Chemistry Research
Periodically Puzzling
Here are some questions about the elements, their properties, and periodicity. In each case, the correct answer is the name of an element (one of the two given). Write the answer in the appropriate space at the right, placing the first letter in the first blank. There are more than enough blanks to fit either element name, so the number of letters in the name cannot be used as a clue. When the puzzle is complete, the Periodic Law will be displayed in the highlighted column.( by Bronwyn J. Nelson, Fairfield High School, Fairfield, Ohio.) 1. More outer electrons: Phosphorus or silicon? 2. Liquid at room temperature: cobalt or mercury? 3. Produces a yellow flame test: barium or sodium? 4. Can be cut with a knife: dysprosium or chromium? 5. Part of the lanthanide series: cerium or thorium? 6. Larger atoms: carbon or fluorine? 7. Very high ionization energy: krypton or potassium? 8. Configuration ending in s1: strontium or lithium? 9. A 1+ or 1- charge: hydrogen or rubidium? 10. Named after the theorizer of relativity: curium or einsteinium? 11. Configuration ends in 3p1: aluminum or sulfur? 12. Gives a yellow-green flame test: potassium or barium? 13. Named after an Eastern Hemisphere continent: americium or europium? 14. Has one valence electron: calcium or potassium? 15. Doesn’t react with sodium: chlorine or xenon? 16. A metal used in jewelry: sodium or rhodium? 17. Isolated by Madame Curie: radium or rhenium? 18. Its crystals sublime as violet gas: iodine or bromine? 19. Holds its electrons less tightly: copper or gold? 20. One of the two densest metals: osmium or magnesium? 21. Used to disinfect water: boron or chlorine? 22. Compounds of this are used in toothpaste: lithium or fluorine? 23. Named after the inventor of dynamite: lawrencium or nobelium? 24. Has higher ionization energy: antimony or bismuth? 25. Is smaller in radius: scandium or calcium?
Here are some questions about the elements, their properties, and periodicity. In each case, the correct answer is the name of an element (one of the two given). Write the answer in the appropriate space at the right, placing the first letter in the first blank. There are more than enough blanks to fit either element name, so the number of letters in the name cannot be used as a clue. When the puzzle is complete, the Periodic Law will be displayed in the highlighted column.( by Bronwyn J. Nelson, Fairfield High School, Fairfield, Ohio.) 1. More outer electrons: Phosphorus or silicon? 2. Liquid at room temperature: cobalt or mercury? 3. Produces a yellow flame test: barium or sodium? 4. Can be cut with a knife: dysprosium or chromium? 5. Part of the lanthanide series: cerium or thorium? 6. Larger atoms: carbon or fluorine? 7. Very high ionization energy: krypton or potassium? 8. Configuration ending in s1: strontium or lithium? 9. A 1+ or 1- charge: hydrogen or rubidium? 10. Named after the theorizer of relativity: curium or einsteinium? 11. Configuration ends in 3p1: aluminum or sulfur? 12. Gives a yellow-green flame test: potassium or barium? 13. Named after an Eastern Hemisphere continent: americium or europium? 14. Has one valence electron: calcium or potassium? 15. Doesn’t react with sodium: chlorine or xenon? 16. A metal used in jewelry: sodium or rhodium? 17. Isolated by Madame Curie: radium or rhenium? 18. Its crystals sublime as violet gas: iodine or bromine? 19. Holds its electrons less tightly: copper or gold? 20. One of the two densest metals: osmium or magnesium? 21. Used to disinfect water: boron or chlorine? 22. Compounds of this are used in toothpaste: lithium or fluorine? 23. Named after the inventor of dynamite: lawrencium or nobelium? 24. Has higher ionization energy: antimony or bismuth? 25. Is smaller in radius: scandium or calcium?