Name that element!Which element on the periodic table wires electrical appliances, turns octopus blood blue, and lights up the night sky on the 4th of July? Follow these eight clues to find out. Then, turn the page to test your chemistry IQ. OUR POPULAR MYSTERY SERIES RETURNS! RARE FIND CLUE 1 The mystery element is one of a handful of metals that can form a mineral, or a naturally occurring solid with a uniform structure, without combining with other elements. The largest deposits of this rare mineral are found on the Keweenaw Peninsula Ke·wee·naw Peninsula A peninsula of northwest Michigan extending into Lake Superior and bordered on the south by Keweenaw Bay. of Michigan. Deposits there range in size from tiny grains to chunks the size of a school bus, says Matt Portfleet, a mining engineer in Michigan. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MUSIC MAKER CLUE 2 When the mystery element is combined with the element zinc (Zn), it forms an alloy called brass. This metal mixture is used to make instruments, including the trumpet, tuba tuba (t  `bə) [Lat.,=trumpet], valved brass wind musical instrument of wide conical bore. , trombone trombone [Ital.,=large trumpet], brass wind musical instrument of cylindrical bore, twice bent on itself, having a sliding section that lengthens or shortens it and thus regulates the pitch. The descendant of the sackbut, it was developed in the 15th cent. , and saxophone. It has a yellow color similar to gold. (Hint: Zinc and the mystery element are members of the same period, or row, on the periodic table.) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SPARE CHANGE CLUE 8 Today's pennies are made mostly of zinc J (Zn), an inexpensive element. But the outside of these one-cent coins is coated with the more valuable mystery element, which contains 29 protons. This outer plating gives today's pennies their reddish-brown sheen. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WIRED CLUE 7 Like most metals, the mystery element easily transmits heat and electricity. It has one of the highest conductivities of any element, second only to silver (Ag)--a member of the same group (column) on the periodic table. Since conductors can transfer heat and electrical charge so well, the mystery element is used in electrical wiring Electrical wiring in general refers to insulated conductors used to carry electricity, and associated devices. This article describes general aspects of electrical wiring as used to provide power in buildings and structures, commonly referred to as building wiring. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BLASTOFF CLUE 6 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 makers pack explosives with compounds that include the mystery element. Why? When this element is heated to high temperatures, its atoms emit light. For instance, when the mystery element is chemically combined with sulfur (S), this compound burns green; but when mixed with chlorine (CI), the sky lights up in bright blue hues. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TRUE BLUE CLUE 3 Most animals use a red iron (Fe) compound called hemoglobin to carry oxygen in their blood. But a few animals, such as octopuses, blue crabs, and snails, use a blue compound called hemocyanin hemocyanin /he·mo·cy·a·nin/ (-si´ah-nin) a blue copper-containing respiratory pigment occurring in the blood of mollusks and arthropods. that contains the mystery element. The hemocyanin causes the animal's blood to turn blue when it comes into contact with oxygen in the air, says Paul DiMarco, a marine biologist marine biologist specialist in the biology of marine life. at the University of Texas. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LADY LIBERTY CLUE 4 The Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty great symbolic structure in New York harbor. [Am. Hist.: Jameson, 284] See : America Statue of Liberty perhaps the most famous monument to independence. [Am. Hist.: Jameson, 284] See : Freedom gets its rich green color from this transition metal. The roughly 15-story-tall statue is covered with a whopping 81,283 kilograms (179,200 pounds) of the mystery element. Over time, chemicals in the atmosphere have altered the element, forming a blue-green layer over it. Called patina, this coating protects the statue from further weathering. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] JAWBREAKER jaw·break·er n. 1. A very hard candy. 2. Slang A word that is difficult to pronounce. 3. A machine that crushes rock or ore. CLUE 5 In large amounts, this element is toxic to most living things Living Things may refer to:
Verb Informal, chiefly US to interfere in, or become involved with, a dangerous person, thing, or situation: he had started messing with drugs such high levels" of this element, says Herbert University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). at Santa Barbara. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 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 so has a unique atomic number. In a neutral atom, the number of protons and the number of electrons (negatively charged particles) are equal, 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 (uncharged particles) found in a single atom of an element. The atom's mass is in its nucleus, which houses both protons and neutrons. PHYSICAL: Chemistry Name that Element! POST-READING DISCUSSION Follow up your lesson with these post-reading questions: * Which of the following U.S. coins contains the least amount of copper: penny, nickel, dime, or quarter? Answer: A penny. A penny contains only 2.5 percent copper, while a nickel is 75 percent, and dimes and quarters are each 92 percent. * In the United States, the average-size single-family home is constructed with 200 kilograms (439 pounds) of copper. Where might you find copper in your home? For a list of answers, visit: www.copper.org/education/c-facts/c-home.html CRITICAL THINKING * Around 3000 B.C., the ancient Greeks began making tools, weapons, and jewelry out of copper and its alloys. Why? Copper is very bendable and can easily be hammered into different shapes. When copper is mixed with tin, it forms a sturdy alloy called bronze. Suppose you were a metalworker in ancient Greece. List five things that you would make with copper or bronze. CROSS-CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS HISTORY: The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States to mark the friendship between the two countries. Have students pretend they are reporters covering the dedication of the statue on October 28, 1886. Students should research the historic occasion and write a newspaper article about the dedication. They should include facts about the statue, how it was made, and the crowd's reaction. RESOURCES * For an in-depth guide to copper, visit: www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Cu/key.html PAGE (18) Name That Element! DIRECTIONS: On a separate piece of paper, rewrite the following false statements to make them true. 1. A mineral is a naturally occurring solid with an un-uniform structure. Copper needs to combine with other elements to form a mineral. 2. Copper combines with the element tin to form a metalloid metalloid (met´  loid),n a nonmetallic element that behaves as a metal under certain conditions. called brass. This metal mixture is used to make the trumpet, tuba, and saxophone. 3. Most animals use a red iron compound called hemocyanin to carry nitrogen in their blood. 4. The Statue of Liberty is covered with copper, an alkali metal alkali metal Any of the six chemical elements in the leftmost group of the periodic table (lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium). They form alkalies when they combine with other elements. . Over time, harsh sunlight has altered the element, forming a blue-green coating called fresco over the statue. 5. Like most metals, copper easily transmits heat or electricity. It is second only to silver in connectivity. Silver and copper are members of the same period on the periodic table. Name that Element! 1. Copper is one of a handful of metals that can form a minerals, or naturally occurring solid with a uniform structure, without combining with other elements. 2. Copper combines with zins to form an alloy called brass. This metal mixture is used to make the trumpet, tuba, and saxophone. 3. Most animals use a red iron compound called hemoglobin to carry oxygen in their blood. 4. The State of Liberty is covered with copper, a transition metal. Over time, chemicals in the atmosphere have altered the element, forming A blue-green coating called patina over the statue. 5. Like most metals, copper easily transmits heat or electricity. It is second only to silver in conductivity. Silver and copper are members of the same groups on the periodic table. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion