectly

3. Given this CSS and HTML, what will happen when you scroll the page?

<style>
header {
  position: sticky;
  top: 0;
  background: lightblue;
  padding: 1rem;
}
</style>
<header>Sticky Header</header>
<div style='height: 2000px;'>Content</div>

medium

A. The header stays stuck at the top of the viewport when scrolling down.

B. The header scrolls away with the page content.

C. The header stays fixed at the bottom of the page.

D. The header disappears when scrolling starts.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand sticky with top: 0

   The header will scroll normally until it reaches the top of the viewport, then it sticks there.

2. Step 2: Visualize scrolling effect

   As you scroll down, the header remains visible stuck at the top, making it easy to access.

3. Final Answer:

   The header stays stuck at the top of the viewport when scrolling down. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Sticky + top:0 = sticks at top on scroll [OK]

Hint: Sticky sticks at offset after scrolling reaches it [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking sticky behaves like fixed always
• Assuming header scrolls away immediately
• Confusing top: 0 with bottom positioning

4. You want a navigation bar to stay visible at the top when scrolling, but your CSS uses position: sticky; and it doesn't stick. What is a likely cause?

medium

A. You forgot to add position: fixed; instead.

B. The element has no width set.

C. The parent container has overflow: hidden; or overflow: auto;.

D. The element is inside a <footer> tag.

Solution

1. Step 1: Check parent container overflow

   Sticky positioning requires the parent container not to clip overflow; overflow: hidden; or auto can prevent sticky from working.

2. Step 2: Understand sticky requirements

   Sticky depends on scroll container; if parent clips overflow, sticky won't stick.

3. Final Answer:

   The parent container has overflow: hidden; or overflow: auto;. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Sticky fails if parent clips overflow [OK]

Hint: Check parent overflow to fix sticky not working [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Switching to fixed without need
• Ignoring parent container styles
• Assuming tag type affects sticky

5. You want a sidebar that stays visible on the left side as you scroll down, but only after you scroll past its original position. Which CSS setup achieves this behavior?

hard

A. Use position: fixed; left: 0; on the sidebar.

B. Use position: sticky; top: 0; on the sidebar inside a tall container.

C. Use position: absolute; left: 0; top: 0; on the sidebar.

D. Use position: relative; left: 0; on the sidebar.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand sticky sidebar behavior

   Sticky lets the sidebar scroll normally until it reaches the top, then it sticks there, perfect for this use case.

2. Step 2: Why not fixed or absolute?

   Fixed would always keep sidebar visible, ignoring scroll position. Absolute positions relative to container but doesn't stick on scroll.

3. Final Answer:

   Use position: sticky; top: 0; on the sidebar inside a tall container. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Sticky = scroll then stick at offset [OK]

Hint: Sticky sticks after scrolling past original spot [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using fixed which ignores scroll position
• Using absolute which doesn't stick on scroll
• Using relative which just shifts position