Chemistry for Everyone
It’s Elementary Milton J. Wieder Department of Chemistry, Metropolitan State College of Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3362;
[email protected] Each year, the Metropolitan State College of Denver Chemistry Department invites local high school students to participate in Chemistry Day, an organized series of contests based on chemical knowledge and laboratory skills (1). An integral part of Chemistry Day is the Chemistry Bowl, a competition in which teams of students vie to answer correctly a maximum number of chemistry-based questions. Interspersed among the serious Chemistry Bowl questions are a number of lighthearted questions designed to integrate an elementary knowledge of chemistry with general knowledge. Students are asked to identify two or more elements from a word spelled by combining the elements’ symbols. A representative sampling of element/word questions and answers follows. Questions Q1. The combined symbols of a fourth-period transition metal and a radioactive inert gas spell the name of an agricultural product for which Iowa is noted. Name the two elements. Q2. The combined symbols of the alkaline earth metal important in the formation of bone and a fourth-row metalloid spell a word associated with imprisonment. Name the two elements. Q3. The combined symbols of the main constituent of steel and an inert gas spell a word indicative of being frightened. Name the two elements. Q4. The combined symbols of a third-period metalloid and a transuranium element named after the continents in the Western Hemisphere spell the former name of Thailand. Name the two elements. Q5. The combined symbols of the metalloid found in sand and the element that is the main constituent of air spell a word associated with religious transgression. Name the two elements. Q6. The combined symbols of two inert gases spell a word meaning “to listen”. Name the two gases. Q7. The combined symbols of the alkaline earth metal that has the largest atoms and the metal used for making incandescent light bulb filaments spell a word indicative of sushi. Name the two elements. Q8. The combined symbols of a metalloid and a nonmetal, both from group 5A (group 15), spell the name of a venomous African snake. Name the two elements. Q9. The combined symbols of the sixth-period alkaline earth metal and the first element in the actinide series spell a word associated with a cleaning activity. Name the two metals. Q10. The combined symbols of the transfermium element named after the inventor of dynamite and the fourth-period chalcogen spell the name of an olfactory organ. Name the two elements.
468
Q11. The combined symbols of the fourth-period transition metal formerly used to plate car bumpers and the actinide element named after the continents in the Western Hemisphere spell the name of a student activity widely practiced before examinations. Name the two elements. Q12. The combined symbols of a fifth-period transition metal and the first member of the actinide series spell the name of an insect reputed to be attracted to flames. Name the two elements. Q13. The combined symbols of the smallest member of the alkali metal family and the first member of the lanthanide series spell the name of a parasitic infestation. Name the two elements. Q14. The combined symbols of an alkali metal associated with long-lived batteries and the most abundant inert gas in air spell a word that describes an individual who utters falsehoods. Name the two elements. Q15. The combined symbols of a fourth-period transition metal, the element whose electron configuration is 1s22s22p1, and a radioactive alkaline earth metal spell the name of a venomous snake. Name the three elements. Q16. The combined symbols of a fourth-period transition metal, a third-period noble gas, and the most electronegative element spell the name of a strip of cloth typically worn around the neck or shoulders. Name the three elements. Q17. The combined symbols of the smallest member of the halogen family, an inert gas, and the first member of the lanthanide series spell a word indicative of comedy based on unlikely or exaggerated situations. Name the three elements. Q18. The combined symbols of the largest element in group 6A (group 16), a fourth-period alkali metal, and a lanthanide element named after a Swedish village (2, 3) spell the name of a popular card game. Name the three elements. Q19. The combined symbols of the second member of the actinide series, the major constituent of air, a fourth-row transition metal, and the transuranium element named after the scientist associated with the theory of relativity spell the name of a type of underwear worn by women and children. Name the four elements. Answers A1. A2. A3. A4. A5. A6. A7. A8.
CoRn (cobalt and radon) CaGe (calcium and germanium) FeAr (iron and argon) SiAm (silicon and americium) SiN (silicon and nitrogen) HeAr (helium and argon) RaW (radium and tungsten) AsP (arsenic and phosphorus)
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 78 No. 4 April 2001 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
Chemistry for Everyone
A9. A10. A11. A12. A13. A14. A15. A16. A17. A18. A19.
BaTh (barium and thorium) NoSe (nobelium and selenium) CrAm (chromium and americium) MoTh (molybdenum and thorium) LiCe (lithium and cerium) LiAr (lithium and argon) CoBRa (cobalt, boron, radium) ScArF (scandium, argon, fluorine) FArCe (fluorine, argon, cerium) PoKEr (polonium, potassium, erbium) PaNTiEs (protactinium, nitrogen, titanium, einsteinium)
Comments These element/word questions dispel some of the tension that builds during Chemistry Bowl contests and have special appeal to students who enjoy language-related problems. The questions are similar to chemical puzzles that have appeared in this Journal (4–10) and could easily serve as bonus problems on a periodic table examination or a means of reviewing for such an examination. Element/word questions need not be restricted to English words and, with a little imagination, can
be tailored to reflect local conditions. Given the negative feelings many students bring to chemistry, element/word problems are a useful tool in helping to make the subject matter student friendly. Acknowledgment I would like to thank the reviewers for their helpful suggestions. Literature Cited 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Matthews, F. J. J. Chem. Educ. 1997, 74, 452. Ball, D. W. J. Chem. Educ. 1985, 62, 787–788. Ringnes, V. J. Chem. Educ. 1989, 66, 731–738. Wieder, M. J. J. Chem. Educ. 1987, 64, 320. Levine, H. L. J. Chem. Educ. 1990, 67, 1045–1046. Helser, T. L. J. Chem. Educ. 1992, 69, 970. Subramaniam, R.; Goh, N. K.; Chia, L. S. J. Chem. Educ. 1999, 76, 484–488. 8. Helser, T. L. J. Chem. Educ. 1999, 76, 494–495, 501. 9. Denny, R. A.; Lakshmi, R.; Chitra, H.; Devi, N. J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77, 477–478. 10. Helser, T. L. J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77, 479–480.
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 78 No. 4 April 2001 • Journal of Chemical Education
469
