Name ________________________________ Date___________________ THE ALIEN PERIODIC TABLE Earth’s scientists have announced that they have finally made radio contact with intelligent life on a distant planet dubbed 7-4-D. One of this alien planet’s languages is being translated, and the exchange of scientific information has begun! Planet 7-4-D seems to be composed of many of the same elements as Earth (and all planets…). However, the scientists from planet 7-4-D have different names and chemical symbols for them. The alien scientists do not know the names we’ve given the elements, or how to classify them, but they have radioed data on the known properties of their elements. As a scientist who is studying chemistry, you have been asked to use what is known about the alien elements to arrange them onto a blank periodic table. Once this table is organized, scientists on both planets will understand each other better, and will be able to work to share scientific information to make new discoveries. Procedure: Below are clues for the alien's elements. So far, the aliens have only discovered elements in groups 1, 2, and 13-18, and periods 1-5. Although the names of the elements are different, they must correspond to our elements, since elements should be universal. Read each clue carefully, and then place the symbol for that clue's element in the blank periodic table provided. The alien chemical symbols to place on the blank periodic table are the one or two letters found after each alien element name in parentheses. DO NOT place the earth element symbols, as found in your periodic table, on the blank periodic table. Name ________________________________ Date___________________ ALIEN ELEMENT DATA STATEMENTS 1. Livium (Lv): This element is responsible for life. It has 2 electron energy levels (orbits) and 4 valence electrons. 2. Computerchipium (Cc): This element is important for its use as a semiconductor in computers. It also has 4 valence electrons and three orbits. 3. Lightium (L): This is the lightest of all known elements; aliens used to use it in their blimps until their aircraft caught fire in a horrific accident. 4. Breathium(Br): When combined with Lightium (L), it makes the alien's most common liquid whose formula is L2Br. Br2 is the element they breathe to survive. 5. Fractlium (F): A metal found in period 4 group 13. 6. Moonium (Mo): A non-metal element with an atomic number of 34. 7. Explodium (Ex): This element is the most reactive metal on the alien's table. This element’s atoms also have the largest atomic radius on the alien’s table. 8. Violetium(V): This element is found as part of a compound in bananas. When burned, it has a violet, pink colored flame. 9. Sparkium (Sp) and Burnium (Bu) are members of the alkali metal group, along with Violetium(V) and Explodium (Ex). Their reactivity, from least to greatest, is Sp, Bu, V, Ex. 10. Balloonium (Ba): A noble gas used to fill balloons. If accidentally inhale, creates a high pitched squeaky voice. 11. Toothium (To): This element is added to juices to build strong bones and teeth. 12. Metalloidium (M) and Poisonium (Po): Two metalloids found in period 4. Po has more electrons than M. 13. Lowigium (Lo): This period 4 halogen is the only non-metal liquid at room temperature. 14. Darkbluium(Dk): Has an isotope with an atomic mass of 115. It also has three valence electrons. 15. Hugium (Hu): The element on the alien's periodic table that is the heaviest. Name ________________________________ 16. Glucinium (Gl): The element found in period 2, group 2. Date___________________ 17. Reactinium (Re): The most reactive non-metal on the periodic table, and also the lightest halogen. 18. Balloonium (Ba), Signium(Si), Stableium(Sb), Supermanium (Sm), and Hugium (Hu) are all noble gases. They are arranged above from least heaviest to most heaviest. 19. Cannium (Cn): This element had helped to preserve foods; it was used to manufacture cans. It is also known to have 50 protons. 20. Burnium (Bu), Blue-whitium (Bw), Bauxitium (Xi), Computerchipsium (Cc), Bringer-of-lightium (Bl), Stinkium (Sk), Purium (P), and Stableium (Sb) are all found in period 3. Bu has 1 electron in its outer most orbit, Bw has 2, Xi has 3, Cc has 4, Bl has 5, Sk has 6, P has 7 and Sb has 8. 21. Scottishium (Sc): A metal element found in group 2. 22. Infectium (If): This element, mixed with alcohol, is used on cuts. It forms a brownish colored mixture. 23. Abundantcium(Ab): One of the most abundant gasses in the atmosphere of the alien’s planet. It has 7 protons, 7 neutrons, and 7 electrons. 24. Some additional clues: The number after the symbol indicates the number of electrons in the outermost electron orbit: Notalonium (Nt): 5 Earthium (E): 6 Boracium (Bo): 3 Color-code the following: (Use different colors for each) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Alkali Metals Alkaline Earth Metals Halogens Noble Gases Metalloids Name ________________________________ Date___________________ Conclusion Questions: 1. The alien elemental clues didn’t cover any of the Transition Metals found in Periods 4 or 5 (elements 21 to 30 and elements 39 to 48). Pick two of these elements left out and write up a “clue” like the ones above that could identify where the element would go on the periodic table. a. The “clue” for element must include an “alien” name with symbol ( a one or two letter shorthand for the name) 2. Were you able to place all the elements within the periodic table with just a single clue? Explain why or why not? 3. Which group or groups of elements are not included in the alien periodic table? 4. How would you go about identifying if an element was a noble gas? Name ________________________________ Date___________________
