Trail v1 - American Chemical Society



Trailblazing with the Elements

By David Olney (djolney@)

Here’s an interesting variant of a word search puzzle. In the grid below there are 11 names of elements.

Below the grid are 11 clues that help identify each. The clues deal with physical properties, roots of their names, uses, position in a periodic table, etc., rather than any chemical property such as electron arrangements or valency. We will also tell you how many letters are in its name.

The 11 names form a TRAIL of letters from name #1 to name #2 to name #3, etc. Look for the next letter placement to be horizontally or vertically in line… no diagonals! For example, if element #1 was SODIUM (it isn’t!) reading downwards, the first letter of name #2 would be placed in the square either directly below the M, or to its left or to its right. Similarly, within any one name there may be 90o direction change(s) such as SO M. Again, note that diagonal moves are not allowed.

D I U

Any box in the grid is used just once. The trail will not cross itself, and will end with a letter on the perimeter of the grid. You do not have to start with name 1; hop in and out wherever you like!

U |M |A | L |U |N |U |U |M | |I |L |R |O |M |I |M |I |D | |H |E |O |B |N |E |R |O |R | |E |N |N |T |O |G |U |F |R | |R |I |F |I |R |D |T |H |E | |O |U |L |N |H |Y |P |O |C | |A |T |O |P |R |E |P |U |M | |S |U |M |L |V |M |A |I |S | |S |I |S |I |E |R |G |N |E | |

The CLUES:

letters in its name

1. The element in period 5, group 14 of the periodic table. 3

2. The only alkali metal with just one letter in its symbol. 9

3. Its Latin name is argentum . 6

4. The burning of this period 3 alkaline earth metal makes for an excellent flare! 9

5. Of elements 21-31, the one that is red-brown in color. 6

6. Two of its three isotopes are named deuterium and tritium. 8

7. A metalloid used in some p-type semi-conductors. 5

8. The halogen noted for fighting tooth decay. . 8

9. A star’s energy source is the conversion of hydrogen into _____. 6

10. A common metal extracted from BAUXITE ore. 8

11. TIN has just 3 letters in its name. Which element name has the MOST letters ? ???

Hint: you may need a relatively up-to-date periodic table or textbook to consult.

Happy trailblazing!

Solution to Trailblazing with the Elements

U → |M → |A

10→ | L → |U ↓ |N → |U ↓ |U → |M | | I

↑ |L ← |R ↓ |O ← |M → |I ↑ |M ↓ |I ↑ |D ← | |H

9 → |E ↑ |O ↓ |B 7↑ |N ← |E ← |R 11 ↓ |O → |R ↑ | |E ↑ |N ← |N ↓ |T 1 ↓ |O → |G ↑ |U ↓ |F ↑ |R ← | |R → |I ↑ |F 8 ↓

|I ↓ |R ↑ |D ← | T

→ |H → |E ↑ | |O ↑ |U ← |L ← |N ↓

|H

6 → |Y ↑ | P

↓ |O ← |C

5 ←

| |A ↓ |T ← |O ← |P

2 ← |R ↑ |E ← |P ← |U → |M ↑ | |S ↓ |U → |M ↓ |L → |V ↓ |M 4 →

|A ↓ |I ↑ |S ← | |S

→ |I ↑ |S 3→

|I ↑ |E → |R ↑ |G ↓ |N → |E ↑ | |

A square with a number in it is the starting letter of that element‘s name.

Here are the names that match the number of the clue:

1. tin 5. copper 9. helium

2. potassium 6. hydrogen 10. aluminum

3. silver 7. boron 11. rutherfordium (element 104 ,13 letters)

4. magnesium 8. fluorine

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