Name that element! (New Science Mystery Series!).It's both a solid and a gas. It's tasteless, odorless, and may have killed Napoleon. But it's also in the food we eat, the air we breathe, and may be fuel for life on other planets. What is it? Grab a periodic table (next page) and follow these eight clues to find out. Then turn the page to test your chem IQ. CLUE 1 MURDER MYSTERY This infamous poison and carcinogen carcinogen: see cancer. carcinogen Agent that can cause cancer. Exposure to one or more carcinogens, including certain chemicals, radiation, and certain viruses, can initiate cancer under conditions not completely understood. (cancer-causing agent) may have killed French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821). In the 19th century, the element was used to dye wallpaper and could have slowly seeped out of his walls as a deadly gas. GOT IT ALREADY? SCORE 100 POINTS. IF NOT, READ CLUE #2. CLUE 2 VANISHING ACT In Lord of the Rings, Hobbit A microprocessor from AT&T that was used in a variety of portable devices. It is no longer made. 1. Hobbit - A Scheme to C compiler by Tanel Tammet <tammet@cs.chalmers.se>. Frodo Baggins escapes an enemy by vanishing into thin air. Under certain conditions this element can do the same. Like other metalloids on the periodic table, this one can act like a metal or nonmetal nonmetal, chemical element possessing certain properties by which it is distinguished from a metal. In general, this distinction is drawn on the basis that a nonmetal tends to accept electrons and form negative ions and that its oxide is acidic. . It's found naturally in Earth's crust as a solid metallic mineral, a rock-forming compound made of one or more elements. But when heated to 614[degrees]C (1,137[degrees]F) it vaporizes, turning into a gas. Poof! NABBED THE ANSWER? SCORE 80 POINTS. STILL GUESSING? TAKE THE NEXT CLUE. CLUE 3 UP IN THE AIR It exists naturally in soil, air, and water worldwide. But some places contain more than others. Boiling thermal water vents deep under volcanoes and geysers The examples and perspective in this USA may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. This is an alphabetical list of notable geysers, a type of erupting hot spring: GAME OVER ALREADY? SCORE 60 POINTS. STILL PLAYING? CHECK OUT CLUE #4. CLUE 4 COMPUTER FRIENDLY Think your computer is a lifesaver? A typical PC contains 5 to 8 pounds of environmentally hazardous materials. This toxic element is used to make computer chips because it's a semiconductor: When combined with another metal, it can shuffle electrons (negatively charged particles that orbit around an atom's nucleus, or center) to generate an electrical current. Two or more elements share, donate, or accept electrons to forge chemical bonds. The mystery element typically donates three electrons to a nonmetal. NAME IT NOW, SCORE 40 POINTS. CLUE 5 OUT OF THIS WORLD If the air on other planets lacks oxygen, what would an alien breathe? This element, speculates scientist Ronald Oremland. "On Earth, some bacteria [single-celled organisms] breathe it," he says. If bacteria exist on Mars or Jupiter's moon Europa, could they use this element to breathe as well? It's pure speculation, says Oremland--but possible: He thinks most planets have trace amounts of the mystery element in their soil. HIT ON THE ANSWER? SCORE 20 POINTS. IF NOT, KEEP TRYING! CLUE 6 DYING FOR LOBSTER? Until the 1990s, the element's toxic inorganic (without carbon) form was used in fertilizers and insecticides. Trace amounts then ended up in produce like corn, wheat, and beans grown in the treated soil. Harmless amounts are also found in shellfish, like lobster. But, says Oremland: "No one's ever died from eating too much lobster." SCORE 10 POINTS IF YOU NAME THE ELEMENT WITH THE HELP OF SIX CLUES. STILL GUESSING? READ ON. CLUE 7 SPLIT PERSONALITY For centuries this element has been used in medicine to treat contagious diseases like syphilis and dysentery dysentery (dĭs`əntĕr'ē), inflammation of the intestine characterized by the frequent passage of feces, usually with blood and mucus. . Now, some doctors inject it into patients with leukemia (blood cancer). But how can a healer also be a killer? In healthy human cells it combines with oxygen to short-circuit energy production, and kills them. But it's even more deadly to cancer cells. Scientists still don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. why. GUESS THE ELEMENT? SCORE 5 POINTS. IF NOT, TRY YOUR LAST CLUE. CLUE 8 BIG FIZZLE fiz·zle intr.v. fiz·zled, fiz·zling, fiz·zles 1. To make a hissing or sputtering sound. 2. Informal To fail or end weakly, especially after a hopeful beginning. n. Fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics. fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to made with this element used to light up the night. "But not after everyone discovered how nasty it is," says Julie Heckman at American Pyrotechnics pyrotechnics (pī'rōtĕk`nĭks, pī'rə–), technology of making and using fireworks. Gunpowder was used in fireworks by the Chinese as early as the 9th cent. Institute. In a fireworks explosion, electrons orbiting around an atom's nucleus release energy in the form of light. The mystery element has 33 electrons. STILL NO ANSWER? TURN TO PAGE 20. ANATOMY OF AN ELEMENT Key definitions: ATOMIC NUMBER atomic number, often represented by the symbol Z, the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, as well as the number of electrons in the neutral atom. Atoms with the same atomic number make up a chemical element. equals the number of protons (positively charged particles) in an atom's nucleus, or center. Every element contains a different number of protons, and hence has a unique atomic number. ATOMIC MASS atomic mass, the mass of a single atom, usually expressed in atomic mass units equals the number of protons plus the number of neutrons found in a single atom of an element. The weight of an atom resides in its nucleus, which houses both protons and neutrons. THE PERIODIC TABLES The periodic table is a systematic way to organize Earth's elements, which can't be broken down into simpler substances. Today, there are 112 known and named chemical elements. Elements are arranged according to their increasing atomic number. Hydrogen (H), for example, has an atomic number of 1 and is the lightest known natural element on Earth. Scientists have created elements with atomic numbers greater than 92--but they don't exist naturally. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT'S YOUR CHOICE Test your chemistry IQ! Answer the following questions about elements and the periodic table. 1. Name the mystery element! -- 2. Which of the following statements is true? A Metals are most likely to form chemical compounds with other metals. B Metals and nonmetals are most likely to combine in a chemical compound. C Elements in the two left-hand columns of the periodic table are inert (don't react with other elements). D Elements in the center will react with any other element on the table. 3. A metalloid metalloid (met´  loid),n a nonmetallic element that behaves as a metal under certain conditions. has metal and nonmetal properties. Which three elements are likely to be metalloids? A Cadmium, Gallium, and Tin B Carbon, Silicon, and Phosphorus C Silicon, Germanium germanium (jərmā`nēəm) [from Germany], semimetallic chemical element; symbol Ge; at. no. 32; at. wt. 72.59; m.p. 937.4°C;; b.p. 2,830°C;; sp. gr. 5.323 at 25°C;; valence +2 or +4. , and Antimony antimony (ăn`tĭmō'nē) [Lat. antimoneum], semimetallic chemical element; symbol Sb [Lat. stibium,=a mark]; at. no. 51; at. wt. 121.75; m.p. 630.74°C;; b.p. 1,750°C;; sp. gr. (metallic form) 6. D Calcium, Strontium strontium (strŏn`shēəm) [from Strontian, a Scottish town], a metallic chemical element; symbol Sr; at. no. 38; at. wt. 87.62; m.p. 769°C;; b.p. 1,384°C;; sp. gr. 2.6 at 20°C;; valence +2. , and Scandium scandium (skăn`dēəm), metallic chemical element; symbol Sc; at. no. 21; at. wt. 44.9559; m.p. 1,541°C;; b.p. 2,831°C;; sp. gr. 2.99 at 20°C;; valence +3. Scandium is a soft silver-white metal. 4. Which element has 74 electrons orbiting its nucleus? A Tin (Sn) B Tellurium tellurium (tĕl  r`ēəm) [Lat.,=earth], semimetallic chemical element; symbol Te; at. no. 52; at. wt. 127.60; m.p. 450°C;; b.p. 990°C;; sp. gr. 6. (Te)C Arsenic (As) D Tungsten (W) 5. Elements are organized from left to right on the periodic table according to A size. B chemical properties. C order of discovery. D name. Did You Know? * Bangladesh is experiencing the largest mass poisoning in history due to arsenic-contaminated drinking water drinking water supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. . Arsenic in the soil leaches into an estimated 10 million wells--more than half of the country's water wells. Thousands of citizens have respiratory problems, skin lesions Skin Lesions Definition A skin lesion is a superficial growth or patch of the skin that does not resemble the area surrounding it. Description Skin lesions can be grouped into two categories: primary and secondary. , and tumors as a result. * The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and considers amounts greater than 50 micrograms of arsenic per liter of water to be dangerous. Most American rivers and streams contain less than 10 micrograms/liter. * Arsenic has been used as a wood preservative wood preservative substances used as dressing for lumber to protect it against mold, insects, pests, fire, etc. Animals housed in pens made of wood which has been treated with wood preservatives may be poisoned by these compounds if they chew the wood. to repel dry rot, mold, and termites since the 1930s. Treated lumber was used to build decks, electrical poles, and playgrounds until the lumber industry voluntarily stopped using the toxic treatment in 2001. Cross-Curricular Connection Language Arts: Arsenic has inspired mystery writers for centuries. Write a fictional story that incorporates arsenic. Use the information provided in one of the clues. Critical Thinking: Create a timeline of Napoleon Bonaparte's life. Why was his death so significant that scholars are still trying to discover how he died? CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING Directions: Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.
-- 1. carcinogen a. without carbon
-- 2. metalloid b. rock-forming compound
-- 3. mineral c. number of protons in an atom's nucleus
-- 4. vaporize d. cancer-causing agent
-- 5. inorganic e. blood cancer
-- 6. leukemia f. number of protons plus neutrons found in
one single atom of an element.
-- 7. atomic number g. element that can act like a metal and
nonmetal
-- 8. atomic mass h. turn into gas
ANSWERS Name That Element! 1. d 2. g 3. b 4. h 5. a 6. e 7. c 8. f 1. Arsenic 2. b 3. c 4. d 5. b Resources For more on the arsenic crisis in Bangladesh see, "Bangladesh Arsenic Crisis" and related articles on the BBC BBC in full British Broadcasting Corp. Publicly financed broadcasting system in Britain. A private company at its founding in 1922, it was replaced by a public corporation under royal charter in 1927. Web site: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/252308.stm A debate rages about the cause of Napoleon's death. For an in-depth article on this centuries-old murder mystery: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2371187.stm A fun example of arsenic in mystery writing is the 1944 classic film Arsenic and Old Lace, based on Joseph Kesselring's Broadway play. For a comprehensive report on arsenic in groundwater see the U.S. Geological Survey's "Arsenic in Groundwater of the United States: Occurrence and Geochemistry." It can be found online at: co.water.usgs.gov/trace/pubs/gw_v38n4/ Want some extra resources to help your students learn about the periodic table? Check out these two Web sites: This site has free quizzes on the periodic table and chemistry: www.1001-periodic-table-quiz-questions.com/free-science-quiz.html You'll find a poem dedicated to each element on the periodic table at this site: www.superdeluxe.com/elemental/ |
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