Name _______________ Date __________ Period _____
"Elementary My Dear Watson"
READ THIS FIRST: You may (or may not) be familiar with the stories of "Sherlock
Holmes" and his assistant "Dr. Watson" written by the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In
the stories, Holmes and Watson solved many mysteries. With that in mind, get prepared
to solve a mystery of your own. You will need a periodic table (use the one inside the back
cover of your Science book), a pen or pencil, and the ability to read "words" that are made
up of chemical symbols. (You may have to use your imagination when reading some of the
words !)
Instructions: Below is a solution to a mystery. You will have to fill in the blanks as follows:
* If a chemical symbol is given, substitute the name of that element (for example, if the
clue is "Ag" then write the word "silver" in the blank.
* If the name is given, then write the symbol in the blank (for example if the chemical
name "Indium" is the clue, then write the symbol "In" in the space.)
* If you are given two or more symbols together, you make a word out of the clue (for
example: carbon + argon = C + Ar = Car)
* Sometimes the names of compounds are symbolized by formulas (HINT: since we
haven't covered formulas yet, I will give them to you here: SiO2 is quartz and Fe2O3 is
rust {actually, it is ferrous oxide, but we’ll just call it rust.} )
So, good luck. The game is afoot! (This is Sherlock Holmes language for let's get started!)
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'Twas the week before Christmas when Inspector Lestrade came to me with a most
distraught gentleman in tow. (Helium) _____ explained that the gentleman had purchased
several pieces of (Ag) _____ and (Au) _____ jewelry for his wife (or mistress, (iodine)
_____ surmised), which had disappeared during a street (carbon + argon) _____ ride
((nobelium) _____ doubt to see (hydrogen + erbium)_____!). The victim interrupted with
"You must (Fe) _____ this out before the 24th, Mr. (Ho) _____! I will not (Fe2O3) _____
until the jewels are recovered and the culprit made to (S) _____ as (iodine) _____ have
this day! (holmium + tungsten) _____ dare someone (sulfur + tellurium + aluminum)
_____from me! I'd gladly (Ba) _____ with the fishes and watch him (Zn) _____ in the
Thames!" His diatribe did then to (B) _____
(Oxygen + nitrogen) _____ questioning, I learned the (carbon + argon) _____ was number
(Sn) _____ an express which did not stop during (hydrogen + iodine + sulfur) _____ trip.
(Arsenic) _____ to unusual events, (helium) _____ remembered a (Cu) _____ evicting the
occupants of the seat behind him and sitting there himself. Enjoying the ride, (helium)
_____ was just thinking "these areas (As) _____", when a bad jolt made the (calcium +
selenium) _____ of jewelry (sulfur + lithium + phosphorus) _____between the seat and
back of the bench (helium) _____ occupied. The (Cu) _____ retrieved it for him.
(Oxygen + nitrogen) _____ checking later, he found the jewelry missing from the (calcium
+ selenium) _____. (Astatine) _____ their destination, (helium) _____and the (Cu)
_____ searched everyone, and each other, (arsenic) _____ well as the (carbon + argon)
_____. (Nobelium) _____jewels were found.
By this time, Lestrade seemed eager to (beryllium) _____ rid (oxygen + fluorine)
_____our pompous victim, as (tungsten + arsenic) _____ (iodine) _____. (Indium) _____
private, the Inspector explained that he wasn't personally (Sb) _____, but just wanted
the theft cleared (uranium + phosphorus) _____quickly (sulfur + oxygen______ he could
get (oxygen + nitrogen) _____ to matters more important than petty theft. (Iodine)
_____ agreed to help, not to save the Inspector time and embarrassment (tungsten +
helium + nitrogen) _____ he failed, (arsenic) _____ I (potassium + neon + tungsten) _____
he would, but because I had the (calcium + selenium) _____ already solved. Informed of
this, the Inspector cried, "(Sulfur + oxygen) _____ fast! (Hydrogen + oxygen + tungsten)
_____?!" My only reply (tungsten + arsenic) _____ that he meet me after (I) _____d,
armed and carrying a (Ni) _____.
(Astatine) _____ dusk, the Inspector and (iodine) _____ rode the next to last streetcar
of the day to the end (oxygen + fluorine) _____ the line, the (C) _____. I used
Lestrade's (Ni) _____ to pay my fare. (Indium) _____ the deserted (C) _____ I found
number (Sn) _____ and climbed inside. Reasoning that the culprit sat behind our victim
(Pb) _____ me to examine that seat, and I found scratches on the (F) _____. Prying
(uranium + phosphorus) _____ a loose piece of (F) _____, I found the missing (Ag) _____
and (Au) _____ jewelry in a (boron + silver) _____. I substituted worthless (SiO2) _____
to simulate the heft of the (rhenium + aluminum) _____ articles, and replaced the (boron +
silver) _____ under the (F) _____. The Inspector and (iodine) _____ then concealed
ourselves to await the thief. Nearly dozing (oxygen + 2 fluorine) _____, I was startled by
the sound of footsteps echoing (indium) _____ the deserted (C) _____. A shadow
entered number (Sn) _____ and I heard the (F) _____ being lifted, a brief silence, then
an expletive and "The jewels (Ar) _____ !" The Inspector yelled "Police!" and I yelled
"(Cs) _____!" as we both jumped into different ends of the streetcar. After a brief
struggle, the Inspector had his (Ne) _____ the culprit, (tungsten + holmium) _____ was
subdued and handcuffed. I turned (oxygen + nitrogen) _____ the torch and beheld a
uniform (oxygen + fluorine) _____ blue with (bromine + arsenic + sulfur) _____ buttons.
"(Ho) _____!" exclaimed the Inspector, "It's the (Cu) _____" "Of course," I replied.
"It's elementary, Inspector. He's a (Si) _____who found his comedy routine
impersonating a (Cu) _____ in prison to (beryllium) _____ infinitely (molybdenum +
rhenium) _____rewarding on the outside--almost!"
** On another sheet of paper, make a list of all of the elements used in this
assignment.
TEACHER'S KEY
'Twas the week before Christmas when Inspector Lestrade came to me with a most
distraught gentleman in tow. (Helium) He explained that the gentleman had purchased
several pieces of (Ag) SILVER and (Au) GOLD jewelry for his wife (or mistress, (iodine) I
surmised), which had disappeared during a street (carbon + argon) CAr ride ((nobelium) No
doubt to see (hydrogen + erbium)HeR!). The victim interrupted with "You must (Fe) IRON
this out before the 24th, Mr. (Ho) HOLMIUM! I will not (Fe2O3) RUST until the jewels are
recovered and the culprit made to (S) SULFER as (iodine) I have this day! (holmium +
tungsten) HOW dare someone (sulfur + tellurium + aluminum) STEAlfrom me! I'd gladly
(Ba) BARIUM with the fishes and watch him (Zn) ZINC in the Thames!" His diatribe did
then to (B) BORON
(Oxygen + nitrogen) ON questioning, I learned the (carbon + argon) CAr was number (Sn)
TIN an express which did not stop during (hydrogen + iodine + sulfur) HIS trip. (Arsenic)
As to unusual events, (helium) He remembered a (Cu) COPPER evicting the occupants of
the seat behind him and sitting there himself. Enjoying the ride, (helium) He was just
thinking "these areas (As) ARSENIC", when a bad jolt made the (calcium + selenium) CaSe
of jewelry (sulfur + lithium + phosphorus) SliP between the seat and back of the bench
(helium) He occupied. The (Cu) Copper retrieved it for him. (Oxygen + nitrogen) ON
checking later, he found the jewelry missing from the (calcium + selenium) CaSe.
(Astatine) At their destination, (helium) He and the (Cu) Cu searched everyone, and each
other, (arsenic) As well as the (carbon + argon) CAr. (Nobelium) Nojewels were found.
By this time, Lestrade seemed eager to (beryllium) Be rid (oxygen + fluorine) OFour
pompous victim, as (tungsten + arsenic) WAs (iodine) I. (Indium) In private, the Inspector
explained that he wasn't personally (Sb) Antimony, but just wanted the theft cleared
(uranium + phosphorus) UP quickly (sulfur + oxygen) SO he could get (oxygen + nitrogen)
ON to matters more important than petty theft. (Iodine) I agreed to help, not to save
the Inspector time and embarrassment (tungsten + helium + nitrogen) WHeN he failed,
(arsenic) As I (potassium + neon + tungsten) KneW he would, but because I had the
(calcium + selenium) CaSe already solved. Informed of this, the Inspector cried, "(Sulfur
+ oxygen) SO fast! (Hydrogen + oxygen + tungsten) HOW?!" My only reply (tungsten +
arsenic) WAs that he meet me after (I) Iodined, armed and carrying a (Ni) Nickel.
(Astatine) At dusk, the Inspector and (iodine)I rode the next to last streetcar of the day
to the end (oxygen + fluorine) Of the line, the (C) Carbon. I used Lestrade's (Ni) Nickel
to pay my fare. (Indium) In the deserted (C) Carbon I found number (Sn) Tin and
climbed inside. Reasoning that the culprit sat behind our victim (Pb) Lead me to examine
that seat, and I found scratches on the (F) Fluorine. Prying (uranium + phosphorus) UP a
loose piece of (F) Fluorine, I found the missing (Ag) Silver and (Au) Gold jewelry in a
(boron + silver) BAg. I substituted worthless (SiO2) Quartz to simulate the heft of the
(rhenium + aluminum) ReAl articles, and replaced the (boron + silver) BAg under the (F)
Fluorine. The Inspector and (iodine) I then concealed ourselves to await the thief. Nearly
dozing (oxygen + 2 fluorine) OFF, I was startled by the sound of footsteps echoing
(indium) In the deserted (C) Carbon. A shadow entered number (Sn) Tin and I heard the
(F) Fluorine being lifted, a brief silence, then an expletive and "The jewels (Ar) Argon !"
The Inspector yelled "Police!" and I yelled "(Cs) Cesium!" as we both jumped into different
ends of the streetcar. After a brief struggle, the Inspector had his (Ne) Neon the
culprit, (tungsten + holmium) Who was subdued and handcuffed. I turned (oxygen +
nitrogen) ON the torch and beheld a uniform (oxygen + fluorine) OF blue with (bromine +
arsenic + sulfur) BrAsS buttons. "(Ho) Holmium!" exclaimed the Inspector, "It's the (Cu)
Copper"! "Of course," I replied, "it's elementary, Inspector. He's a (Si) Silicon who found
his comedy routine impersonating a (Cu) Copper in prison to (beryllium) Be infinitely
(molybdenum + rhenium) MoRe rewarding on the outside--almost!"
** On another sheet of paper, make a list of all of the elements (and their symbols)
that were used in this assignment.
Helium He
Silver Ag
Au Gold
Iodine I
Carbon C
Ho Holmium
Astatine At
Beryllium Be
Tungsten W
Indium In
Sb Antimony
Uranium U
Potassium K
Neon Ne
Ni Nickel
Pb lead
Boron B
Rhenium Re
Cs Cesium
Bromine Br
Molybdenum Mo
Nobelium No
Fe iron
O oxygen
N nitrogen
Ar argon
Sulfur S
Tellurium Te
Sn tin
As arsenic
He helium
Cu copper
Calcium Ca
Aluminum Al
Ba Barium
Se selenium
Lithium Li
Phosphorus
Zn Zinc