Chemistry Everyday for Everyone
Periodic Puns for the Classroom Paul E. Vorndam Department of Chemistry, University of Southern Colorado, Pueblo, CO 81001
Humor can make chemistry more interesting. Examples have appeared in previous issues of this Journal: science-related cartoons (1), humorous personal anecdotes, chemistry puns, limericks (2), and even music (3). Previous Journal issues have even contained requests for humor and humorous anecdotes (4). Of course, humor in general, as a teaching technique, has been widely researched (5). Puns can be particularly effective. The periodic chart, as the list on the next page demonstrates, is fertile ground for “pun”-ishing students and colleagues!
Literature Cited 1. 2. 3. 4.
Wirth, H. E.; Burtt, B. P. J. Chem. Educ. 1945, 22, 501. Williams, F. D. J. Chem. Educ. 1995, 72, 1123. Eberhart, J. G. J. Chem. Educ. 1995, 72, 1076. Weber, R. L. J. Chem. Educ. 1981, 58, 288. Weber, R. L. J. Chem. Educ. 1984, 61, 715. 5. See, for example: Baughman, M. D. Baughman’s Handbook of Humor in Education; Parker: West Nyack, NY, 1974. Murphy, C. Schools in the Middle 1995, 4, 31. Nilsen, A. P. College English 1994, 56, 928. Bauer, J. ALAN Rev. 1996, 23, 2.
Can You Name the Favorite Elements of the Following Characters? Eskimo Undertaker Physician Lee Iaccoca Superman Drought-stricken farmer Arsonist Plumber Tanning salon Entomologist Police Comedian Dorothy Mitterand U.S. citizens IRS Cowboy Donald Duck Astronomer Escaping convicts
492
Curly and Larry Santa’s heinie J.P. Morgan West Coasters Carpet salesperson Deutschlanders Loan shark Male chauvinist Orthopedic surgeon Vampire Royalty Paul Bunyon Helping Hand Lenders Electron microsope operators Butchers who do not market fat meat The Lone Ranger Gossipers Ear, eye, nose and throat specialist Pat Sajek
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 76 No. 4 April 1999 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 76 No. 4 April 1999 • Journal of Chemical Education
493
Who? Eskimo Undertaker Physician Lee Iaccoca Superman Drought-stricken farmer Arsonist Plumber Tanning salon Entomologist Police Comedian Dorothy Mitterand U.S. citizens IRS Cowboy Donald Duck Astronomer
Element “Burrrrrr”-ylium “Bury ’em” “Heal”-i ’em “Car”-bon Krypton U-“rain”-ium “Sear”-ium Kitchen “zinc” “Rayed-on” “Ant”-imony Copper “Silly”-con “Oz”-mium Francium Americium “Sieze”-ium “You Rope -i- ’em” or “Rode”-ium “Pluto”-nium “Neptune”-ium
Who? Escaping convicts Curly and Larry Santa’s heinie J.P. Morgan West Coasters Carpet salesperson Deutschlanders Loan shark Male chauvinist Orthopedic surgeon Vampire Royalty Paul Bunyon Helping Hand Lenders Electron microsope operators Butchers who do not market fat meat The Lone Ranger Gossipers Ear, eye, nose and throat specialist Pat Sajek
Element Are-gone Mo Arse-Nick Big Bismuth Californium “Floor”-ine “German”-ium “I owe”-dine “Man”-ganese “Knee”-on “Night”-rogen “Nobel”-ium “Ox”-ygen Good Samariums “Scan”-dium “Sell lean”-ium Silver “Tell”-urium “Tongue”-sten “Vanna”-dium
Answers to the Periodic Puns on page 493 Chemistry Everyday for Everyone
